San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca () is a city in northwestern Argentina and capital of Catamarca Province, on the Río Valle River, at the feet of the Cerro Ambato. The city name is normally shortened as Catamarca. The city of , located above sea level, has 159,000 inhabitants (), with more than 200,000 counting the suburbia, what represents around 70% of the population of the province. The city is located from Buenos Aires. The closest provincial capitals are La Rioja (), Tucumán () and Santiago del Estero (). Many pilgrims come to San
Catamarca Province vineyards, olive, citrus, cotton and tobacco, for which the government gives tax cuts to facilitate economic growth , but so far with poor results and no oversight. Tourism is a lesser contributor to the economy in Catamarca, with more than 3,465 beds in hotels and other types of accommodation. Although high hopes are focused in this industry, lack of infrastructure, service-oriented and trained businesses and an overall endemic corruption culture, tourism has yet to become a strong element the local economy. Mountains and geological formation are the main attraction, with sights such as Antofagasta de la Sierra, Balcones del Valle,