Ischigualasto and Talampaya Natural Parks: World Heritage Sites
In the provinces of San Juan and La Rioja, landscapes from another time, which look like coming from another planet, are waiting for you.
Are you lured by mysterious places? In San Juan, visit the Ischigualasto Provincial Park and behold the strange Valle de la Luna [Valley of the Moon]. Surround yourself with paleontological findings that will take you back to the Mesozoic Age, when dinosaurs roamed around this area. Watch figures sculpted in the rocks by the water, the sun, and the wind. Enjoy a place showing Earth’s evolution.
Do you feel like getting more? In La Rioja, the Talampaya National Park awaits. Here you’ll find rocks and stone walls, a blue sky and a red desert, and a landscape shaped by erosion for over 250 million years. The Cañón del Talampaya showcases fossils from one of the first dinosaurs in the planet, and petroglyphs carved by the Diaguita and Ciénaga cultures between the 3rd and the 9th centuries AD. Enjoy these natural parks, which have been declared World Heritage Sites.
Geographic location: Provinces of La Rioja and San Juan, Cuyo region.
Climate: dry (desert).
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 4 days.
Recommended clothing and gear: A light jacket; comfortable, preferably light-colored clothes; sunscreen; sunglasses; a hat or cap; appropriate footwear according to the activity.