San Luis —Six Amazing Landscapes Hidden in the Province

Fill your lungs with air, close your eyes, and open them again to admire the extraordinary power of nature. San Luis gives you those fleeting moments of happiness, making you sigh and feel moved to tears. Argentina goes deep inside everyone, offering superb experiences and making you keep lasting memories, which you’ll want to rekindle over and over again. 

Argentina’s landscape diversity delights and woos whoever decides to visit it, accelerating their heartbeats and fitting every worldwide adventurer’s compass. After months of lockdown and in a context in which open-air places are in high demand, San Luis warms visitors’ hearts. Sierras, water strength, a white dessert, and even geographic places that used to be dinosaurs’ home: a province that promises a variety of sceneries and unique energy. Are you ready?

1. Sierra de las Quijadas National Park

Fossil remains, historical deposits, and thousands of hectares have witnessed a different and distant land, in which dinosaurs reigned 120 million years ago. So, if you, history lover, are reading this, you’ll know where to go first. This is a tourist circuit in shades of red, offering not only a visual spectacle, but also a palaeontological gem from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

The portrait is simply amazing: intense red hills that have been forming labyrinths, stacks, cliffs, and terraces thanks to the wind erosion. The favourite part? Potrero de la Aguada, a huge natural amphitheatre 7 kilometres from the park entrance. Yet, the unmissable list goes on. Actually, there are five more circuits. Hornillos de Hualtarán, showing how the Huarpe culture used to cook ceramics and food; the Sendero Flora Autóctona, featuring white Quebracho and carob trees during a 45-minute walk; the Sendero Las Huellas del Pasado, covering the passing of time traces; the Sendero Guanacos; and, lastly, the Farallones trail. 

Moreover, it is the perfect place for fauna-watching lovers. Even though the climate is arid, there’s a whimsical cast of animals that draws smiles on everyone’s faces. Patagonian maras, grey foxes, pumas, guanacos, collared peccaries, brown brockets, among others. If you are into birds, you’ll find grey buzzard-eagles, white-collared swifts, condors, crowned solitary eagles, yellow cardinals, and more. 

FYI: the ideal season to visit the park is from April to October so that you can avoid high temperatures, especially because some trails won’t be open if it’s more than 35 °C. 

2. Potrero de los Funes

Twenty kilometres away from the capital of San Luis, there’s a paradise for fishing and water sport lovers, which is also home to one of the region’s most beautiful dams and the oldest in the province. Can you picture it? A huge water mirror, which reflects the region’s landscape, blending in with the colour of the sky. This dam is called Embalse Potrero de los Funes and, besides showing us an amazing portrait, it is the favourite meeting point of visitors when summer is coming. 

The flexibility of this place is super interesting: there are as many options as there are tastes. You can enjoy a hot day among laughter and picnics if you want the classic alternative. Maybe, if you are into water activities, you can practice non-motorised sports, such as fishing, windsurfing, kayaking, and rafting. You can walk around the dam and complete a round in an hour. Yet, if adrenaline is your cup of tea, the Potrero de los Funes area allows you to go hiking in Valle Piedra and Cerro Cruz de Madera, mountain biking, and even abseiling or climbing on Quebrada de los Cóndores. 

3. Salto de la Moneda

The water falling down this 12-metre high cascade is hypnotising thanks to the flow of the see-through liquid and the region’s hills nesting it and forming a valley. Nothing is random, and the reward is not only at the end, when the Salto is unveiled, since the natural gifts unfold with every step. 

It is located in Potrero de los Funes city, and you can access it accompanied by local people. For brave people, there are climbing and abseiling alternatives. Did you know? From here, you can see a typical San Luis picture: the dam and sierras.

Mind you! Don’t forget to bring water to keep you hydrated during the adventure and a hat to be protected against the sun. Your clothing should obviously be appropriate for the activity: comfortable and good footwear; and if you plan to enjoy the water, a towel and swimsuit will do. Last but not least, pack some snacks (or why not mate?) to enjoy the panoramic sunset views with some food at hand. 

4. Salinas del Bebedero

Kilometres and kilometres of intense brightness and absolute beauty that silently dazzles travellers. Salt on tables across the world is displayed in an iconic white desert in San Luis. A spectacle that delights for its vastness, texture, and colour. Actually, the view is even more wonderful on cloudless days when the sun hits the ground directly, and the salt turns into constantly sparkling diamonds.

The best part is that getting into Salinas del Bebedero is completely free, and even though you can only visit the allowed trails, that’s enough to sweep anyone off their feet. The tour takes about two hours, and you mustn’t forget water and your sunglasses so that the beams of sunlight don’t damage your eyes. 

If you feel curious, there’s a national edible salt plant revealing the magic behind the production at the entrance. And just 3 kilometres away from the salt desert, you can find the Balde city to crown your journey in this tourist complex, with natural hot springs at 42 °C.

5. Filo Serrano

In Sierras de los Comechingones and at 2,220 metres above sea level, there’s Filo or, in other words, the border dividing the provinces of San Luis and Córdoba. An amazing place very close to the clouds that offers from dream-like panoramic views to adventures on another level. It is in Villa de Merlo, one of the most visited tourist destinations in San Luis.

There are two viewpoints worthy of awards. The first one is called Mirador Del Sol, which reveals most of Valle de Conlara and the nearby hills at 1,470 metres above sea level. Rumour has it that some of the best postcard-like pictures can be taken there. Secondly, the Mirador de los Cóndores, which shows San Luis landscape painting and the Valle de Calamuchita in Córodaba (if the weather allows it). Moreover, heartbeats will go up as you can try zip-lining, go down hanging bridges, climbing, and… Wait for it, paragliding. Go there at sunset so that you can see the orange shades fusing with the horizon.

6. Trapiche

Almost 40 kilometres from the capital, you’ll find this summer village surrounded by vegetation, rivers, and brooks. A curious fact: its name (translated into crusher) refers to the machine used to break gold extracted from the nearby mines. Today, leaving that past behind, it’s a village chosen by travellers to go trekking, sail down the Arroyo de las Águilas, or spend the day in the Florida dam, just as in Potrero de los Funes. In this case, the dam has 652 hectares, creating one of the area’s most beautiful lagoons. Diving and sport fishing are the most popular activities.