Canyon
One of the first questions to take into account when visiting La Rioja is that mobility is needed. The distances are long, especially from the airport. To Villa Unión, both from the terminal of the provincial capital and from that of San Juan, there are about 300 km. Route. Of course, there are companies that offer transfers and excursions. Otherwise, the option of getting a car upon arrival is optimal. In this case, instead of traditional rental houses, Toyota’s Kinto Share service was used, where the vehicle arrives directly from the local dealer with the Japanese brand’s guarantee and 0800 for eventualities. The option of delivery at the airport and a hybrid Corolla Cross were chosen, for an off road light and improve fuel consumption in sections at low speeds.
Villa Unión, also part of the Route 40 circuit, is about sixty kilometers from Talampaya. The ideal is to stay about three nights. And the most balanced accommodation is the Don Remo hotel: it has a swimming pool, a large park, a restaurant and comfortable rooms. There are also two high-end options that cost almost twice as much: the Pircas Negras or Cañon del Talampaya hotels. Or, down, more modest cabins.
Why three nights? One, obligatory, to go to Talampaya, perhaps one of the most beautiful national parks in the country. The immense red walls, full of rock art that show ancient civilizations with condors fluttering overhead, can only be visited through excursions offered by the park management. The color is given by the Unimog-type trucks to go over any surface and that allow you to go on the roof, in the open air, to enjoy one of the seven natural wonders of Argentina.
The traditional excursion includes four stops: Petroglyphs (rock art stands out), Botanical Garden (an oasis of vegetation in the middle of the canyon desert, where you can also try the incredible echo with coordinated screams -it fascinates the little ones-), and two places where the shapes of the stones come to life: Gothic Cathedral (a Sagrada Familia made by ancient erosion) and El Monje (an icon of provincial tourism). To this was recently added the plus of the Shimpa Canyon, a narrower path to walk, with lower walls but with fewer human footprints. Safety pin.
This site, which was declared a World Heritage Site, has other lesser-known attractions nearby: the Rainbow Canyon or the Lost City, both guided by a local cooperative.
Triassic
Upon returning from Talampaya, there is a space to go to the hotel pool, or take a nap. It is convenient to be well rested if the next day the tourist opts for the other top excursion: Laguna Brava. The Nature Reserve is located at about 4,500 meters above sea level on the Andes Mountains and it is an excursion that lasts all day. Therefore, it is necessary to do it with one of the many authorized agencies in the area. To avoid the apunamiento, the route includes several intermediate stops, to get used to the height. Upon arrival, one of the most incredible postcards of the entire region emerges: a mountain lagoon, full of flamingos, which give a contrast of colors to a view dominated by the crystal clear waters and the peaks in the background, generally snow-capped.
The third day in Villa Unión is to have a quieter day and take short walks in the area. There are several options. The recommended ones: Vallecito Encantado, on the side of the route, with curious geoforms, the Anchumbil Canyon, or the Triassic Canyon.
On this occasion, the chosen one was the latter. It is a circuit to do in 4×4 and in less than three hours, since it is a few kilometers from Villa Unión, in the neighboring town of Banda Florida. “We needed to have short excursions in the area, for the free afternoons that the groups that come to Villa Unión on closed tours had left,” explains Fabián Páez, one of the leading guides in the area and creator -along with other colleagues- of the Triassic circuit. Aboard a Nissan 4×4, Paéz performs like an off-road expert, and takes a path between stones and gravel to live an off-road adventure between unforgettable landscapes.
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The Mexican
About 110 kilometers from Villa Unión is Chilecito, the second city of the province. It is advisable to take a reasonable time to cover the path. Not only because of the curves and reverse curves of the route, but because the section is one of the great postcards that Route 40 offers. The Cuesta de Miranda appears there: being a high area, you can see the valleys, the mountains and the whole palette of colors offered by the area. There are viewpoints to stop and appreciate the landscape. Parallel also runs part of the old Inca Trail.
“There is a jump, in general people came to La Rioja between Easter and the winter holidays. Now we see that this seasonality is breaking,” Matías Vaca, Secretary of Tourism of Chilecito, told Ámbito.
The town has a greater hotel offer, in all categories. The recommendation: 60 km. is Chañarmuyo, one of the few wineries that has accommodation in the province. At the foot of the mountain, among vineyards, you can enjoy the calm of the place, a unique view, first class gastronomy and export wines.
The city can be explored expressly in an afternoon or take more days to go to the mountains and enter the nearby peaks, such as Famatina, and live a mountain range experience. In addition to a view of the Cristo del Portezuelo, which stands with its arms outstretched in the middle of the city, or a visit to Cooperativa La Riojana (produces some classic wine labels from the province, among other regional ones such as olive oil), the old mining cableway from over a hundred years ago, whose structure is still intact. The La Mejicana mine, from the early 20th century, operated by a German firm, operated until the end of the 1920s. And the system for moving metals (gold, silver and copper) from the Famatina, 4,400 m above the sea level, it was for a mega-project of engineering. Today, the nine stations of the cable car can be visited. The base, in the middle of the city, has a museum. Stations 1 and 2, already on the rise, can be done by car. From the third, guided tours are offered in 4×4 vehicles.
Source From: Ambito
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