Sierra de las Quijadas National Park
Track and discover gullies, archeological fields, dinosaur footprints, and petrified trunks.
Set your foot on Sierra de las Quijadas and take a walk along time. Move forward on sedimentary strata and amid red walls, 250 meters high. Discover shapes that have been sculpted by the water, the sun, and the wind for 130 million years. Amid xerophile forests, savannas and grasslands, find fossil remainders of winged lizards, known as Pterosaurs. Enjoy this land of dinosaurs and native cultures.
Are you attracted by native wildlife? Here live guanacos and foxes, pumas, pink fairy armadillos and condors, peregrine falcons and crowned solitary eagles. Are you into birds? You’ll be able to watch yellow cardinals, and ultramarine grosbeaks. In this unique place, 150,000 hectares of woodland and plateaus lie side by side with slightly-sloping plains. Easy-to-follow trails blend into tours for trained hikers. Sierra de las Quijadas unfolds its magic for you.
Geographic location: northeast of the province of San Luis, 116 km away from the provincial capital, in the center of the country.
How to get there: By Ruta Nacional 147, before its crossing with Ruta Nacional 20, with a previous detour to the left along a gravel road for around 8 km.
Area: 150,000 hectares.
Altitude: Up to 1,200 meters above sea level.
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days.
Climate: Semi-arid. In summer, temperatures may rise to 45ºC. Although the park can be visited all year round, the ideal period goes from April to November.
Recommended clothing: It is recommended to carry a good water supply and sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat or a cap, comfortable clothes, and trekking shoes.
What to do: Hike along the trail to Potrero de la Aguada, the large central depression that extends for around 4,500 hectares, forming a colossal natural amphitheater.
Tips: Check the summer visiting hours, as they can be modified due to the high temperatures.