A 4-Day Trip to San Juan, an UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unusual formations and characteristics of the soil
Highlights
- Visit unique destinations outside the conventional itineraries in San Juan.
- Explore Ischigualasto Provincial Park, also known as "Valley of the Moon", an unique park in the world for its continental Triassic sediments.
- Discover the Calingasta Valleys and El Leoncito National Park, featuring amazing mountain paths, panoramic views, and the renowned astronomical complex, ideal for exploring Argentina's natural beauty.
Itinerary
Upon arrival, you will be transferred from the airport/bus terminal to the hotel. You will have the rest of the day to spend at your leisure in the city.
We will leave from the selected hotels in San Juan from 7:00 am, and we will travel on National Tourist Route 150 to reach the Ischigualasto Park, or "Valley of the Moon". Together with park guides and in our vehicles, we will travel 4 hours of the internal circuit. The circuit covers about 40 km and has 5 stations, where the most important geoforms are visited, receiving the explanation and interpretation of them by the guides, whose assistance is essential to interpret the signs that nature has left here over more than two hundred million years.
The stations to visit are:
- "The Worm": is the oldest part of the circuit, with rocks over 200 million years old where, among other things, fossilized ferns can be seen with the naked eye.
- "Valle Pintado": Because of its similarity with a lunar landscape, it was once named the Valley of the Moon, a term that extended to the entire area. This is where the vast majority of remains and fossils that are known in the area have been found.
- "Cancha de Bochas": a place where, naturally, without the intervention of human hands, dozens of spherical rocks are found that acquired this shape through a prolonged sedimentation process. On the way to this station, we can also appreciate The Sphinx, another geoform known for its similarity to the Sphinx of Egypt.
- "The Submarine": is located in the highest part of the park where, in addition to explicitly showing the effect of differential erosion in its shape, an exceptional panoramic view of the Barrancas Coloradas and the Hill is obtained Purple.
- "El Hongo": is the most widespread image not only of Ischigualasto park but also of the province of San Juan, becoming a representative icon of tourism in San Juan. Here you can also see very clearly the effects of differential erosion that worn the softer rock at the base of the geoform more, than the harder rock that remains "balancing" on the top.
At the end of the tour, we will visit the Interpretation Center and Museum of Natural Sciences, installed at the entrance to the Park. There are exhibited parts of the paleontological pieces found on the site and its importance is exposed. We will also receive the explanation of the guides about how research, tracking, fossil recovery, and dinosaur assembly are developed. Return to the city of San Juan in the evening hours
We will depart from our selected hotels in San Juan at approximately 7:00 am, heading west to explore the stunning Calingasta Valleys. We will pass through mountain paths and natural viewpoints, arriving at the charming town of Barreal.
From there, we will continue to Pampa El Leoncito, a 13-km plain known for wind-powered sand yachting. Next, we will visit the El Leoncito Astronomical Complex, located within a 70,000-hectare astronomical reserve. This complex, one of the most important in South America, offers an ideal setting for stargazing with 270-300 clear nights per year.
During a 45-minute guided tour, we will explore the facilities, learn about the "Jorge Sahade" telescope, and view astronomical images. On the return journey, we will stop at Cerro Alcázar, where we can admire its irregular and beautiful formations.
We will return to the city of San Juan in the evening, around 8:00 pm.
After your breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport/bus terminal according to your departure time. End of services!
included with
- Accommodation in standard room for selected hotel with breakfast included. (4 -star Hotels)
- Tours and transfers as specified in itinerary.
excluded by
- Flights.
- National Parks Fees.
- Extras, Meals and Others NOT Specified in itinerary.
- Personal expenses.
Essential
Information
-Rates not valid for special dates such as New Year's Eve, Christmas, Carnival, Holy Week, among others. Subject to change without prior notice.
WHAT TO BRING?
- Sunglasses.
- Sunscreen.
- Small backpack.
- Comfortable shoes and clothes.
- Lunch (you can bring a meal or have one in the park's restaurant).
- Money for extra expenses.
