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Ischigualasto Provincial Park

San Juan

Known as “Valley of the Moon”, the Ischigualasto Provincial Park, a World Heritage Site, is one of the great must-sees in Argentina. A visit to the Park is a look into the evolution of the Earth.

You can visit all year round, although the ideal time is from March to May and from September to November. Charged entry.

What to see
Guided tours

The Park has a single entrance from which all guided tours depart. There are 5 circuits that can be done by car, on foot or by mountain bike.

The traditional circuit is 40 km long and you can go on your own vehicle in a caravan, following a qualified guide. It is 3 hours long and it has five stations. You can see some of the most famous geoforms, such as El Hongo, El Submarino, Cancha de Bochas, and Valle Pintado. 

The tour can be complemented with a visit to the Interpretation Centre of the National University of San Juan, which offers excellent information on palaeontology, geology and evolution. In addition, in the middle of the circuit, you can visit the William Sill Site Museum where you can see real fossils and the "in situ" work that is performed on them.

Cerro Morado

At the entrance to Ischigualasto, the Morado hill exhibits its enormous walls. To get the best panoramic views, you can walk to its summit, where condors can be seen. Along the way, you can see guanacos, foxes and viscachas.

With Full Moon

A walk on the clear sands of the ground, under the light of the full moon, makes you feel in a true lunar landscape. The tour is offered only 4 nights per month, i.e., two previous nights to the full moon, the night of the full moon and the night after the change of the moon phase.

Journey to the Triassic

Some of the oldest dinosaur remains in the world were found in Ischigualasto, including an almost complete sequence from the Triassic period. Walk through the same places that these incredible reptiles travelled 180 million years ago.

How to get there and move around

Ischigualasto is 300 km from San Juan capital city along National Routes 40 and 150; 73 km from San Agustín del Valle Fértil along Provincial Route 510; and 140 km from Villa Unión (La Rioja) along National Routes 76 and 150.

From these three towns you can get there by car or on a tour. Roads are paved.

Where to stay

Due to proximity, services and accommodation, San Agustin del Valle Fértil and Villa Unión (La Rioja) are very good options to stay.

Next to the service area, there is a camping site, a restaurant and a grocery store.

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