Parque Provincial Ischigualasto

Speaking to fellow travelers we got different advise about visiting Parque Provinicial Ischigualasto or also known as Valle De Luna. Some liked it while others found it less interesting. They have been to other more exciting Valle De La Luna in Chile and other places. We decide that we combine it with visiting Parque Nacional Talampya as they are right next to each other. After a bicycle trip in the morning in Talampya we arrive here in the early afternoon. As we get to the ticket office they tell us that we can join a tour right away. We pay the entrance fee and off we go.

The only way to visit the park is with a guided tour. You are allowed to drive in your own car but only as part of a convoy. This is apparently the result of too many visitors who caused damages to the sights in the past. The park itself is known for its otherworldly scenery. Wind and water have create bizarre rock formations. It also holds the remains of dinosaurs which are amongst the oldest ever found.

The tour itself lasts about 2.5 hours. We stop by the “Valle Pintado” that got its name because of the colorful layers, “Cancha de Bocha” named by the almost perfectly round shaped stones similar to what you would use to play bocha  as well “El Hongo” which is the Spanish word for Mushroom.

There is another rock formation called “El Submarino” which for unknown reasons we could not visit. While the park itself is open not all the roads can be used. They had very heavy rain falls recently and some sections are still under water or not in a good state for cars to pass through. That is also why we have to take the same road back instead of the usual circle that you can do here.

Next to the visitor centre we find a small but free camping spot. We decide to stay here for the night. The next day we start our long journey back to the other side of Argentina. Two days of driving is ahead of us before we stay for a few days in Mar Azul south of Buenos Aires visiting our friends. The adventures part of our trip to Argentina has come to an end today and four weeks are simply not enough time to explore all the sights we would have liked to see. Means we need to come back soon! :-)