Argentina Guide
Córdoba and the Central Sierras
Cerro Colorado
At the far northern end of the Camino de la Historia, the Parque Arqueológico y Natural Cerro Colorado (daily 9am–1pm & 2–6pm; $1) is home to some fascinating vestiges of pre-Columbian culture. It's located next to Cerro Colorado village, 10km down a meandering dirt track off RN-9 to the west of Santa Elena. Drivers beware: there's a deep ford lurking round a bend, 1km before you enter the village, followed by another in the village itself.
CERRO COLORADO village, no more than a few houses dotted along a riverbank, nestles in a deep, picturesque valley, surrounded by three looming peaks, the Cerro Colorado (830m), Cerro Veladero (810m) and Cerro Inti Huasi (772m), all of which are easily explored on foot and afford fine views of the countryside. The main attraction, though, is one of the country's finest collections of petroglyphs, several thousand drawings that were scraped and painted by the indigenous inhabitants onto the pink rock face at the base of the mountains and in caves higher up between 1000 and 1600 AD; compulsory guided tours leave four times daily from the guardería at the entrance to the village. Nearby is the diminutive Museo Arqueológico (daily 8.30am–6pm; free), with some photographs of the petroglyphs and native flora, though it is made slightly redundant by the guide who takes you round the petroglyphs, pointing out the many plant varieties along the way. The petroglyphs are best viewed very early in the morning or before dusk, when the rock takes on blazing red hues and the pigments' contrasts are at their strongest.
Several buses a day run from Córdoba to Santa Elena, 11km from Cerro Colorado village; the only practical way to get to Cerro Colorado from here is by remise, costing around $20. There are camping facilities with river bathing in the village, and two simple hotels – the modern but spartan Descanso del Indio ( 
0351/156466778; Price: $30-45), and the basic La Italiana ( 0351/4246598; Price: $30-45). Of the places to eat, the best is Purinqui Huasi, near the ford and stepping stones across the river, and serving reasonably priced grilled meats and sandwiches.