Argentina Guide
Mendoza, San Juan and La Rioja
Cañon del Atuel
The CAÑON DEL ATUEL is San Rafael's main attraction, a beautifully wild canyon linking two man-made lakes along the Río Atuel, to the southwest of the town. Visits begin at the reservoir furthest away, the Embalse del Nihuil, reached along winding RP-144 towards Malargüe, up the Cuesta de los Terneros to the 1300-metre summit, which offers stunning views of the fertile valley below; and then via RP-180, which forks off to the south. The lake, one hundred windsurfers – boards can be rented at the Club de Pescadores, just off the road on the northeastern banks of the embalse – lies 92km southwest of San Rafael. Partly sealed RP-173 then squeezes in a northeasterly direction through a narrow gorge whose cliffs and rocks are striped red, white and yellow, contrasting with the beige of the dust-dry mountainsides. Wind and water have eroded the rocks into weird and often rather suggestive shapes that stimulate the imagination: tour guides are fond of attaching names like "the Nun" or "the Toad" to the strange formations. The road then passes a couple of dams, attached to power stations, before swinging round the other reservoir, the Embalse Valle Grande. Sticking out of these blue-green waters are more strange rock formations, one of which does indeed look like the submarine its nickname suggests. From the high corniche roads that skirt the lakeside you are treated to some staggering views of the waters, dotted with kayaks and other boats, and the mountains beyond.
San Rafael is only 25km away from the canyon by RP-173, but unless you have your own transport, you'll have to get here on an organized tour; the best operator in San Rafael is Risco Viajes.