Argentina Guide
Mendoza, San Juan and La Rioja
Parque Provincial Ischigualasto
Just under 100km north of Valle Fértil, the PARQUE PROVINCIAL ISCHIGUALASTO, also known as the Valle de la Luna, or Moon Valley, is San Juan's most famous feature by far, yet even in the high season it is big enough not to be swamped by visitors. Covering nearly 150 square kilometres of astonishingly varied terrain, it can be visited only in a vehicle, whether your own or that of a tour operator. For paleontologists, Ischigualasto's importance is primarily as a rich burial ground of some of the earth's most enigmatic inhabitants – the dinosaurs – models of which litter the park. The park is also unique for geologists, as all stages of the 45-million-year Triassic era are represented in its rocks. Most visitors, however, come simply to admire the spectacular lunar landscapes that give the park its popular nickname, and the much publicized and alarmingly fragile rock formations – some have already disappeared, the victims of erosion and the occasional flash floods that seem to strike with increasing frequency. Cerro El Morado (1700m), a barrow-like mountain that according to local lore is shaped like an Indian lying on his back, dominates the park to the east. A segmented row of rocks is known as El Gusano (the Worm); a huge set of vessel-like boulders, including one resembling a funnel, is known as El Submarino; a sandy field dotted with cannon-ball-shaped stones is dubbed the Cancha de Bolas (the Ball-court). One famous formation, painfully fragile on its slender stalk, is El Hongo (the Mushroom), beautifully set off against the orange sandstone cliffs behind.
The guardería (entrance allowed daily 8am–4pm, you must leave by dusk; $15), manned by guardaparques who will accompany every group, lies at the entrance to the park, along a well-signposted lateral road off RP-510 at Los Baldecitos. There is no camping or accommodation.