Maybe it doesn’t have as much marketing as other northern provinces, but La Rioja is a gem worth discovering. Far from the tides of tourists that make it difficult to find accommodation and nestled among natural landscapes that are as open as they are impressive, this province displays its gifts ready to be contemplated as a great vacation destination.
living history
Among the greatest incentives for the trip, the Talampaya National Park. Natural and Cultural Heritage of Humanity declared by UNESCO and Argentine Natural Wonder since 2019, offers a vision of immense empty and reddish canyons, for many the closest thing to visiting Mars. It is said that 200 million years ago dinosaurs lived here, and fossils, geological formations and ecological values from the Triassic period were found in this semi-arid desert. Next to Ischigualasto, in San Juanmake up the most complete continental set of fossils in the world.
Located 230 kilometers from La Rioja capital, it is possible to explore it by van or on foot. What can never be missing is water, sunscreen and a cap or hat, given how strong the sun is and how dry the place is (although also a coat for when the sun goes down and the temperature range arrives). The tour will allow you not only to be amazed by the immensity of these canyonsbut also to know the caves and eaves in which The men who inhabited this region 2,500 years ago lived, and where they left their rock art engravings for posterity. It is also worth paying attention to its diversity of plants and animals that have adapted to live in this distinctive desert environment: jarillas, cacti, retamos and carob trees coexist with mountain foxes, guanacos, maras, longartijas, turtles, condors and falcons, among other species.
Visiting this park will also allow you to be amazed by the strange shapes eroded into the rocks and walls more than 100 meters high by wind and water, which the popular imagination has baptized with different names. The most emblematic is the “Wizard King”, although the “Lost City”, with geoforms similar to a city, also fascinates. Another point of interest is the Rainbow Canyon, with gigantic multicolored walls.
The park cannot be explored independently. That’s why there are different types of excursions, on foot or with transportation, whose value starts at $12,000, with special rates for families. At the entrance to the park there is a campsite, restaurant and bathrooms. The property opens from 8 in the morning until 6, with excursions every half hour.
Visit Chilecito
120 kilometers from this national park is located Chilecito, one of the most interesting cities in Rioja to stay and a good point to base yourself before visiting Talampaya. bordered by the Famatina mountainsallows you to enjoy the Cable Rail, a national historic monument that holds the record of being the longest and highest in the world. It is a work of 20th century engineering that offers a nine-station route through the mountain, ending at the La Mejicana mine.
This structure, which allowed the transfer of gold, silver and copper to more than 4,400 meters above sea level in the Andes Mountains, was inaugurated in 1905 and was active until 1927. Today it strives to become a World Heritage Site and It is a tourist emblem of the area. Activities here include hiking and 4×4 tours. There is a restaurant with typical foods and the Dr. Santiago Bazán Mining Museum, with rooms that exhibit the elements that were used in the mine.
Another discovery from Chilecito is its wine culture. Surrounded by an irrigated oasis thanks to the fact that it was possible to increase the surface under irrigation with the contribution of groundwater, the largest agricultural section of the city is dedicated to the cultivation of vines and olive trees. Therefore, one of the best plans is to visit its wineries, in which Torrontés is the star grape.
Believers will also enjoy the sculpture of open arms of the Christ of Portezuelo, 16 meters high and led by a staircase of 200 steps with sets of changing lights. Around it, a garden of cacti and succulents beautifies the landscape and offers a panoramic viewpoint of the city and the mountain systems of Famatina.
In the capital city
Nor can you ignore passing through the capital of La Rioja, where you arrive when traveling by plane. A walk through the city can begin in Plaza 25 de Mayo, around which stands the Government House, in Greco-Roman style, the Social Club of La Rioja and the Minor Basilica of San Nicolás de Bariwhere the remains of Monsignor Enrique Angelelli, recently beatified, are buried.
Another church worth a visit is Convent of Santo Domingo, one of the oldest buildings in the country (dating back to 1623). It was built with stone and adobe by indigenous hands, with walls that reach 1.25 meters thick, and the size of its carved carob door is impressive. Minimally, its nave measures only 47 meters, and its width does not reach seven.
Several museums in the capital of Rioja also allow you to learn about the history of the province and the country in general. The Inca Huasi Museum is a must-see, with one of the best archaeological collections in the country.
Summer 2024
And why is summer a great time to visit La Rioja? Because you can enjoy activities that are ideal for warm weather, such as a night walk through the Talampaya National Park (without turning on a single flashlight if it is also a moonlit night) and observe some of the clearest skies in the country through telescopes.
Hiking, trekking, bike mounting, motocross, fishing, car sailing and hang gliding, among others, will be used more at this time, in different parts of the province.
And an extra fact, in summer the most important popular festivals take place: Tinkunako, at the end of December, a very old religious celebration with massive processions; and La Chaya, in February, the carnival that is celebrated in the main cities, centered on a great festival that brings together great figures of national music. Are more reasons needed?
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