Rock towers
Carved by wind.
Eduardo sch — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hernan Gabriel Alvarez Guerra — CC BY-SA 4.0 · SergioN (talk) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · SergioN (talk) 23:02, 16 April 2009 (UTC) — CC BY-SA 3.0
Cerro Alcázar is a small mountain on the western flank of the Sierra del Tontal in the Calingasta department, protected by San Juan province as a Natural Monument. Its name is the Spanish word alcázar, which comes from the Arabic al-qasr, «the castle», because its shapes recall a giant medieval fortress. It is built of sediments from the start of the Mesozoic era, coloured by Triassic layers, while wind and rain carved its towers and folded walls. Its colour shifts between yellow, pink and red with the light, at its best in early morning and just before sunset. It sits right on the road, the base about 150 metres from the entrance, so you can walk around it and climb a little among the formations. Once a year, usually in April, an open-air concert is held here. Entry is free, and it pairs with El Leoncito in a day from Barreal.
Carved by wind.
Yellow, pink, red.
Easy access.
Provincial Route 412, about 22 km from Barreal, Calingasta, San Juan
From the Spanish alcázar, itself from the Arabic al-qasr, «the castle», for its fortress-like shape.