Talampaya canyon
Towering red walls.
Gino Lucas T. — CC BY-SA 2.5 · Carlos Berzzi — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carlos Berzzi — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Paulakindsvater — CC BY-SA 4.0
Talampaya National Park in La Rioja province became a provincial reserve in 1975 and a national park in 1997, and was listed by UNESCO in 2000 with its neighbour Ischigualasto. It covers some 2,150 square kilometres of high desert, its best-known feature a narrow canyon between towering walls of red sandstone carved by water and wind. The canyon holds ancient rock carvings left by the area's early peoples, condors glide above its walls, and along it stand rock formations with names such as the Cathedral and the Monk. There are important fossil sites too. The entry fee alone is not enough: most of the park is seen on authorised guided tours paid separately, in open trucks or on foot. It is usually paired with Ischigualasto over two days, and summer heat is intense.
Towering red walls.
From early peoples.
Above the walls.
Central La Rioja province, north of Ischigualasto
No. Most of the park is visited on authorised guided tours, paid separately from the entry fee.