National parkLa RiojaTalampaya–Ischigualasto
Talampaya National Park
A national park of sheer red sandstone canyons in La Rioja, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, visited only with authorised guides.
Photo: gedankenstuecke, CC BY-SA 2.0
At the southern edge of the Northwest, Talampaya National Park protects a desert landscape of red sandstone carved into canyons, towers and pinnacles. Together with neighbouring Ischigualasto, it was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 2000 for its exceptional record of Triassic fossils.
Visiting the park
The park is visited on guided excursions only, departing from the visitor centre in authorised vehicles or on foot and by bike along set routes. The classic trip enters the main canyon, where the walls rise sheer above the dry riverbed, passing petroglyphs and formations such as La Catedral and El Monje.
Talampaya is a long way south of Salta and Jujuy; most travellers visit it as part of a route through La Rioja and San Juan rather than from the northern circuit.
Highlights
- The main canyon and its towering red walls
- Ancient petroglyphs near the canyon entrance
- Rock formations such as La Catedral and El Monje
- Condors riding the thermals above the cliffs
