Talampaya National Park is a geological treasure in La Rioja Province of Argentina, in the Cuyo region. The park covers an area of 215,000 hectares but only 5% is accessible to the visitor. The rest is a research area.
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000, it is an environmental, economic and social promoter of nearby populations that have a chance to develop thanks to sustainable tourism.
Understand
History
It became a National Park in 1997.
Landscape
The Talampaya gorge has walls of up to 143 m high, that rose 250 million years ago, and its rock formations attract 60,000 visitors a year.
Flora and fauna
Climate
Get in
Tours to the national park run from La Rioja city and Villa Unión.
Fees and permits
Get around
The views can be enjoyed on vehicle tours, by bike, or even on foot.
See
Talampaya's attraction are the intensely red canyons, which are truly impressive.
Do
There are different tours of different lengths offered in town and when you arrive at the national park.
Buy
There are some souvenirs for sale at the welcome centre.
Eat
There's a restaurant in the main building.
Drink
Sleep
Beds are available in Pagancillo, Villa Unión and La Rioja.
Lodging
There is a hotel in the area.
Camping
Backcountry
Stay safe
Roads can flood very quickly and very suddenly in the rainy season in January and February. Be careful of the extreme heat. Cover your head, apply sunscreen and drink plenty of water.