Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From the visitor center, isolated 1748m
Cerro Morado
is a three- to four-hour walk,
gaining nearly 800m in elevation and yielding outstanding views of the surrounding area.
Take plenty of drinking water and high-energy snacks.
Tours
All visitors to the park must go accompanied by a ranger. The most popular tours run for
three hours and leave on the hour (more or less), with cars forming a convoy and stop-
ping at noteworthy points along the way, where the ranger explains (in Spanish only) ex-
actly what it is you're looking at.
If you have no private vehicle, an organized tour is the only feasible way to visit the
park. These are easily organized in San Agustín. Otherwise ask the tourist office there
about hiring a car and driver. Tour rates (not including entry fees) are about AR$650 per
person from San Juan (through any travel agency in town), or about AR$200 per person
from San Agustín. Tours from San Juan generally depart at 5am and return well after
dark.
A variety of other tours (around AR$50 per person) are available from the visitor cen-
ter here. Options include spectacular full-moon tours (2½ hours) in the five days around
the full moon, treks to the summit of Cerro Morado (three to four hours), and a 12km cir-
cuit of the park on mountain bikes.
Sleeping & Eating
There is camping at the
visitor center
(per person AR$30)
, which has a
confitería
(cafe)
serving simple meals (breakfast and lunch) and cold drinks; dried fruits and bottled
olives from the province are available. There are toilets and showers, but because water
is trucked in, don't count on it. There's no shade.
Getting There & Away
Ischigualasto is about 80km north of San Agustín via RP510 and a paved lateral road to
the northwest. Given its size and isolation, the only practical way to visit the park is by
private vehicle or organized tour. Note that the park roads are unpaved and some can be
impassable after rain, necessitating an abbreviated trip.
