Talampaya Canyon

UNESCO World Heritage Site (Ischigualasto / Talampaya Natural Parks, 2000); Talampaya National Park, Created 1997 · Villa Union, La Rioja

Talampaya is a dry river canyon in La Rioja whose red sandstone walls rise sheer for around a hundred and fifty metres, carved by wind and water into towers, chimneys and shapes with names like the Monk and the Cathedral. It shares a UNESCO listing with Ischigualasto, just across the provincial border, and the two are almost always visited together, but they are very different: Ischigualasto is grey badlands full of fossils, Talampaya is a red-walled gorge of vertical scale. You cannot drive into the canyon yourself. Guided trucks leave from the visitor centre and follow the dry riverbed, stopping at petroglyphs left by pre-Hispanic peoples, a small botanical garden of desert plants, an echo chamber called the Chimney, and the great formations further in. Condors ride the thermals along the cliffs. Longer walks go into side canyons such as the Canon de Shimpa and the Ciudad Perdida. The nearest town is Villa Union, and the drive between the two parks is an hour through empty desert. Summer heat is extreme, so the early tours are the best.

Ruta Nacional 76, Talampaya, La Rioja, Villa Union, La Rioja, F5350, Argentina

Open daily in daylight hours; all visits to the canyon are by guided vehicle tour or guided walk from the visitor centre, with the last departures in the afternoon. Confirm times. Tours can be cancelled after heavy rain.

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