The City of Catamarca and its Surrounding Areas

Catamarca is a well-known tourist destination in Western Argentina, and is half way between Mendoza and Tucumán. I have visited only the places I mentioned above and Santa María, near the Quilmes Indian ruins in Tucumán. Climate is dry, and landscape is rather arid, except where there is irrigation, but the whole countryside is an Arizona-type landscape with cactus. The Las Pirquitas dam and lake provides irrigation to 25,000 acres. The construction of a tourist villa started in 1960, and today is one of the prime destinations in the province, with a number of campgrounds and restaurants. The road to the dam goes through the irrigated area and is very pleasant. And there is a road from the top of the dam up to a viewpoint from where you have some fantastic views. Las Pirquitas is some 25 miles away from the capital. Being a new tourist destination, there is only one hotel here, that offers acceptable comfort: Hosteria Fray Mamerto Esquiu, Las Pirquitas, Catamarca, Phone (54-3833)-492030. All rooms have private bathroom. The Las Pirquitas campground charges no fee, but they expect you to use the services of their restaurant and convenience store. There is very good silverside fishing in this lake. The Cuesta del Portezuelo (Portezuelo slope) offers a beautiful panoramic view of the capital of the Province and of the countryside. It is very near the capital, and a taxi up to the top and back should not cost more than some ten dollars. El Jumeal lake is only 2.5 miles away. El Rodeo and Las Juntas are two beautiful foot-hill destinations, where the river with its rainbow trout, the landscape with cactus and the green valley are the main attractions. It is 4,300 feet above sea level, weather is cool during the night, and there is a beautiful villa in this area. The Andes are in the northwestern part of the province, and the Ojos del Salado volcano is one of the highest mountains in Argentina with an altitude of nearly 23,000 feet. The international road to Chile through Paso de San Francisco goes through this area, and reaches an altitude of nearly 16,000 feet. I live only six hours by bus away from where I live and I hope to visit it in the near future to take photos and provide further information. Enjoy your stay in Catamarca.

Quick Tips:

Hotels in Catamarca are not expensive. And taxis in all Argentina are cheap. You may not find many organized tours (check with the local travel agencies). But you will find bus services to most of the destinations of interest, and where these do not exist, the services of a taxi will be fine. Average cost in Argentina is an initial fee of 70 cents of a dollar, plus half a dollar for every mile. Prices can be slightly higher in smaller towns or for travel on earth roads. Amerian owns the only 4-star hotel in Catamarca, and it could be expensive. There are seven 3-star hotels in Catamarca (a city with a population of some 50,000 inhabitants), I stayed at the Pucara, and the service was very good. There are the names: Amerian Catamarca Park Hotel, República 347, Phone (54-3833): 42-5444. Casino Catamarca, Pasaje Carman 550, Phone (54-3833): 43-2928. Ancasti, Sarmiento 520, Phone (54-3833): 43-1464/ 5951/ 52. Arenales, Sarmiento 542, Phone (54-3833): 43-0307/ 1329 / 1330. Grand Hotel, Camilo Melet 41, Phone (54-3833): 42-6715. Inti Huasi, República 299, Phone (54-3833): 43-5705. Leo III, Sarmiento 727, Phone (54-3833): 43-2080. Pucará, Caseros 501, Phone (54-3833): 43-0688/ 0698/ 1569.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are frequent bus services from Mendoza, San Juan and La Rioja to Catamarca (Andesmar and La Estrella are the best, in this order) and also to Tucumán, Salta, and Jujuy (Andesmar). The bus to Tucuman takes 3 hours and costs 10 dollars for the bed service and 8 dollars for the semi-bed service. Buses to Salta take 7 hours, and travel costs 22 dollars on the bed service, 18 dollars on the semi-bed service and some 27 or 28 dollars for the premium bed service. These buses run 5 times a day. Buses to Mendoza take 10 hours and cost 25 dollars for the semi-bed service and 31 dollars for the bed service. There are also direct buses from Cordoba to Catamarca (6 hours, Sierras de Córdoba-General Urquiza) and from Buenos Aires (some 16 hours, Nueva Chevallier, Sierras de Córdoba) Taxis are not expensive. You will pay some 70 cents of a dollar for the initial rate, and then about half a dollar per mile. It is advisable to bargain the rate before you do the trip. Sorry, I presently have no photos of this area. Will add them some time later.

I have been in Catamarca city a number of times, but always discover something new to see in this area nearly unknown by international tourists.

Catamarca is probably the most religious province in Argentina. It was founded in the year 1607 and, therefore, is four centuries old. As you may imagine, there are historical churches that you will enjoy visiting and other monuments, but the most important religious site is the sanctuary of the Virgen del Valle (Virgin of the Valley).

However, it also has many natural beauties, of which the most known ones are the following:

LAS PIRQUITAS DAM. It forms a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains, and is some 20 miles away from the capital. Very few bus services arrive here, so you might want to take a taxi. The trip should cost you some $20, including some waiting time for photos. They will tell you that there is a bus service (201) to Las Pirquitas, but that residential area is half way to the dam. I made that mistake and lost two hours that I could have used for sightseeing other interesting places. True, it has a nice church, some nice residences, but that was not what I was looking for. There is no taxi service in the villa to continue travel towards the lake. I have been in this area before, but have no longer photos of my own and did not have time to get there, due to my mistake with the bus service. I have visited the Las Pirquitas lake and dam many years ago, and it is beautiful, especially if you climb the nearby hills and see the lake from the top. Unfortunately, at this time I have no photos of my own for this lake, but it is really enjoyable.

CUESTA DEL PORTEZUELO. Although there are nicer slopes in Argentina (especially towards Cachi in Salta), this is a very pleasant drive and going there and back on a taxi should cost you some $15. You will have a beautiful panoramic view of the city and if you have a good zoom, you can see the city of Catamarca.

EL JUMEAL. This dam and artificial lake is very near the city (three miles away) and you can combine it with a visit to Pueblo Perdido. I arrived late in the evening, and took the best photos I could with the scarce evening light. It is nicer to go down to the dame itself and take photos from there, although you can also take nice panoramic views from the parking area above the dam.

PUEBLO PERDIDO. (Lost town). Probably the oldest Indian ruins in Argentina. They belong to the "Aguada" period, and are 12 centuries older than the Inca empire in Argentina. Since only the bottom part of the homes was of rock, and the top of clay, that eroded through the centuries, you will only see the basement of the homes. They were discovered eight years ago, and no restoration work has been undertaken yet. It is five miles away from Catamarca city on the road to El Rodeo. Bus 101J passes in front of the ruins, but services are not frequent. I suggest taking a taxi to visit both Pueblo Perdido and El Jumeal, since the distance between both sites is about two or three miles.

WHERE TO STAY IN CATAMARCA. I have stayed at El Pucará hotel (3-star, quite nice) and found it comfortable. Service was good. Caseros 501 Phone/Fax:(54-3833) 43-0688/0698/1569. If you are looking for something better, there is a new Amerian hotel (4-stars) in town: República 347 Phone/Fax: (54.3833) 42-5444.

I have given a complete listing of hotels in the Overview. To see the complete list and to contact hotels, you can also click here: www.welcomeargentina.com/catamarca/lodging.html

I have seen a very nice hotel just across the road from the modern bus station, that even has some fashion shops and two huge cafeterias. Its name is Coral. Tucumán 1190 Phone (54-3833) 454619 or 454674. Their e-mail address is coralcatamarca@yahoo.com.ar. By what I have read, a single room there costs aroun

El Rodeo, Catamarca, was founded by the Spanish colonizers in 1643, and has always been a delightful tourist destination. I have been a couple of times there, and have really enjoyed this village crossed by some five lovely small rivers. It is still a small beautiful weekend/vacation village, some 22 miles away from Catamarca city, and with a far milder climate. It is the main tourist destination in all the province. During the summer months, it is frequently visited by the inhabitants of the capital, and it has a beautiful setting. Temperature here is about 20°F lower than in the capital, where weather in the summer months is far too warm.

It is located at an altitude of 4,025 feet above sea level and the whole village is charming, although still small However, it has only three hotels: Hotel de Turismo, La Casa de Chicha (which I visited), and a third one I am not aware of. Total bed capacity is for some 300 people at the very most, so if you intend to go, try to make prior reservations. It is a nice destination for trekking, for which I mention a number of alternatives below. A horseback ride up to Las Juntas is another very nice alternative. There is rainbow trout fishing in the area, although rather scarce. Mountain bike tours and rappel are some other interesting activities you can practice here. Traffic vans take you from the Catamarca bus station (a very modern bus station with a large fast-food area and even with elegant shops) at a cost of $2, travel takes about one hour. But there are only three or four traffic vans in the whole day. The first one leaves at 10am, another one at noon, and the third one gives you no time to explore the area. The whole scenery is very pleasant, but remember that we are not talking of very high mountains, rather foothills that can reach an altitude of 5000ft. Five streams go through the village, and there are very nice weekend and vacation residences in the village, that is about two and a half miles long.

Where to stay and where to eat: I only visited one restaurant (La Casa De Chicha, in the countryside, but near the village), but was delighted with the scenery, and the quality of food, at affordable prices. I paid slightly over $6 for a nice serving of grilled meat with Spanish-style potatoes and a Coke. If I had requested a bottle of wine I would have spent maybe another $2. The restaurant is elegant and has a beautiful outdoor gallery facing the garden, with a panoramic view towards the mountains. It also has some ancient regional pottery decorating the restaurant. I really enjoyed the environment. They also have there a 30-room hotel, and staying there costs 50 pesos ($17) per person, irrespective of whether you occupy single or double rooms. I visited some of the rooms and found them to be comfortable. All have cable TV and private bathroom. They also have ceiling fans, but no air-conditioning. In any case, weather here is far cooler here than in Catamarca city.

What to do at El Rodeo Trekking up the Los Nogales river: there are large pools in this river, ideal for fishing trout or bathing. Vegetation becomes more dense as you go up the river. After walking two or three hours, you reach a large walnut tree that is 250 years old. Walking another hour up the river you will find other interesting places. Trekking up the Ambato mountain range, up to an altitude of 5,000 feet, from where you have impressive views of the area. You can return down the other side of the mountain and along the Ambato river. Horse riding is also popular in this area. In a few words, Catamarca (and El Rodeo) can be a good place for stopping on your way from Mendoza to Salta or Tucumán. Don't expect majestic high mountains, but you will find a very enjoyable environment for relaxing and taking it easy. On the way back you will pass by two nice places for visiting, that are not visible from the highway: Pueblo Perdido, an archaeological treasure with Indian r

I had never been in Central Catamarca, and there was very little information on the Internet about Belen and about the Inca Empire Shinkal ruins. This is surprising, since Londres, the nearest village, was the second Spanish settlement founded in what is today Argentina, before Buenos Aires and just after the foundation of Santiago del Estero. (Would you believe that Santiago del Estero is the oldest city in Argentina?) As Ripley would say: “believe it, or not…” So I decided to take a chance and visit the area. The result was rewarding.

I did not spend much time in this beautiful city (Belen), but enough to enjoy its main attractions. Belen has a population of some 12,000 inhabitants, some nice colonial buildings, a beautiful main square, and a lovely cathedral. It is a compact city, some two miles long and about one mile wide. The valley of the Belen river, where there is also a replica of the image of Our Lady of the Valley (Virgen del Valle) has also very nice panoramic views. There is also a statue of the virgin on the top of the mountain where you can only arrive climbing. I only peeped into the cathedral, but noticed that it is beautiful, even though it is only one century old. Next door there is a religious arts museum, that was closed on Saturday afternoon, but I did have the chance to visit the Condor Huasi museum. This museum has valuable historical relics.

Unfortunately, due to economic constraints, the rooms where the museum is (the second floor of an apartment building) are far too small to show all its cultural wealth, so part of these valuable historical pieces are kept in a warehouse; we all hope that this will not affect their conservation. The admission fee to this museum is only one peso (33 cents of a US dollar). It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, morning and afternoon, although on Sundays it only opens during the morning. It is located in front of the main square, in diagonal. The oldest pieces are ten to twelve thousand years old, such as Ayampitin projectiles, and this valuable collection continues all the way through the Inca Empire age and the Spanish colonization age. The different cultures represented include the Condor Huasi, Alamito, Cienaga, Aguada, Belen, Santa Maria, Fambalasto, and Inca cultures. There are some pieces in bronze, such as small jaguars, jewelry of gold, ceramic and stone, stone boards, mortars, and sculptures, amongst many other things. The pre-Columbian ceramics include pieces from graves in the zones of Belen and Condor Huasi. A new building is soon going to be constructed for this Museum, that will allow exhibiting most, if not all, its cultural heritage. Access is through the Misael Gallery, in San Martin 310, nearly facing the main square. I am no expert in museums, but really enjoyed my visit to this very interesting museum.

Other attractions in town are the small winery on the main street, and some vineyards in the area. Belen is within an irrigated area. All northwestern Argentina is renown for the quality of its wines (especially white wines).

I stayed at the hotel Samai, two blocks away from the bus station, a nice one-star hotel with a swimming pool, large rooms with cable TV and private bathroom. The cost is 14 dollars per night for one person and 20 for double occupancy. These rates include breakfast, and do not increase during the high season, nor drop during the low season. The other hotel in town is the Belen hotel (3 stars) but not all tourists agree that they offer a good service. I had lunch at the 1900 restaurant, where I ate a Napolitan chicken supreme (with ham and cheese, but with no side orders) plus a glass of wine for five dollars. More sophisticated plates cost seven to nine dollars, so you might spend anything between 15 and 20 dollars for a complete dinner. It is a place in high demand; I was unable to find a free table there on Saturday evening. Reservations are recommended.

Having mentioned Londres de la Nueva Ing

There is very little information on the Shinkal ruins, that are probably the oldest Inca ruins in Argentina. The Inca Empire, that had started in year 1197 AD, penetrated in Argentina nearly three centuries later, coming down South as far as Mendoza in Argentina and Santiago in Chile. Some of the present TransAndean crossings like Pircas Negras, at an altitude of 16,000 feet, were populated by the Incas, and it is believed that the Pircas Negras area in La Rioja was one of its provincial capitals. Many mummies have been discovered in that area, and it is believed that the present TransAndean road under construction crosses over an Inca Empire Cemetery.

I discovered this travelling from Córdoba to Belen with a bulldozer operator of that new highway. Pircas Negras has a very hostile climate; the operator told me that he had been blocked in by the snow during twelve days, until the weather improved...

El Shinkal was one of the fortresses in this area. Historians say that Spanish colonizers used to avoid this area, because they were repeatedly defeated by the Incas. This fortress was constructed between 1480 and 1512. This is probably the reason why the Spanish colonizers founded the village of Londres de la Nueva Inglaterra (London of New England), the second one constructed in Argentina, on June 24, 1558. Today Londres has a population of some 2,200 inhabitants. It was founded after Santiago del Estero, and before the city of Buenos Aires, that was founded twenty two years later, in 1580... After having visited the Quilmes Indian Ruins between Cafayate (Salta) and Santa María (Catamarca) I was not so impressed, but we must remember that these ruins are older and that their restoration started only eight years ago, and was undertaken by a relatively medium university (National University of La Plata) with far less economic resources than the National University of Buenos Aires that is working on the reconstruction of the Quilmes Indian Ruins. Both these communities (Incas and Quilmes indians) resisted fiercely the Spanish domination, and it took many years for the Spaniards to overcome their resistance (130 years in the case of the Quilmes Indians). As you may see, there is a lot of history related to these monuments. While you need at least three hours to tour the Quilmes Indian Ruins (some 130 miles north of here), you can visit the Shinkal ruins in slightly more than one hour. Mainly you will see staircases up to the mountain, and what seems to have been the main pyramid. The photos will explain graphically what I am trying to explain in words. Have a look at the pictures and enjoy them.

There is a small museum at the ruins, that should be complemented with a visit to the CondorHuasi museum in the city of Belen, 14 miles away, that has points of arrows that are up to eight thousand years old, and ceramic pieces of the Inca Empire and previous civilizations that belong to the Condorhuasi, Cienaga, and Aguada periods. Unfortunately, the museum has very small premises, and most of their archaeological treasures are stored in a warehouse.

Periodically pieces are taken out of the exposition and replaced by others, so that if you go back you will enjoy seeing other different interesting pieces. I will refer to the Museum in a separate Experience. The Shinkal Inca Ruins are located four and a half miles away from the village of Londres, that was given that name (London in English) in honor of the wife of king Charles III of Spain, since she was British.

There is a very basic lodge in Londres, and three good hotels in Belen, that is 14 miles away from the ruins. There are local buses from Belen to Shinkal at 10 and 12am and at 5.30pm, returning at 12.30am, and 5 and 7pm. Since one hour is enough to tour the ruins, the morning timetable seems to be the best option. A round trip on a taxi with one hour waiting time should cost you twenty dollars, so if you are four, it would cost you five dollars