Catamarca Tour: Fiambalá y Campo de Piedra Pómez

Day 1

Transfer from Catamarca Airport. Excursion to Cuesta del Portezuelo and Casa de la Puna. Overnight in Catamarca.

Cuesta del Portezuelo – Departure from the hotel toward the Museo de la Zamba, officially declared of tourist, cultural, and educational interest as the “Museo y Monumento a la Zamba Paisaje de Catamarca,” located at the entrance to Cuesta del Portezuelo. This magnificent and winding cliffside road climbs through the mountains, offering beautiful landscapes and postcard-perfect views. The viewpoint stands at 1,070 meters above sea level, providing sweeping panoramic views of the Valle Central and its countless shades of green—an inspiring scene that gave rise to the famous zamba “Paisaje de Catamarca.”

Day 2

Departure to Fiambalá, traveling through Quebrada de la Cébila, Aimogasta, and Tinogasta. Excursion along the Ruta del Adobe, visiting the Andacollo church and the Orquera family oratory. Visit to the Termas de Fiambalá. Overnight in Fiambalá.

Ruta del Adobe – A circuit rich in the historical legacy of the Diaguita indigenous peoples. This 55-kilometer route features churches and ruins where adobe is the predominant building material. Some of these structures are National Historic Monuments and are nearly 300 years old. Along the way, you’ll discover charming villages where skilled hands combined wood and adobe (a mixture of straw, mud, and manure) to create long-lasting houses, estates, chapels, and churches.

Termas de Fiambalá – Fiambalá, whose name in the language of the original peoples means “water that penetrates the mountain,” is a small town located just a few kilometers from Tinogasta. In addition to its pleasant microclimate and warm hospitality, it is renowned for its hot springs. Set in natural pools descending from the mountains, the water ranges from 38°C to 70°C, and its mineral properties are highly valued for their therapeutic and healing benefits.

Day 3

4x4 vehicle expedition along the Ruta de los Seismiles (Valle de Chaschuil, Laguna Azul). Excursion to Balcón del Pissis, visit to Hostería de Cortaderas, and hike through Quebrada del Indio. Overnight in Fiambalá.

Ruta de los Seismiles – The San Francisco International Pass lies 200 km from Fiambalá, connected by the renowned Ruta de los Seismiles, home to 24 peaks exceeding 6,000 meters in altitude. This route offers exceptional opportunities to photograph colorful mountains and volcanoes, as well as lagoons and streams along the way. The landscape displays striking hues of red, pink, green, and yellow. Wildlife sightings may include vicuñas, guanacos, llamas, and pink flamingos in the lagoons.

Historically, this route served as a natural passage for indigenous peoples, later used by colonizers arriving from Chile and by muleteers trading livestock and goods. Today, it offers an unforgettable journey through dramatic scenery such as Quebrada de las Angosturas, Valle de Chaschuil, and the towering volcanoes of the Andes. Among them are four of the world’s highest volcanoes, including San Francisco, Incahuasi, Tres Cruces, Bertrand, and Los Patos, where ancient high-altitude sanctuaries still bear witness to ancestral cultures.

Balcón del Pissis – One of Catamarca’s must-see highlights, located 170 km from Fiambalá. The route combines 100 km along Route 60 with 70 km off-road, requiring a 4x4 vehicle. The landscape features mountains in shades of gray, brown, yellow, and black, contrasted with green grasslands near mountain springs. Weather conditions must be carefully considered, as temperatures can be extremely low even in summer due to wide thermal variation.

The viewpoint stands at 5,050 meters above sea level, making it the highest point in the world accessible by tourists in a 4x4 vehicle. From here, you can admire Ojo del Salado, the second-highest peak in the Andes, as well as multicolored lagoons that change hues with the position of the sun. A 360-degree panorama reveals lagoons, white salt flats, and the striking Laguna Verde, along with numerous “Seismiles” peaks. Vicuñas, guanacos, condors, and suris are often seen along the route. This untouched environment offers a truly unique experience in extreme, pristine nature.

Quebrada del Indio – Located along Route 60, beyond Cuesta de la Aguadita on the way to the San Francisco Pass. As the sign at the entrance invites: “Dare to walk through passages between rock walls over 20 meters high, once the bed of an ancient river, until reaching striking rock formations resembling an indigenous couple almost kissing.” The walk continues into a wider canyon where towering rock walls rise like arrows pointing to the sky.

Day 4

Half-day excursion to the village of Saujil (north of Fiambalá), home to the Dunas Mágicas (optional sandboarding). The route continues through Medanitos and the Tatón sand dunes. Later, travel to Belén with a visit to Arañitas Hilanderas at the Cuna del Poncho. Overnight in Belén.

Dunes – This region forms an extreme desert environment. The excursion covers approximately 140 km, visiting the dunes of Tatón, Saujil, and Medanitos. Here you’ll find the dune known as “Federico Kirbus,” named in honor of the journalist and writer who documented it; at 1,230 meters high, it is considered the tallest dune in the world. Near Saujil, about 20 km north of Fiambalá, the “Duna Mágica de Saujil” rises 190 meters with a 45-degree slope, making it ideal for sandboarding. In Tatón, you’ll see the greatest concentration of large dunes, an area once considered the toughest stage of the Dakar Rally.

Arañitas Hilanderas – Arañitas Hilanderas is a textile cooperative formed by women from Belén and Catamarca who began working together in 2001 during a period of national crisis. Led by Rosa Husqueda de Vega, the cooperative was created to provide social support and restore self-esteem through handcrafted work, while preserving ancestral spinning and weaving techniques passed down through generations. Today, it is a national reference for both its solidarity-based cooperative model and its high-quality artisanal textiles, attracting visitors and fashion design students from Argentina and around the world.

Day 5

Departure from Belén to El Peñón, traveling through the Quebrada de Belén, Puerto Viejo, and Villa Vil, continuing to Barranca Larga with an ascent along the Cuesta de Randolfo, reaching the Médanos de Randolfo (optional walk on the dunes). The journey continues to the Campo de Piedra Pómez. Overnight in Belén.

Quebrada de Belén – An 11-kilometer stretch north of the city along Route 40, providing access to the northern part of the department. The municipal reserve “Quebrada de Belén” features sculptures of native animals such as the quirquincho, hare, and suri scattered throughout the landscape.

Villa Vil – Located 80 km from Belén, this district lies in a transition zone between the pre-Puna and the Puna. Once inhabited by the Huillahuiles—meaning “Hare’s Watering Place” in the cacán language—Villa Vil boasts a rich cultural heritage expressed through archaeological remains, museums, handicrafts, music, folklore, and traditional cuisine. Nearby are the Castillos de Villa Vil, impressive natural rock formations sculpted by wind and water erosion into shapes resembling Gothic castle towers.

Campo de Piedra Pómez – A striking landscape defined by vast accumulations of pumice stone shaped by erosion over thousands of years. The area is characterized by extreme aridity, wide temperature variations, scarce rainfall, low atmospheric pressure, and reduced oxygen levels typical of the high-altitude Puna environment.

Covering 75,489 hectares, elevations range from 3,050 to 4,850 meters above sea level. The closest settlement is El Peñón, with Antofagasta de la Sierra located about 60 km to the north. The region shows clear evidence of volcanic activity and is believed to have formed around 100,000 years ago due to eruptions from nearby volcanoes, particularly Volcán Blanco or Robledo.

Day 6

Return to Catamarca, with a stop in Londres to visit the Shincal de Quimivil archaeological site. Overnight in Catamarca.

El Shincal de Quimivil – Located in Londres, Belén department, along Route 40, this archaeological site was built and inhabited by the Incas between 1457 and 1536, on territory previously occupied by Calchaquí groups. Designed following the urban layout of Cuzco, it served as a provincial capital and became the southernmost city of the Inca Empire.

The complex includes more than a hundred structures, many grouped into monumental buildings. First identified in the early 20th century, El Shincal has been extensively studied by renowned archaeologists, who also discovered nearby remains of the ancient Capac Ñan (Inca Road). The site takes its name from the abundance of a local shrub known as shinki.

Day 7

Transfer to Catamarca Airport.