Cuesta del Portezuelo

The Cuesta del Portezuelo climbs the eastern wall of the Catamarca valley in a series of tight hairpins, gaining around a thousand metres in a short distance and opening progressively wider views over the valley floor, the city and the ranges beyond. Argentines know it less as a road than as a song: the zamba that carries its name is one of the standards of the national folk repertoire, and the mirador at the top is a place people stop to look and hum. From the viewpoint the whole valley lies below in browns and greys, the city a smudge of green at its centre, with the Ambato range on the far side. Above the pass the road runs on into cooler high country toward the Ancasti hills.

What you actually see

• The hairpin climb - the tight switchbacks up the valley wall.
• The mirador - the viewpoint at the top looking over the whole valley.
• The valley floor - Catamarca city and the dry plain far below.
• The high country - cooler hills and pasture beyond the pass.

When to go

April to November for clearer air; summer haze and heat blur the view and afternoon storms are frequent. Early morning gives the cleanest light over the valley. The climb takes about half an hour of driving.

Honest expectations

The road is narrow with tight bends and no barrier in places, and it carries local traffic including trucks. The viewpoint is a simple roadside stop with limited facilities. On hazy days the famous view is largely lost.

Nearby

Catamarca city lies below to the west; the Ancasti hills continue east above the pass.