Inti Huasi Cave

Inti Huasi, the house of the sun in Quechua, is a broad shallow cave hollowed into pink granite on a hillside near La Carolina, its mouth some twenty metres across and open to the north so the sun reaches deep inside through the day. Excavations here in the mid-twentieth century by the archaeologist Antonio Serrano and later researchers found layers of occupation reaching back some eight thousand years, associated with the Ayampitín culture, along with stone points, grinding stones and hearths that made it a reference site for the early peopling of central Argentina. The cave itself is easy to visit, a short walk up from the road, and the interior is bright and dry rather than dark, with views out over the sierra grassland.

The main sights

• The granite shelter - the wide, sun-filled cave mouth in pink rock.
• The excavation context - the site of one of Argentina's key early occupations.
• The hillside walk - the short climb up from the road.
• The sierra views - grassland and hills seen from the cave mouth.

When to go

Year-round, and the cave faces the sun so it is pleasant even in cool weather. Mornings are quietest. It combines naturally with a visit to La Carolina a few minutes away.

What to expect

There is little to see beyond the shelter itself: the finds are in museums and interpretation on site is minimal. The visit takes under an hour. Access involves a short but uneven walk uphill.

Nearby

La Carolina and its gold mine are minutes away; San Luis city lies south.