Talampaya National Park

Talampaya protects a great red canyon in the desert of western La Rioja, where a dry river has cut through sandstone to leave sheer walls rising as much as 150 metres, glowing orange in low sun. It shares its UNESCO listing with neighbouring Ischigualasto because together they preserve a continuous fossil record of the Triassic, when some of the earliest dinosaurs lived here; fossil beds and petroglyphs left by much later peoples are both part of the visit. Excursions travel the canyon floor by vehicle with stops at the highest walls, at a natural echo point where guides demonstrate the acoustics, at the shaded Botanical Garden where trees grow from the sand, and at eroded formations known as the Monk and the Cathedral. Condors nest in the cliffs and are often overhead.

What you actually see

• The canyon walls - sheer red sandstone rising up to 150 metres from the floor.
• The petroglyphs - rock carvings at the canyon entrance area.
• The eroded formations - shapes named the Monk, the Chessboard and the Cathedral.
• The condors - birds nesting and circling along the cliff tops.

When to go

April to November, when temperatures are bearable; summer days regularly exceed forty degrees in the canyon. Early morning and late afternoon excursions give the strongest colour on the walls. Book ahead in Argentine holiday periods.

Honest expectations

The canyon can only be entered on an organised excursion, so independent walking or driving is not possible and schedules are fixed. Heat, dust and wind are constant. The fossil story is told through interpretation rather than visible bones in the ground.

Nearby

Ischigualasto lies south across the provincial border; Villa Unión is the nearest base.