DURATION
8 Days
DIFFICULTY
Moderate
Catamarca and La Rioja – In the land of wind, stone and memory
This 8-day journey through Catamarca and La Rioja is not just a scenic tour — it’s a deep immersion into wind-sculpted landscapes, ancestral silence, and the memory etched in stone. From the iconic Portezuelo Hill to the lunar desert of the Pumice Stone Field, passing through towns like Londres and Belén, the route blends raw nature with stories that breathe beneath the surface. Inca ruins, adobe architecture, and living traditions guide your way.
You’ll cross the legendary Route of the Six-Thousanders, soak in the thermal waters of Fiambalá, and venture through vineyards, high-altitude lagoons, and winding canyons. This land invites you to reconnect with the essential, to walk in stillness, and to come back changed — with something sacred from the Andes etched in your soul.
Highlights
- Cuesta del Portezuelo
- Pumice Stone Field
- Route of the Six-Thousanders
Fiambalá Hot Springs
Itinerary
Itinerary
Upon arrival at the airport, a private transfer will take you to your accommodation in San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, a peaceful city tucked between arid hills and clear skies. With its quiet plazas, colonial churches, and whispering breezes, Catamarca is the kind of place where time slows down—just enough for you to catch your breath.
The afternoon is yours to settle in, take a stroll through the historic center, or simply rest and begin syncing with the slower rhythms of the northwest. You’re at the gateway to a land shaped by memory, silence, and stories carved into stone.
It’s a route that doesn’t just show you the landscape—it sings it to you. The very curves of this road inspired the beloved folk song “Paisaje de Catamarca” by Polo Giménez, still hummed today by locals who know every bend by heart. As you pause at scenic overlooks, you’ll feel why this song became an anthem of the region’s beauty and soul.
In the afternoon, return to your accommodation to rest, reflect, or perhaps let the tune echo softly in your memory.
Just beyond lies El Shincal de Quimivil, a remarkably preserved Inca archaeological site. With a private guide, explore ceremonial plazas, sun-aligned staircases, and the remnants of an empire that reached all the way from Cusco to these Andean valleys. It’s not just a visit—it’s a quiet encounter with the pulse of a civilization still whispering through the stones.
The day ends in Belén, a town where tradition lives through the hands of its artisans. Known for its weavings, you might find looms clacking softly in family homes, creating textiles dyed with the colors of the earth. Overnight in Belén, where the ancient and the everyday weave together seamlessly.
From here, venture off the beaten path to one of Argentina’s true geological wonders: the Campo de Piedra Pómez—a vast white desert sculpted not by sand, but by wind and fire. This surreal field of volcanic pumice stretches for miles, resembling a frozen sea of stone waves. It’s a place where the Earth reveals its rawest poetry, shaped by ancient eruptions and millennia of erosion.
After soaking in this lunar-like landscape—and taking way too many photos to ever pick just one favorite—you’ll return to Belén in the afternoon, carrying with you a touch of that Andean stillness and a new respect for the land beneath your feet.
As you pass through the peaceful town of Tinogasta, the landscape gradually shifts—green valleys giving way to open desert plains framed by the distant Andes. By afternoon, you arrive in Fiambalá, a small oasis town known for its high-altitude vineyards, desert sunsets, and relaxed rhythm of life.
It’s a place where history lingers in the walls, the wine carries whispers of the mountain wind, and the stars put on a show once night falls.
Overnight in Fiambalá.
As you ascend, the air thins and the silence deepens. The landscape transforms into a surreal canvas of salt flats, flamingo-filled lagoons, ochre hills, and snow-dusted peaks. It’s a place where the earth feels ancient, and the sky stretches endlessly above.
Photographic stops are a must, but so is simply standing still—taking in the immensity of this high-altitude desert. By late afternoon, you return to Fiambalá with wind in your hair and the Andes etched into your memory.
After lunch, the journey continues eastward through quiet towns and fertile valleys where vineyards and olive groves stretch under the sun. As the terrain softens, you’ll notice the transition from arid desert to cultivated lands.
By late afternoon, arrive in La Rioja, the provincial capital. The evening is yours to rest or explore the laid-back rhythm of this historic city framed by red hills and colonial architecture.
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