Parque Triásico Ischigualasto/Valle de la Luna
In 1991, local student Ricardo Martinez tripped across a skull while on a field trip with San Juan University. The glint of teeth encouraged him to dig some more until he uncovered an entire creature now known as an Eoraptor. It roamed this desolate part of Argentina 225 million years ago, making it one of the oldest dinosaur fossils in the world. Yet it is not quite the oldest; the oldest was discovered 1.6km (1 mile) away and is called a Herrerasaurus.
Parque Triásico Ischigualasto, otherwise known as Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) is ground zero for dinosaur hunters. The 50,000-hectare (120,000-acre) site of yellow mushroom-shaped rocks and red cliffs is home to the bones of giant reptiles that are constantly surprising paleontologists who, every year, find new species. The entire evolutionary period of these grizzly dragons can be seen here, stretching over 255 million years, up until when they died out, approximately 65 million years ago.
The discoveries can be seen in a purpose-built museum at the park entrance. Curled vertebrate lie in fossilized nests, and giant two-legged monsters are frozen in time. One poignant display shows the remains of three cubs trapped in their lair. A full tour of the park takes 3 hours, a caravan of vehicles following a park ranger around the 40km (25-mile) circuit, stopping at different sites of interest. You see eerie rock formations and tall pillars of stone standing precariously in the wind. One fascinating place is the cancha de bochas, or bowling alley. This is a sandy bunker dotted with smooth black balls belched up from the bowels of the earth.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site takes some effort to see. Located in San Juan province, it is nevertheless a 6-hour drive from the provincial capital. Many people choose to stay in the nearby town of Valle Fertil. However, La Rioja city airport is 2 1/2 hours away by car, and the road passes the just-as-stunning Talampaya National Park, meaning you can pack in two geological blockbusters in 1 day if you get up early enough. Note: The routine tours are in Spanish, and the guides are not very inspiring or knowledgeable. Best to call ahead and see if you can reserve an English-speaking guide, preferably one with a background in paleontology or geology. The park also conducts bike tours and full-moon excursions.
In 1991, local student Ricardo Martinez tripped across a skull while on a field trip with San Juan University. The glint of teeth encouraged him to dig some more until he uncovered an entire creature now known as an Eoraptor. It roamed this desolate part of Argentina 225 million years ago, making it one of the oldest dinosaur fossils in the world. Yet it is not quite the oldest; the oldest was discovered 1.6km (1 mile) away and is called a Herrerasaurus.
Parque Triásico Ischigualasto, otherwise known as Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) is ground zero for dinosaur hunters. The 50,000-hectare (120,000-acre) site of yellow mushroom-shaped rocks and red cliffs is home to the bones of giant reptiles that are constantly surprising paleontologists who, every year, find new species. The entire evolutionary period of these grizzly dragons can be seen here, stretching over 255 million years, up until when they died out, approximately 65 million years ago.
The discoveries can be seen in a purpose-built museum at the park entrance. Curled vertebrate lie in fossilized nests, and giant two-legged monsters are frozen in time. One poignant display shows the remains of three cubs trapped in their lair. A full tour of the park takes 3 hours, a caravan of vehicles following a park ranger around the 40km (25-mile) circuit, stopping at different sites of interest. You see eerie rock formations and tall pillars of stone standing precariously in the wind. One fascinating place is the cancha de bochas, or bowling alley. This is a sandy bunker dotted with smooth black balls belched up from the bowels of the earth.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site takes some effort to see. Located in San Juan province, it is nevertheless a 6-hour drive from the provincial capital. Many people choose to stay in the nearby town of Valle Fertil. However, La Rioja city airport is 2 1/2 hours away by car, and the road passes the just-as-stunning Talampaya National Park, meaning you can pack in two geological blockbusters in 1 day if you get up early enough. Note: The routine tours are in Spanish, and the guides are not very inspiring or knowledgeable. Best to call ahead and see if you can reserve an English-speaking guide, preferably one with a background in paleontology or geology. The park also conducts bike tours and full-moon excursions.
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