Explore Córdoba and the Central Sierras
ONGAMIRA, some 25km northeast of Capilla del Monte and 1400m above sea level, is a remote hamlet. It famed for its Grutas, strange caves amid rock formations sculpted by wind and rain in the reddish sandstone, and painted with black, yellow and white pigments by indigenous tribes some six hundred years ago. The drawings depict animals, human figures and abstract geometric patterns, and must be surveyed from a special viewpoint, as the extremely fragile stone is gradually crumbling away and many of the paintings have already been lost. Nearby is the Parque Natural Ongamira (daily 9am–8pm, weekends only in winter; $8), a private park affording breathtaking views of the cerros Pajarillo, Áspero and Colchiquí; you can see condors and go on horseback rides. The road, with magnificent panoramas all the way, eventually leads on to Santa Catalina and Cerro Colorado.
