Explore Córdoba and the Central Sierras
By far the most rewarding route from Córdoba to San Luis, capital of the neighbouring province of the same name, is by the RP-34 and then the RN-20 beyond Villa Carlos Paz. The winding Nueva Ruta de las Altas Cumbres climbs past the Parque Nacional de la Quebrada del Condorito, a deep ravine where condors nest in cliffside niches, climbing over a high mountain-pass before winding back down a series of hairpin bends. The serene, sunny valleys to the west of the high Sierra Grande and Sierra de Achala, crisscrossed by gushing streams and dotted with oases of bushy palm trees, are known collectively as the Traslasierra, literally “across the mountains”. The self-appointed capital of the sub-region, Mina Clavero, is a popular little riverside resort and minor transport hub, but not the best place to stay, owing to the hordes of holiday-makers who spend the summer here. Several buses a day run between Córdoba and Mina Clavero, and some can drop you at the national park entrance.
Near Nono, a tiny village at the foot of the northern Comechingones to the south of Mina Clavero, is the oddball Museo Rocsen, an eclectic jumble of artefacts, archeological finds and endless miscellanea. In a long valley parallel to the Sierra de Comechingones lies the picturesque village of San Javier, from where you can climb the highest summit in the Central Sierras, the majestic Cerro Champaquí.
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Parque Nacional de la Quebrada del Condorito
Parque Nacional de la Quebrada del Condorito
About 65km from Villa Carlos Paz, just to the south of the RP-34, is the PARQUE NACIONAL DE LA QUEBRADA DEL CONDORITO (t03541/433371, wwww.condoritoapn.com.ar), which takes its name from the Quebrada de los Condoritos, a misty canyon eroded into the mountains that, in turn, gets its name from the baby condors reared in its deep ravines.
Hikes take between two hours and several days, and there are designated areas in the park where camping is permitted. The hike route is clearly marked with numbered posts, getting steadily more difficult after you pass number ten, which takes you down steep and sometimes slippery paths towards the bottom of the canyon. All kinds of trees, shrubs and ferns can be spotted, even some endemic species such as rare white gentians, while the plentiful fauna includes various wild cats, frogs, foxes and lizards. Birdlife is prolific but the stars are the condors themselves, especially their young; if you’re lucky you might see condors and their chicks bathing in the water at the bottom of the gorge. Guides can be hired in advance from the park’s main office, the Intendencia del Parque Nacional Quebrida del Condorito (Resistencia 30 t03541/15631727) in Villa Carlos Paz.
