Cuyo* - "desert country" in the Indian language - is the region of the high peaks, the snow-covered volcanoes, and the large wilderness spreading from the Andes mountain range and foothills to the steppe.
The visit to Ischigualasto - Talampaya Natural Parks , is a true journey to the dinosaurs era. Ischigualasto , also known as "Valle de la Luna" (Moon Valley) because of the amazing diversity of forms and colours of its landscape shaped by erosion, is one of the world's most important paleontologic sites. The Talampaya River Canyon reveals amazing multi-shaped layers in its high red walls.
Pink flamingos, Andean ducks, "vicuñas" and "guanacos" cohabit freely in parks and natural reserves, while condors fly over the area.
The region displays the full splendour of the Central Andean Range. The Aconcagua (6.959 m) is the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, and its steep slopes are renown and respected by mountain climbers from all over the world.
In the valleys of La Rioja, Mendoza and San Juan, among leaves of grapevines, farms and wineries, visitors can go along the Wine Road, an attraction of international renown.

Ischigualasto - Talampaya Natural Parks*

Ischigualasto Provincial Park , in the Province of San Juan, is one of the most important paleontologic sites in the world. It covers a 25 Km long by 10 Km wide area. Fossil remains of vertebrates that inhabited the place in the Mesozoic era 180 million years ago, as well as dinosaur footprints, fern leaf prints, and petrified araucarias trunks can be found in this amazing park. The landscape displays an extraordinary diversity of shapes and colours.

Talampaya National Park is located in the Province of La Rioja and has an area of 215,000 Ha. Its major attraction are its brick-red rock steep cliffs with thousands of distinctive shapes carved by erosion, where condors nest. The most popular area is a 3-Km-wide canyon with all kinds of sandstone formations and 150-meter-tall walls. This place is rich in precious archaeological remains such as stone mortars and pre-Columbian petroglyphs.

Ischigualasto and Talampaya, which share a geological basin of approximately 5,000 sq. Km, were inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in December, 2000.

High peaks (Aconcagua, Mercedario, Tupungato) and snow fields are ideal for mountain winter sports, while foothills are suitable for hang-gliding and paragliding. Canoeing and windsurfing can be practiced in reservoirs and lagoons, while rafting takes place in the Mendoza, Diamante, Atuel and San Juan rivers. In the Barreal El Leoncito plateau, an uncommon sport - known as "carrovelismo" - (windsurfing on tricycles with sails) is also practiced. Mendoza has important winter resorts (Penitentes, Vallecitos and especially, Las Leñas). La Rioja, Mendoza, and San Juan offer horseback rides to see guanacos and vicuñas.