This amazing historical and colourful place, Parque Nacional de Laguna Brava, park is located in the Province of La Rioja, that counts with numerous touristic attractions, such as fishing, windsurf and mountain climbing between other sports together of course with the local National Parks that are worth to visit, such as Parque Nacional de Talampaya, also in the same Province.

This Park is South-East from Buenos Aires to La Rioja there are 1200 km and can be reached by bus or plane. From La Rioja to Laguna Brava there is 450 kms and only has access driving on a 4x4 vehicle driving along the national route 38 to Patquía and then the national Route 150 to the intersection with the Valle Fertil.   The Entrance to this park is called Portezuelo at its highest point over the sea level.

We continue our drive towards the Provincial Route 26 crossing the town of Villa Union, where it’s recommended to stay if you intend to visit this park on a day tour, due to its extensive grounds and long time drive.  Other villages along the way are Vinchina and Villa Castelli.   The closest Provinces are Catamarca and San Juan and very close to the Chilean frontier path Pircas Negras.

It is also recommended to take a full program which may include the tour to this park or to Talampaya.   For long walk lovers, hiking and extreme 4x4 adventures this is the perfect place.

The history of Laguna Brava area is wide in terms of anthropology, with approximately 4000mts above the sea level, and where they have found traces of human activity of 8,000 years ago.   This area was then home of the natives Tehuelches and Mapuches, and it was common path for all the indigenous communities in their transition from the mountains to the sea.

The first white men who settled in the area (circa 1741) were the Jesuit missionaries, and that today thanks to them we have more information of what this place looked like those days.

The Mapuche indigenous dominated the land around 1743/45 forcing the departure of the Jesuits. At that time the chief Cangapol, who dominated these lands made the Mapuches rule until late year 1,800.

Among the amazing colorful landscape, one of the attractions are the Vicuña reservation and pink flamingos, Pumas or Chilean Tiger, and other species in this isolated but beautiful place, salt lakes, grassy steppes, clear sky, and bright sun, the perfect silence which is suitable for mountaineering, as its also close to the Big Volcano Bonete 6159mts of altitude above the sea level and Pissis and The Veladero, the second highest after South America's Aconcagua Peak.

We recommend you to visit it during the months of April and May and from October to November due to climatic conditions, consisting of a harsh winter. For the more adventurous travelers, they can stay in this place, carrying the necessary elements such as adequate shelter, food and fuel. The length of the circuit and complete range of Laguna Brava is about 3 days.

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