Route Of Cuesta Del Portezuelo And Pirquitas

Our tour begins with pick-up at 8:30 am from centrally located hotels in San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca. 

From here, we will pass Nacional N° 38, which leads us to the imposing Cuesta de El Portezuelo. On the way, we stop to see the Monument to Felipe Varela, a tribute to one of the Catamarcans who made history, located at the beginning of Provincial Route No. 1. 

We continue our tour and discover the Monument to the Aborigines and the “Plaza Yacumama” (Mother Water), landmarks that pay tribute to the true owners of these lands and remind us of our cultural past.

After traveling about 18 kilometers from the city, we will begin to ascend the Cuesta de Portezuelo, a winding road that is 20 km long, with more than 300 curves along its route, which will allow us to observe the incredible green landscapes found there.

On our way through the Cuesta, We stop at its imposing natural balcony, at 1070 meters above sea level, to see the thousand shades of green" it contains. Then we will travel along what is known as the Old Route.

Once finished, we will continue with the excursion until we reach Piedra Blanca, a town known for housing the Birthplace of the Esquiú family, considered a National Historic Monument since 1935 because its interior contains furniture and objects belonging to Fray M. Esquiú such as the bed, the armchair and other elements of fabric work used by those who lived in that house. Here, we will have about 30 minutes to take an internal tour with the local guide. 

Finally, we will continue along Route No. 1 until we reach the Las Pirquitas Dam, the largest reservoir in the province and which is characterized by being built with different materials than the other reservoirs. We will go down for approximately 20 minutes to enjoy the incredible view that this space offers us.

After 4 hours, we will return to the city center to drop you off at your downtown hotel.