Parque Provincial Ischigualasto

Over time the persistent action of water has exposed a wealth of fossils (some 180 million years old from the Triasic Period) in Parque Provincial Ischigualasto (Valle de La Luna). named for an early Paleo-Indian Culture, the park's museum displays a variety of fossils, including the carnivorous dinosaur Herrerasaurus, the Eoraptor Lunensis (the oldest known predatory dinosaur) and good dioramas of the park's Paleo-environments.
Colloquially known as Valle de La Luna (valley of the moon) 63.000 hectare Ischigualasto is a desert valley between two sedimentary mountain ranges, the Cerros Colorados in the east and Cerro Los Rastros in the west. Over millennia, at every meander in the canyon, the waters of the nearly dry Rio Ischigualasto have carve distinctive shapes in the malleable red sandstone, monochrome clay and volcanic ash. Predictably, some of these forms have acquired popular names, including "cancha de bochas" (the ball court), "el submarino" (the submarine) and "el gusano" (the worm) among others. the desert flora of algarrobo trees, shrubs and cacti complement the eerie landforms.

SAN AGUSTIN DE VALLE FERTIL

Founded in 1788, San Agustín de Valle Fértil is a village where people sit on the sidewalks on summer evenings greeting passerby. There are as many bicycles as automobiles, and even the usually aggressive Argentine motorist appears to appreciate the relaxed pace.
Thanks to its temperate climate and high rainfall. San Agustín colorfull hills, rivers, exhuberant flora, and varied fauna contrast dramatically with the desert landscapes of the rest of the province. The main economic activities are farming and animal husbandry and mining. San Agustín celebrates the aniversary of its founding on April 4.


Orientation & information.
San Agustín lies among the Sierras Pampeanas -gentle sedimentary mountains cut by impressive canyons, 247 km northeast of San Juan via RN 141 and RP 510, wich continues to Ischigualasto and La Rioja.

Things to see and do.
Spending a day by the river is pleasant and relaxing, whether you are fishing, sunbathing or walking . About 300 m across the river are the petroglyphs of Piedra Pintada, and 500 m farther north are the Morteros Indigenas (indian Mortars).