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DESERTS 360° - THE BIG FIVE -

Pampa del Leoncito - Valle de la Luna - Talampaya - Parque Nacional Los Cardones - Salinas Grandes - A 15 days/14 nights Program

This program is based on a circuit that will allow you to visit 5 of the great Argentinean deserts; the big five: Pampa del Leoncito, Valle de la Luna, Talampaya, Los Cardones NP and Salinas Grandes. All completely different and fascinating, due to its contrasts and immensity. Infinite horizon at 360 degrees!

Season: April to November 2010
Level of difficulty: Easy
Type: overland + sightseeing
Minimum: 2
Departures: on request

DAY 1: BUENOS AIRES
Arrival at Buenos Aires International Airport. Meeting and transfer to the hotel (40 minutes).

The "Queen of the River Plate Basin" or the "Paris of South America", as Buenos Aires City is called, can be a superlative introduction to the exploration of Argentina, from both the cultural and wildlife points of view. What is certain is that this cosmopolitan city, European in appearance, can keep any culture-oriented visitor busy indefinitely. Its intense cultural and commercial life can fill every minute of any visit with pleasant experiences.

In the afternoon, you will enjoy the unique FOUR BALCONIES OF BUENOS AIRES Tour, a tour that approaches Buenos Aires in a peculiar way.
It is an exclusive visit of Buenos Aires, in which a guide uses four parks or squares of the city to introduce visitors to Argentina, its history, its contrasts, its contradictions and the characteristic psychology of the "porteños", the inhabitants of Buenos Aires. The places to be visited are Plaza de Mayo in Montserrat, Parque Lezama in La Boca, Plaza San Martin in Retiro and Plaza Alvear in Recoleta.

Overnight at Elevage Hotel

DAY 2: BUENOS AIRES / MENDOZA
Transfer to the domestic airport to board your flight to Mendoza. Arrival and transfer to the Hotel.

During the afternoon you will visit some of the most famous wineries. The Province of Mendoza is no doubt Argentina's leading wine producer since mid- 16th century. Of the 210000 hectares of cultivated vineyards in our country, 145000 correspond to Mendoza only.

Overnight at Club Tapiz Hotel
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 3: MENDOZA / BARREAL
Departing northwards from Mendoza, you will pass through Termas de Villavicencio (Villavicencio Water Springs) and then continue to Uspallata. The road entails a zigzagging and intricate ascent with 365 curves, called Ruta de los Caracoles (Snail Road).

Uspallata is, since its foundation, one of the most important stations in the international route to Chile and the centre of an attractive valley set lengthways between the foothills and the mountains. Las Bóvedas (The Vaults) are colonial clay constructions with dome-shaped roofs. They were probably erected in the eighteenth century for gold and silver exploitation purposes. It is said that the furnaces in these vaults were used to melt the metals to manufacture the armament for the Andes Army.

From Uspallata, de trip continues until Barreal, a town located in Calingasta Valley, in the highest part of the Andes Range, dominated by "Mt. Mercedario" (6770 m - 22.211 ft), which is surrounded by other peaks which exceed 6000 meters high.

In the evening, you will arrive at Posada San Eduardo, a colonial building which used to be a stop for travelers and their horses.
All rooms overlook an internal yard, surrounded by a beautiful garden, a miracle in the middle of the Calingasta Valley desert! It also has swimming pool and paddle court.

Overnight at Posada San Eduardo
Meals: Breakfast
Approximate kilometers: 240 / 150 miles

DAY 4: MOUNT MERCEDARIO & PAMPA DEL LEONCITO
Full day to explore and discover the region. Traveling along secondary roads through the Andes Range you will reach Los Patos River, obtaining beautiful views. Before getting to Barreal (20 Km. / 12 miles) you will visit Pampa del Leoncito, a dry plain where a lake dried out several millions of years ago. You will experience the same magical effect which salt plains produce. Afterwards, you will visit the Observatory and discover the stars world. This observatory is one of the most important in Latin America, its main telescope lens has 2,15 meters of diameter!

Overnight at Posada San Eduardo
Meals: Breakfast
Approximated kilometers: 40 / 25 miles

DAY 5: BARREAL / SAN JUAN
Departing northwards and slowly leaving the range behind, you will reach San Juan. First you will see some calcium mines and afterwards you will reach a fertile area dedicated to wine, asparagus, melon, pumpkin and other vegetables production. In the afternoon you will visit Ullum Dam and a winery.

Overnight at Hotel Viñas del Sol
Meals: Breakfast
Approximated kilometers: 175 / 108 miles

DAY 6: MOON VALLEY
Visit to Ischigualasto National Park and Provincial Reserve, also known as "Moon Valley", since its landscape is similar to the moon surface. Moon Valley Provincial Park bases its worth and importance in the wild landscape, in the cultural history and in the paleontologic richness of the area.
It is a clay formation with a great variety of colors and shapes, slopes with many layers of minerals and sediments where the evolution of Earth can be seen. Nobody would have thought that a huge lake surrounded by thick vegetation where a great variety of species grew and where the breeding of many animals flourished, would currently be a great desert with little rains, strong winds and high temperatures.

After the visit, transfer to Finca Media Luna, located in La Majadita, 12 km from San Agustín del Valle Fértil.

Overnight at Finca Media Luna
Meals: Breakfast
Approximated kilometers: 450 / 279 miles

DAY 7: FINCA MEDIA LUNA / TALAMPAYA / CHAÑARMUYO
Early departure northwards to visit Talampaya National Park, declared World Wide Heritage by UNESCO. The beauty of the landscape is notably integrated with the cultural and archaeological interest that the region provides. This zone is over 220 million years old. One can appreciate the erosion processes that have taken place over time to form ravines surrounded by tall, thick walls. Wind erosion has created oddly-formed columns that give shelter to the condors. Preserved on these walls are pictograms and petroglylphs from the prehispanic natives.

After visiting the Park, you will start traveling along Cuesta de Miranda, which leads to National Route 40. This spectacular winding road is notable for its vibrant red color, which stands out from the surrounding green vegetation and makes it a feature of incredible beauty. Arrival at Posada Chañarmuyo.

Overnight at Posada Chañarmuyo
Meals: Breakfast + Dinner
Approximated kilometers: 370 / 230 miles

DAY 8: CHAÑARMUYO
Full day to enjoy at the lodge and the activities it offers: wine tasting, vineyards and winery tours, horse-riding and trekking, 4x4 and visits to the dam. Chañarmuyo Estate is a winery that combines both high technology and the exclusive resources of a unique terroir in its production processes. Its vineyards extend across the Paimán range foot, Chañarmuyo, at 1,720 meters above sea level. There, the differences of temperature between day and night are considerable, and a gentle breeze blows over the fiercely beautiful, uninhabited landscape.

Overnight at Posada Chañarmuyo
Meals: Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner

DAY 9: CHAÑARMUYO / LONDRES / QUILMES
Traveling northwards through National Route 40, you will arrive at Londres, a small village founded in 1508 by the Spaniards, where you will visit "El Shinkal" Inca ruins. Continuing northwards, the road leads to Quilmes, where you will visit the prehispanic Ruins.

This is a native settlement, an impressive stepped citadel built on the slope of a hill, which, for more than a century, successfully stood the Spanish conquest. It's a real fortress in the slope of the hill. In 1664 the native Quilmes were defeated and condemned to travel to Buenos Aires, although just a few of them survived and got to the area that bears their name nowadays. After visiting the ruins, accommodation at the hotel located at the foot of the ruins.

Overnight at Hotel Parador Ruinas de Quilmes
Meals: Breakfast
Approximated kilometers: 500 / 310 miles

DAY 10: QUILMES / CAFAYATE / MOLINOS / CACHI
Departing from Quilmes, the trip continues until Cafayate. This city has become the most important site in the Calchaquí Valleys. Located at 1,660 m above sea level, it is well known because of its famous torrontes wine, product of the exquisite combination of temperature and humidity that provides the ideal environment for the growth of this sweet and deep fruit flavour vine, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah and Chardonnay.

Then you will start traveling along the impressive Quebrada de las Flechas (Arrows Gorge), with its extraordinary geological formations produced by erosion on the colorful sedimentation of sandstone over the past 60 million years. Along the way, you will visit Molinos, a small town that was founded in the middle of the XVII century. The plan of the town is completely irregular, with adobe houses and clay roofs.

The road continues northwards until Cachi, a beautiful town with white buildings, adobe houses, stone-paved streets and impressive architectural and cultural constructions. Cachi means "salt" in quechua due to the fact that natives mistook the top of "El Nevado" with a salt mine. Visit the town, its church and museum. In the evening, transfer to the hotel.

Overnight at Hostería de Cachi
Meals: Breakfast
Approximated kilometers: 215 / 133 miles

DAY 11: CACHI / SAN ANTONIO DE LOS COBRES
Leaving Cachi behind, you will start traveling along the Puna, until reaching San Antonio de Los Cobres, traditional town located almost 4.000 m.a.s.l. (13.123 ft), known for the famous Train to the Clouds. Accommodation.

Overnight at Hostería de Las Nubes
Meals: Breakfast
Approximated kilometers: 135 / 84 miles

DAY 12: SAN ANTONIO DE LOS COBRES / SALINAS GRANDES / PURMAMARCA
From San Antonio de Los Cobres, continuing through the arid lands of the Puna, you will reach Salinas Grandes, great salt plains of 12.000 ha. Then you will start descending through the Lipan Slope, a winding road that leads to Purmamarca. Purmamarca is a small prehispanic town settled at the foot of the polychromatic "Cerro de los Siete Colores" (Seven Colors Hill), where purple, reddish, green, ocher, brown, yellow and white rocks illustrate various geological ages. The village, with adobe buildings of cardon roofs and mud tiles, was designed around the Main Church, built between 1648 and 1779 in front of an "algarrobo", characteristic tree of the region, more than 500 years old! As in many churches of this area, you will notice they are built with cactus wood and house paintings and outstanding sculptures brought from Cuzco. A crafts fair takes place in the square, with regional products such as pottery, handmade tapestry, ponchos, musical instruments and typical clothes from the Quebrada.

Overnight at Hotel El Manantial del Silencio
Meals: Breakfast
Approximated kilometers: 160 / 100 miles

DAY 13: PURMAMARCA / TILCARA / SALTA
Departing northwards, today you will start discovering the magnificent Humahuaca Gorge until reaching Tilcara. This town is located at 2.465 m.a.s.l. on the verge of Grande River. Surrounded by an incredible scenery of multicolored hills and gorgeous panoramic views, its colonial heritage can be seen in low adobe buildings and narrow streets everywhere. It is considered the Archaeological Capital of Jujuy due to its museum, one of the most important in this specialty, and the Pucará - meaning fortress- which was built by the original inhabitants of Humahuaca Gorge on both polychromatic hillocks. Discovered in 1903 and restored in 1951, nowadays it has a cactus garden. After visiting the town, the trip continues to the city of Salta.

Overnight at Hotel El Lagar
Meals: Breakfast
Approximated kilometers: 180 / 112 miles

DAY 14: SALTA / BUENOS AIRES
In the morning you will enjoy the City Tour. Afterwards, you will be transferred to the local airport to board your flight to Buenos Aires. Arrival, meeting at the airport and transfer to the hotel.

Overnight at Hotel Elevage
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 15: BUENOS AIRES
Transfer to the International Airport to board your flight back home.

BOOKING
REQUEST

Meals: Breakfast

2010 Price per person in US$: $4032 each for 2, $2684 each for 4, $2357 each for 6. Single supplement = $875

The rate includes:
" Accommodation in superior tourist class (combination of 4 and superior 3 star hotels ) all with private facilities and breakfast.
" Transfers and excursions mentioned in the itinerary.
" Assistance of expert bilingual guides.
" Meals as stated on the itinerary (without beverages).
" Entrance fees to National Parks and Reserves.

The rate does not include:
" Airline, airport departure taxes.
" Tips for luggage handling and optional gratuities for guides and crew.
" Extras and personal expenses.

*EXCURSIONS: Most of the activities included are related to nature and outdoor activities. Therefore, subject to weather conditions.
No previous experience is required during the excursions.

* HOTELS: these have been selected taking into account the spirit of the trip and the fact that they offer a good quality/price.

The hotels included are:

¢ BUENOS AIRES (SUP 4* Hotel): HOTEL ELEVAGE (www.elevage.com.ar)
¢ MENDOZA: CLUB TAPIZ (www.fincaspatagonicas.com)
¢ BARREAL: POSADA SAN EDUARDO
¢ SAN JUAN: HOTEL VIÑAS DEL SOL (www.viniasdelsol.com.ar)
¢ LA MAJADITA (VALLE FERTIL): FINCA MEDIA LUNA (www.fincalamedialuna.com.ar)
¢ CHAÑARMUYO: POSADA CHAÑARMUYO (www.chanarmuyo.com.ar)
¢ CAFAYATE: HOTEL CAFAYATE WINE RESORT (www.cafayatewineresort.com)
¢ CACHI: HOSTERIA CACHI (www.soldelvalle.com.ar)
¢ SAN ANTONIO DE LOS COBRES: HOSTERIA DE LAS NUBES
¢ PURMAMARCA: HOTEL EL MANANTIAL DEL SILENCIO (www.hotelmanantial.com.ar)
¢ SALTA: HOTEL PARADOR EL LAGAR

NOTE: other hotels can be booked in Buenos Aires on request.

FLIGHTS
The recommended flight route for this itinerary is:

AR1408 AEPMDZ Dep. Time: 08.45 Arr. Time: 1035
AR1455 SLAAEP Dep. Time: 1415 Arr. Time: 1610

RECOMMENDATIONS

* Passengers must be prepared to travel long distances by car.
* Passengers are to travel with health insurance.
* Meals are based on meat and fresh vegetables. Vegetarians or any other special diet must be informed at least 15 days prior to departure.
* Before traveling, please consult your doctor yet maximum hights of 4.000 m will be reached.

PACKING LIST

A basic pack should include:
" Day pack.
" Trekking and comfortable shoes.
" Warm parka and windbreaker.
" Polar wear / warm sweater.
" Light pullover / sweatshirt.
" Gloves, hat / cap, bandanna, sunglasses.
" Sunscreen / sun block.
" Bathing suit
" Water bottle.
" Camera & extra batteries.