Visiting PIEDRA PARADA | The most underrated thing to do in PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA?

Piedra Parada is a natural protected area that’s located about 130 kilometres east of Esquel, and it makes for a fun and easy day trip. We organized a tour through Meraki Sur in town and they came to pick us up from our accommodations the next morning. It was about a 2 and a half-hour drive to Piedra Parada during which time we bid farewell to forests and mountains, as we ventured further into the Patagonian steppe.
Gualjaina is located 90 kilometres from Esquel and was the last service area before reaching our destination. We drove another 30 kilometres from this point before we spotted Piedra Parada rising like a giant monolith in the middle of the valley.
Piedra Parada sticks out like a sore thumb in the Valley of the Chubut River. Its origins are volcanic since once upon a time, this very area would have been the caldera of an ancient mega volcano. It would have first erupted some 60 million years ago, before the Andes were even formed, so this rock right here has witnessed a whole lot. It stands over 200 meters tall and it’s an ‘it’ destination for rock climbing.
After a guided walk around Piedra Parada, we returned back to the van where they had set up a nice picnic lunch for us. There were empanadas, mini-pizzas, sandwiches, pigs in a bun, and more. It was all homemade and delicious! And really, who could complain with these views?!
We then drove across the Chubut River towards Cañon de la Buitrera, which literally translates to the Vulture’s Canyon. The walls of the canyon stand around 150 meters tall, and it was a beautiful place for a hike.
Our guide led us up to the ‘aleros’ which are small refuges in the rock, almost like caves. These would have been used by the pre-Tehuelches and Tehuelches who inhabited this area in a seasonal manner up to 5000 years ago. We also learned about how they would’ve stored their guanaco meat in the ground, under layers of salt to help preserve it. There were lots info boards with even more information, so it’s worth the hike up if you make here.
So, as we’ve already mentioned, this is a really popular rock climbing destination, and you really notice this once you enter the Vulture’s Canyon.
This place was really put on the tourist map back in 2012 when the Petzl brand, which is known for organizing rock climbing gatherings chose Piedra Parada as its destination of the year. Now, this canyon draws climbers from all over the world and we got to see them in action.
By the time we finished our hike, it was merienda time, AKA afternoon tea time! Back at the van, our driver was already waiting with tea, coffee and a selection of pastries, so we were very happy hikers. We then hopped back in the van and drove back to Esquel!
And that was our day trip to Piedra Parada! We hope you guys enjoyed following along and we’ll see you soon with more videos from Patagonia, Argentina.
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Visiting PIEDRA PARADA | The most underrated thing to do in PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA?
Hey guys! We are Samuel and Audrey, a travel vlogging couple from Canada. In this travel channel we share our travel and food vlogs while touring the world.
We had the privilege of traveling around Argentina for nearly 3 months from January- April 2019 on a trip covering a large section of the country.
Our time in Patagonia continued as we headed from east to west trading more barren landscapes for thick forests, impressive mountains and magnificent lakes.
Overall our Argentina travel series explores cities, small towns that are off-the-beaten-path, and scenic attractions with a strong emphasis on Argentina cuisine and local culture.
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This is part of our Travel in Argentina video series showcasing Argentine food, Argentine culture and Argentine cuisine.
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