The Moon Valley - Ischigualasto

It is worth mentioning that the period between the formation of the planet and today has been divided into "eras” and "periods", the same way time is divided into in years and days. The first period of the Mesozoic era is the Triassic and it goes from 250 to 200 million years. Back then all the continents were joined in one mega continent called Pangea. During the Triassic period, on the west side of Pangea, some valleys were formed where sediments mixed with animals and plants remains accumulated.

As things from our childhood are kept in a chest, Ischigualasto has kept things from those times. Millions of years later, different movements and collisions of the tectonic plates have revealed those valleys that were covered by thousands of meters of younger rocks. As if a chest were opened, the Ischigualasto basin tells the story of what happened back then on Planet Earth.

After leaving the entrance of the park, you must line up  on your car, together with other tourists visiting the place. A local guide will show and explain the different aspects of the park (English speaking guide on request at the entrance).

Ischigualasto means "place where the moon rests” in the Quechua tongue. The name of the valley as it is known today derives from that expression.
When visiting the place you will see how the combination of water and wind erosion carved different silhouettes day after day. Man looks for meaning and compares them to familiar shapes.

When going for a ride along the road, formations like "The Worm", "Painted Valley", “The Sphinx”, “The Bowling Field”, “The Submarine”, “The Mushroom” and the “Red Ravines” can be found. The landscape is wonderful and breathtaking for tourists from all over the world that come to San Juan to enjoy this pre-historic treasure.