Guana-go see guanacos?
The second national park we visited on our South American adventure was Parque Nacional Lihué-Calel (‘Sierra of Life’ in the Mapuche language) in La Pampa province of Argentina. We had pinpointed this place as somewhere we wanted to visit as, for us, the La Pampa region encapsulates exactly how we imagined much of Argentina to look – a vast wilderness of dry grassland and scrub. However, the hills of Lihué-Calel National Park actually hold large freshwater reserves which create relatively humid conditions compared to the surrounding steppe, providing an oasis for both flora and fauna. As such, the park is home to an incredible array of wildlife, including guanacos, grey foxes, maras, pumas, lesser hairy armadillos, chaco eagles and much more1.
Our trip to Lihué-Calel involved taking a slight detour from our current overall goal of heading south down to Tierra del Fuego, and many online comments on getting there indicated that the roads leading to the national park were very poor. We were therefore a little nervous that Phil (our campervan) would survive the journey, especially so early on in our trip! Travelling from the north, the road surface of Ruta 152 began to deteriorate around the town of General Acha, and remained poor through to the park entrance (around 75 km). We took our time and used our hazard lights to let the locals know that we were going slowly (as they just seem to plough straight over the bumps at great speed!), and were fortunate to see a family of greater rhea and two pampas foxes during the journey (perhaps because we were going so slowly!).
On arrival, the volunteer park rangers were really friendly, spoke excellent English, and even offered us our first taste of maté! They showed us around the small visitor centre and attached campsite (where we were to spend the next two nights) and told us all about the history of the park, the trails we could take, and the wildlife that lives there.
Having learnt about all the wonderful wildlife within the national park, we had high hopes of seeing lots of interesting species during our stay. Then, whilst sitting under the shade of a caldén tree on our first evening there, we saw our first guanaco walking along a ridge near to where we planned to hike the next day! We were very excited!
However, we were not prepared for the amount of wildlife present within the campsite itself, which included desert cavis, an incredibly cute little Humbolt’s hog-nosed skunk and a resident family of plains viscachas, the latter of which had built large burrows right in the middle of the site! We loved watching the vischchas hopping around and foraging for food in the late evening. Our favourite, however, was the tiny skunk which emerged from its burrow each night and went about it’s business rooting around in the soil, completely unfazed by the attention it was getting from people staying at the campsite! According to the rangers, there is also a pampas cat which visits occasionally, but unfortunately we didn’t get to see it.
It wasn’t just mammals that were present at the campsite. We saw several bird species, including a small ever present group of elegant crested tinamou, numerous crested gallitas, blue-crowned parakeets and rufous-collared sparrows, and a vermilion flycatcher.
The morning after we arrived, we headed out early to explore the national park and took the Namuncura trail up to the summit of Cerro Alto (the tallest point in the pampas region). We then followed another trail to the ‘Valle de Las Pinturas’, where pre-Hispanic hunter-gatherer communities had created geometric cave paintings. In total, the walk took around 5-6 hours, with plenty of stops to look at wildlife and take photos of course!
The landscape was incredible and unlike anywhere we had been before. As we hiked there were numerous turkey vultures soaring overhead, and just as we reached the summit a huge eagle passed overhead, hovering just long enough for us to enjoy it’s beauty. Throughout the hike, we saw a few different herds of guanaco, firstly from a distance through our binoculars and then much closer when we had hiked down into the Valle de Las Pinturas. What impressive animals! They were curious of us, yet cautious, watching us and calling to each other as we passed. Other birds we saw included the hooded siskin, a chiguanco thrush and southern martins. There are several signs warning of venomous snakes, although fortunately we did not encounter any during the hike.
Then, tired after a long hike in soaring temperatures we spent the rest of the day reading and birdwatching in the shade at the campsite. Bliss!
In summary, Lihué-Calel is a beautiful, remote and lesser-visited national park that was very worth the detour on our route south through Argentina. Let’s just hope Phil makes it back along the Ruta 152 in one piece!
How to get there
Lihue-Calel is approximately 840km south-west of Buenas Aires. To reach the national park from Buenas Aires, take Ruta 5 all the way to Santa Rosa, then Ruta 35 southbound for around 80km, before turning onto Ruta 152 which passes through General Acha. As mentioned above, the road surface on much of the 152 is very degraded, with lots of pot holes. As such, the journey is much slower than Google Maps suggests!
Alternatively, if you are travelling from the west, Lihue-Calel is around 300km north-east of the city of Neuquen. To reach the park from Neuquen, take Ruta 22 to General Roca, before switching to Ruta 6 due norh, which becomes Ruta 152 around the village of Casa de Piedra. We didn’t drive the roads between Neuquen and Lihue-Calel, however the rangers at the national park informed us that the road surface on the 152 is equally poor heading in both directions.
It is also possible to get the bus from Santa Rosa, where it is possible to fly into or get a bus to from Buenas Aires.
When to go
The wildlife at Lihue-Calel can be seen year-round. It is an off-the-beaten track national park, so remains fairly quiet even in the summer months (perhaps with the exception of early January). We visited late January and there were very few other visitors. The weather varies quite significantly throughout the year, with average temperatures dropping to 7°C in winter and reaching 24°C (and highs of 40) in summer2, so this should be taken into consideration when planning a visit.
Sources
- La Ruta Natural: https://larutanatural.gob.ar/en/must-see/32/lihue-calel-national-park
- Global National Parks: https://www.globalnationalparks.com/argentina/lihue-calel/