What to see
A road to the heart of Yungas
Provincial Route 83 (scenic route of the Yungas) goes through the Calilegua National Park and is an attraction in itself, with the impressive views along the way.
This is a great destination for ecotourism and bird watching; here you will find many species that cannot be found anywhere else in Argentina, such as the red-faced Guan, the slender-tailed Woodstar and the Amazonian Motmot.
Amid mountains and steep valleys, the road connecting San Francisco and Libertador General San Martín goes up across the forest and jungle vegetation, and the montane grasslands forming the Yungas.
Aguas Negras and Mesada de las Colmenas
Located some12 km away from Libertador General San Martín, Aguas Negras is one of the service areas inside the park, and the starting point of some trails of varying duration and level of difficulty (check accessibility and notify forest rangers before taking any trail).
The park may be visited during daytime; however, it is ideal to camp in Aguas Negras to enjoy the walks on the trails and the surroundings at one’s own pace. “El Negrito”, a 3-hour trail, begins in Mesada de las Colmenas, 12 km away from Aguas Negras. It is key to go with a guide.
Jordán River hot springs
A series of breath-taking natural pools amid vegetation, where you can swim in waters with an average temperature of 30 °C. The biggest spring is known as “the blue lagoon”, with turquoise waters and an incomparable environment.
Access to the Jordán River hot springs is on foot (a 7-hour round trip approximately) or on horseback along an 8-km trail starting in San Francisco.
Alto Calilegua
San Francisco is the starting point of the trekking trail to Alto Calilegua, a village of approximately 20 houses in the highest level of the Yungas, where you can see Quebrada de Humahuaca and the Chañi hill.
