Search in La Ruta Natural

You can search the content of your interest in La Ruta Natural page here.

Search:

Cueva de las Manos Provincial Park and Pinturas River Canyon

Santa Cruz

Cueva de las Manos (Cave of the Hands) is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in Argentina, as well as a World Heritage site. Located on an outcrop in the heart of Pinturas River Canyon, this attraction contains cave paintings by hunter-gatherer communities who lived in the area over 9 thousand years ago.

You may visit the park all year round. An entrance fee is charged.

What to see
Cueva de las Manos

In this excursion, there is a 1,5 km trail to walk on the mountainside of Pinturas River Canyon. From there, visitors can observe the paintings made with mineral pigments taken from the ground and the rocks.

 

It is one of the most ancient cave art expressions in South American prehistory. With colours such as ochre, red, purple, yellow, white and black, the communities depicted hunting scenes, prints of greater rheas and geometric shapes.

Pinturas River Canyon

This area is home to the wildest nature of the steppe: basalt plateaus, mounts, canyons and coloured lands with guanacos, lesser rheas and Andean condors. Free for public access, this private reserve offers a network of trails over 20 km long, to explore the amazing landscape. One of the trails, 3 km long with moderate difficulty, leads to the Cueva de las Manos Provincial Park.

How to get there and move around

Visitors can access the park by car in two different ways. One option is to take Provincial Route 97 from Bajo Caracoles, along a gravel road for 47 km. Another way is to enter through an access road on National Route 40, 40 km north from Bajo Caracoles, taking a 29-km gravel road with steep slopes. Bajo Caracoles is 130 km from Perito Moreno, on National Route 40, and 512 km from Comodoro Rivadavia, where the closest airport is located.

Where to stay

In addition to Perito Moreno and Los Antiguos, you will find accommodation and a restaurant at La Posta de los Toldos, and a camping area with space for motorhomes.

 

Located 75 km from Perito Moreno following National Route 40, Estancia Casa de Piedra offers housing and a campsite.

More information