Ruta 40 Catamarca — Santa María to El Shincal viaBelén.
Distance
200 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
1,200 m
Ruta 40 Catamarca — Santa María to El Shincal via Belén.
A quieter stretch of Ruta 40 through Catamarca's Valle de Yokavil, linking the wine village of Santa María to the great Inca ruins of El Shincal. The road crosses the windswept Campo Arenal plateau, passes the poncho-weaving town of Belén and the ancient settlement of Londres before reaching the southernmost administrative city of the Inca empire.
Quick facts
SurfaceMixed
Distance200 km
Days1
Total climb1,200 m
DifficultyModerate
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The route.
Santa MaríaStart · Start in Santa María in the Valle de Yokavil, the gateway between Calchaquí wine country and the Catamarca puna. Fuel up before the plateau crossing.
HualfínScenic Point · Tiny highland village with a 17th-century chapel and nearby thermal springs. Ruta 40 climbs over the Campo Arenal plateau to reach it.
BelénRestaurant · The self-styled poncho capital of Argentina — hand-woven vicuña and llama textiles. Good lunch and the last town services before the ruins.
LondresScenic Point · The second-oldest town in Argentina, founded in 1558 and named for London to honour a royal wedding. Walnut groves and adobe streets.
El Shincal de QuimivilEnd · Finish at the southernmost major Inca administrative city — a restored plaza, ushnu platform and ritual hills. A remarkable end to a Ruta 40 day.
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