Reserva Provincial La Payunia

The visit of Cindy Cappelle, a friend from our Peace Corps days in Ecuador, prompted us to take a road trip to the southern region of Mendoza. One of the hostels we stayed in was an ECO Hostel on the outskirts of Malargüe. We enjoy hostels because they give us the flexibility of preparing our own meals in the communal kitchen. A downside is that hostels tend to cater to Argentines and younger travelers whose bedtime is much later than ours.

While in Malargüe, we took a 12-hour expedition to the Reserva Provincial La Payunia. The area of the reserve is a bit smaller than the state of Delaware. The reserve has over 800 volcanic cones, making it one of the world’s largest concentrations of volcanoes. There is an average of 10.6 volcanoes every 100 km2. The highest volcano reaches a height of 3680 meters.

The lava and volcanic ash form colorful landscapes.  Some areas contain large boulders ejected from volcanoes while other areas are covered with volcanic gravel and sand

The lava dammed a river and flooded a vast valley. Over time the water eroded the lava and drained the dam. The land is now used for cattle and crop production.