South America 2024-202x
unknown length - solo travel - Suzuki DR650

El Peñón - Piedra de Pomez - Carachi Pampa

April 18, 2024  —  Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
Across the line of trees, the small village of El Peñón.

El Peñón is a small village in the province of Catamarca. In itself, the village would be quite ordinary were it not for the natural wonders that surround it.

Just a few dozen kilometres from the village, there are some marvellous sites such as Piedra de Pomez and the Carachi Pampa lagoon. These are among the most beautiful sites I've seen in Argentina.

El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón - Argentina
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Piedra de Pomez

Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina

Campo Piedra de Pomez is a huge field of pumice stone whose current appearance is the result of erosion over several millennia. I spent the night in a tent in the car park near the site. It was well worth the effort, as the scenery is even more spectacular at sunset and sunrise.

The route to the site is far from easy. The track is only passable in a 4x4 because of the accumulation of sand. It's possible to get through on a motorbike, but with a bike like mine, loaded down with a lot of luggage, there's a risk of getting tangled up in the sand. With great difficulty, I managed to get there, and I only had to dig with my hands under the bike once to drive on.

El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
Somewhere in these mountains lies Campo Piedra de Pomez.
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
Campo Piedra de Pomez - Argentina
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Carachi Pampa lagoon and volcano

El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina

Just twelve kilometres from Piedra de Pomez lies an equally spectacular landscape. The Carachi Pampa volcano left a carpet of black volcanic rock around 750,000 years ago. It is surrounded by a salar and a magnificent lagoon.

The landscape is a fantastic contrast of colours, with deep black lava mixing with light-coloured sand, and the white salt of the lagoon contrasting with the red and orange of the mountains in the background. It's simply breathtaking.

El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
El Peñón-Piedra de Pomez-Laguna Carachi Pampa Loop - Argentina
The Carachi Pampa volcano.