Talampaya National Park | |
Iucn Category: | II |
Map: | Argentina |
Relief: | yes |
Map Width: | 144 |
Location: | La Rioja, Argentina |
Nearest City: | Villa Unión |
Coordinates: | -29.8°N -117°W |
Area Km2: | 2,150 |
Established: | 1997 |
Governing Body: | Administración de Parques Nacionales |
Talampaya National Park (Spanish; Castilian: Parque Nacional Talampaya) is a national park located in the east/centre of La Rioja Province, Argentina. It was designated a provincial reserve in 1975, a national park in 1997, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
The park protects an area of the High Monte ecoregion.The park covers an area of 2150sqkm, at an altitude of 1500m (4,900feet) above mean sea level. Its purpose is to protect important archaeological and palaeontological sites found in the area. It has landscapes of great beauty, with flora and fauna typical of the mountain biome.
The park is in a basin between the Cerro Los Colorados to the west and the Sierra de Sañagasta to the east. The landscape is the result of erosion by water and wind in a desert climate, with large ranges in temperature - high heat by day and low temperature at night, with torrential rain in summer and strong wind in spring.
The park includes: