The 76-sq-km Parque Nacional El Leoncito (linktr.ee/leoncito.pn; free) occupies a former estancia (ranch) 22km south of Barreal. The landscape is typical of the Andean precordillera. The high, dry and wide-open valley rarely sees a cloud, making for superb stargazing. Hence, the park is home to the Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (visitascasleo.com), which houses Argentina’s most powerful telescope, the 2.15m Telescopio Jorge Sahade, named after the respected Argentine astronomer.
El Leoncito is a unique park in that it was created in 2002 to protect the astronomy complex from atmospheric pollution. As such, stargazing is the main draw. However, there are two desert hikes ideal for day trippers: the 8km trek up Cerro Leoncito and the 2.5km circuit through Paisajes de Agua.
Camping is free at the small site just before the park office, where there are also bathrooms and barbecue grills.
There is no public transportation to the park, and with 17km of entrance road added to the 22km to get here from Barreal, it’s certainly too far to walk and probably too far to ride. If you don’t have your own transportation, contact Ramon Ossa at Posada Don Ramon in Barreal – his informative tours of the park are heartily recommended.
