WESTERN CIRCUIT

With a obstinately red and grey coloured Sierra acting as an impressive frame, at the West of the City of San Luis lies a privileged area for tourists that includes the Parque Nacional Sierra de las Quijadas as its main attraction.

This is a circuit of short distances. Composed by only 126 kms, it Starts from San Luis, driving along the Ruta Nacional No 7 and the Ruta Provincial No 15 to reach Balde.

BALDE
At a distance of 32 kms to the West of San Luis, travelling by the National Route No 7, suddenly emerges, both discreet and welcoming, the Village of Balde, a town born around an old railway station of the same name. The main attraction is its medical hot spring thermal waters.

The average temperature of the waters that surge from the earth is around 43 ºC. Among its qualities there are the medical benefits in the treatment of chronical rheumatism, as well as to fight obesity, diabetes, gout, kidney stones, dermatitis, etc.

This little town is located on the flatlands. From this site, the traveller can stare westward, towards the far away Alto Pecoso Mountains, an area of intermediate terrain, which ranges between saline and dry, where low bushes and shrubbery predominates over other species of vegetation, among those can be mentioned the caldén, the black carob, the chañar and the jarilla.

Among the facilities there is a hotel and a hostelry, and on the outskirts the Spa "Los Tamarindos" , a place where the traveller will enjoy a high-class service.

Nearby attractions from Balde are the salt pits called the Salinas del Bebedero. It can be reached by the Ruta Provincial No 7 and then by the Ruta Provincial No 15. It takes a drive of 19 kms to get to a lagoon of salty water that in winter turns into an incredible white desert.

As the villagers say, "cuando madura la sal" meaning "when the salt is ripe" arrives the time when dozens of workers come to this white plains to engage in the recollection of salt, transforming the landscape with thousands of salt heaps waiting for the trucks to pick them up and carry them to the processing plant.

SAN GERONIMO
By the Provincial Route No 3 and then by the Nacional Route No 147, which ultimately leads to the Province of San Juan, some 25 kms away from San Luis, is situated the locality of San Gerónimo which just like the previously described Balde, is renowned and appreciated for its medical hot spring thermal waters.

The water emerges from a well 451 m deep, at a temperature of 39º C. They are presumed to work wonders as body invigorators, and are also believed to improve sexual performance, apart from rheumatism, arthritis and lymphatic diseases.

With regard to the traveller's commodities, the village includes lodgings and a restaurant, and that's it.

Twenty kms ahead, after turning to the left, and leaning on the Sierras del Gigante, the La Calera hamlet appears. This is a small urban conglomerate where both the lime and the cement workers dwell. Two elements that have so many applications in the construction of the large cities and that are available thanks to the richness of this mountains.

More to the North, the traveller will arrive to Hultarán, a town that serves as the entrance to some remote eras, frozen in time to achieve the fulfilment of the senses: the Sierra de las Quijadas.