Campo de Piedra Pómez

Information

It is a tourist attraction in the Catamarca Puna of Argentina. It is above 3000 metres above sea level and is currently a natural area protected by law, occupying approximately 75500 hectares.

It is an expanse of sand in a desert area that contains a large amount of pumice stone, so you can see huge fragments of this material in a variety of shapes and shades. The scenery is spectacular, in the middle of a totally natural region.

IMPORTANT: It is recommended to go on an excursion with an authorised guide and in a 4 x 4 vehicle with a radio. The guides can be found in the village of El Peñón (it is the closest) or in Antofagasta de la Sierra. The access is from a road that leaves Provincial Route 43, which in some stretches is only a track with a lot of loose sand and there is a risk of cars or ordinary trucks getting buried. There are no inhabitants or services of any kind, sometimes nobody appears for several hours and at night the temperature drops a lot.

Another point to consider is that when visiting it, you should leave your vehicle parked at the end of the road, and only walk through the field in order to preserve the place. It is forbidden to drive through the pumice stone area with any kind of vehicle.