This review will be one of disappointments and cautionary tales. I (almost) visited Ischigualasto and Talampaya parks in March 2023. I have been there and seen some elements of it, which by my standards is enough to count as a visit. However, my rating is definitely to be taken with a grain of salt.

I visited these parks with a tour operator in La Rioja (I can't remember for sure which one, but I think it was Corona del Inca). Since they didn't offer the Saturday tour I had targeted, I shifted my visit to Sunday. In doing so, I stayed an extra day in Cordoba (which has much more to offer than La Rioja) and spent one less in Salta. The tour operator picked me up at the hotel under a beautiful sun and we left for the parks with two other Argentinian tourists.

But it got ruined on the way, as it started to rain. Although the rain was just a light drizzle in Ischigualasto, the tour was delayed and ultimately cancelled. The excursion involved traveling in personal cars across some dry streams, which could become dangerous rivers when it rains. While waiting at the visitor's center, I visited the excellent Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Ischigualasto, which had fossils, bones, and replicas of the main dinosaurs found in the park. Outside, there was a rather banal viewpoint of the park's landscape.

We then proceeded to Talampaya, hoping that the tours there were not cancelled. The road between the parks crosses a part of Talampaya and offers very beautiful sceneries. Although the tours were conducted in large vehicles belonging to the park, the morning rain had made some of the rivers dangerous to cross. Unlike Ischigualasto, the Talampaya Visitor Center offers few alternative (or waiting) attractions. A short trail, the Parque Triásico, allows us to see some rather faded dinosaur replicas. So we left Talampaya without visiting the incredible landscapes it contains.

Despite the disappointment, the tour operator offered an interesting alternative trip for the afternoon. We followed the Ruta 40 to the spectacular viewpoints of the Cuesta de Miranda and visited the Cristo del Portezuelo and the Cable Carril in Chilecito. The agency also offered to postpone the activity to the next day, but I was already in Salta, having taken a night bus the same evening. While the two Argentinians were able to see all the wonders of Ischigualasto and Talampaya the next day, I could not afford to lose any more days in the north. My advice to future visitors is to check the weather and be flexible in their itinerary for this part of Argentina. It is best to plan for extra days in case of unforeseen circumstances and cancellations.