Puente del Inca Natural Monument

Information

This is a protected area in the province of Mendoza whose main attraction is a naturally formed bridge with yellow, orange and ochre colors. It is a rock arch where minerals have been deposited, with iron and sulfur being the main elements responsible for the colors seen today. It is located in the Andes Mountains, over the Las Cuevas River which later becomes the Mendoza River, at an altitude of more than 2700 meters.

There are hot springs in the surrounding area with different temperatures and mineral compositions. Years ago, there was a luxury hotel that offered thermal baths, which was destroyed by an avalanche in 1965 and its ruins can still be seen today.

The name Puente del Inca comes from the fact that this is an area where the Incas used to travel through. There are also several legends about, for example, a chief or a princess of the empire who were cured of an illness by the waters of this place.

It can be reached via National Route 7, 70 km from Uspallata and 18 km from the Chilean border. To get there from either the Argentine or Chilean side, you have to travel through an Andean landscape with spectacular scenery. Once you arrive, there is parking available and several stands selling handicrafts, drinks and food.