San Francisco Volcano

Information

It is an inactive volcano of 6040 metres above sea level, which is part of the border between Argentina and Chile.

It can be seen along the last stretch of the Argentinean National Route 60, through the province of Catamarca, close to the international border:
- At the Las Grutas campsite, if you look at the road in the direction of the border crossing, you will see the Incahuasi volcano on the left and the San Francisco on the right.
- About 400 metres from Las Grutas there is a dirt road that leads to some hot springs (notify the Las Grutas post beforehand and take a GPS with a pre-loaded map, and be careful not to get lost because there are several forks). This path leads to an area that is almost at the foot of the Incahuasi and San Francisco volcanoes.
- Shortly before the international border, from the same route 60 you have a full view of the volcano.

As for the ascent, like any mountain above 6000 metres, it must be done with an authorised guide and requires adequate equipment and physical preparation. In any case, the San Francisco volcano is considered one of the least technically complicated of the Seismiles mountains to reach the summit.