San José de Vinchina

Information

It is a locality in the north of the province of La Rioja, placed at 69 kilometres from Villa Unión and 340 kilometres from the city of La Rioja. It is on one side of the Desaguadero River, which is called Vinchina River there, at one of the ends of the so-called Valle del Bermejo (Bermejo Valley). It is situated at an altitude of 1450 metres above sea level.

There is a main square, several churches and nowadays you can see some adobe constructions. It has lodgings, shops to buy groceries, an ATM and a petrol station.

Many tourists also make their base in this town to visit:
- Laguna Brava Provincial Reserve: it is one of the most impressive attractions in the province. You can see geysers, wetlands and a large high Andean laguna (like a lake) inhabited by flamingos. It is compulsory to go with a guide, who can be contacted in Vinchina and also in Villa Unión.
- Estrellas Capayanes: they are located 2.5 km from Vinchina, on the way to the village of Jagüé. They are geoglyphs in the shape of stars made of black, white and red pebbles. They were made by native peoples, apparently for religious purposes.

To get there by car, it is located on National Route 76, which is the access road to the rest of the province. It has a bus terminal where public transportation arrives daily from the city of La Rioja and Villa Unión.