El Rodeo

Information

It is a locality in the province of Catamarca in Argentina. It is located in a mountainous environment of the Sierra de Ambato (a mountain chain), and it is crossed by water courses, the main ones being the Los Nogales River and the Ambato River, which join at the western border of the town.

It is a tourist destination with infrastructure for visitors such as tourist information offices, shops, restaurants and accommodation. In particular, it is a classic summer resort for the inhabitants of the provincial capital San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, which is located 34 kilometres away.

The mountain environment invites to enjoy walks and balnearios (places with water). You can hike to the Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), which is of high difficulty for being totally uphill, leading to a Christ that is located on the slope of the Cerro Huayco (a mountain) and from there you have an excellent panoramic view of the town and the region. Opposite the beginning of this path is the Intihuatana, with its staircase and stone window, which represents a shrine to the sun.

Another walk is the route to the monument of Nuestra Señora del Valle, where you first cross a bridge over the Los Nogales River and then another one over the Ambato River, until you reach the four-metre high Virgin.

To get to El Rodeo:
- By bus: there are several daily buses coming from San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca.
- By car: the paved Provincial Route 4 connects it to the provincial capital to the south and to the town of Las Juntas to the north. On the other hand, Provincial Route 16 connects it to the town of La Puerta.

Outside the locality, there are other tourist sites nearby that have balnearios. For instance, if you go 12 kilometres north on Provincial Route 4, you will find Las Juntas, and if you go about 13 kilometres east on Provincial Route 16, you will find La Puerta.