Ancasti

Information

It is a village in the Argentinean province of Catamarca. It is located in the lowlands and to the east of the Sierra de Ancasti (a mountain chain). It is about 10 km from the neighbouring village of Anquincila and about 83 km from the provincial capital San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca.

There are basic shops and some places to eat, and along the access road there is an inn/hotel. It has a main square with an 18th century church.

A good attraction to visit is the Los Molinos River (also called Icaño), which can be reached from the town by taking a secondary dirt road of 2 kilometres. It is free to enter, with tables and benches, barbecues and public restrooms. It has a small gate where a pool with crystalline water is formed, surrounded by a green space. In the area you can find native wild bird species such as the black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans), the green-backed heron (Butorides striata) and ducks such as the yellow-billed teal (Anas flavirostris).

How to get to Ancasti:
- By bus: there is public transportation every day of the week from the provincial capital San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca.
- By car: along the asphalted Provincial Route 2. This road connects to the north with the National Route 38 that crosses the Cuesta de Portezuelo (a slope) to San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca; and towards the southeast it connects to the National Route 157 that leads to Córdoba and Tucumán.