The first town you reach, Mina Clavero, is probably too busy if you've come to escape the crowds, but further south, Nono and Los Hornillos are far more appealing. They and San Javier, even further south, both make a great base for hiking. The main road to the Traslasierra valley from Córdoba is the most spectacular route in the sierras. Running southwest from Villa Carlos Paz, the road passes Villa Icho Cruz before climbing into the Sierra Grande and crossing the Pampa de Achala, a huge granite plateau at 2000 m, and descending into the Traslasierra valley near Mina Clavero.
Mina ClaveroMina Clavero (915 m) has the best nightlife and most raucous atmosphere in the entire valley, with nightclubs, theatres, a casino and dozens of hotels, restaurants and small shops.
Though not the most appealing place in high season, it's a good base for trips into the surrounding natural beauty. It lies at the foot of the
Camino de las Altas Cumbres
and at the confluence of the Río Panaholma and Río Mina Clavero, which form many small falls among impressive rocks right in the town centre, and there are attractive views along the riverside. The large
, www.minaclavero.gov.ar, ww.minaclavero.com, has an ATM. The bus terminal can be found in the centre at Avenida Mitre 1191.
On the other side of the rivers is the quieter Villa Cura Brochero, named after Father Brochero who built schools, roads and aqueducts here at the end of the 19th century. Every March, around the 20th, he is remembered with the Cabalgatas brocherianas, a gaucho procession on horses and mules that follows a section of the former road he helped to build across the mountains.
Around Mina ClaveroNearby rivers offer several attractive places for swimming among huge rocks and waterfalls,
all busy in high season. About 5 km north of Villa Cura Brochero, a dirt road passing San Lorenzo branches east to the
, where icy water falls into a 7-m-deep pool. The
(bathing area) serves very good meals.
Las Maravillas, a balneario set in a deep ravine, is 4 km north of San Lorenzo, and it's another 7 km to the hamlet of Panaholma with its old chapel. The Camino de los Artesanos is an 18-km stretch of road from Mina Clavero to Villa Benegas along which a dozen families offer hand-woven handicrafts and distinctive black ceramics.
North of Villa Cura Brochero, Route 15 crosses the vast Pampa de Pocho, a strange landscape covered by palm trees, with small inactive volcanoes in the background. At Taninga, Route 28 branches off east across the Sierra Grande and the northern edge of Reserva Hídrica Pampa de Achala to Villa Carlos Paz.
Nono and aroundNono, 8 km south of Mina Clavero, is an attractive little town that is so far unspoilt by increasing tourism. On the plaza there is a handicraft market in summer and a lovely little church. Among other well-conserved houses is the historic
, which serves as a shop, café and basic hotel, and has been the lively meeting point for locals since 1931.
runs an excellent
www.traslasierra-info.com.ar, at a wood cabin next to the petrol station, with internet facilities. The most visited sight is the extraordinary
www.museorocsen.org. This eclectic selection of fabulously bizarre objects spanning archaeology, anthropology and human history is the personal vision of Frenchman Juan Santiago Bouchon. Not to be missed.
A network of minor roads east and southeast link the town with the foot of the mountains across a pretty landscape of rivers and hamlets, such as Paso de las Tropas and El Huayco. To the west, a dusty road leads from the church to the sandy beaches of Río Los Sauces and 11 km beyond to the village of Piedras Blancas. Cerro Champaquí is accessible from Nono (via San Javier) but you need to take a guide. See www.traslasierra. com/nono, and www.nono-cordoba.com (in Spanish), for planning advice.
Los Hornillos and aroundSouth of Nono, Route 14 skirts the base of some imposing mountains amid lush vegetation and there are scattered villages offering some accommodation. At Los Hornillos (15 km from Nono) there are good walks 500 m east of the road (left of campsite),
along Río Los Hornillos. From there, footpaths lead to the nearby summits, such as the five-hour trek to
(2300 m) passing a 50 m fall halfway. A 1½-hour walk upstream along the riverbed takes you to
, a huge rock supported by two other blocks with waterfalls. At
, the Von Ledebur family has run the lovely hotel
www.hosteriaaltamontania.com
, since 1947. Ten kilometres northwest is
with a large reservoir and an impressive 106-m-high dam, not recommended
for vertigo sufferers.
West of the sierras the main town is Villa Dolores, a useful transport hub, with a couple of banks and a few hotels, though there's no reason to stop here, unless you're keen to see the potato festival in January.
San Javier and YacantoThese two neighbouring villages lie at the foot of the
(2790 m) the highest peak in the sierras. They are both very pleasant, peaceful places to stay, with old houses under mature trees, and even if not keen to climb the peak itself, you could relax by the streams or stroll around the picturesque area. The ascent up the Champaquí takes about seven hours from San Javier along the Quebrada del Tigre, but take a guide, as many people get lost. For more information, contact the
Further south there are more small resort towns where tourism is developing, such as La Població, Luyaba La Paz and nearby Loma Bola, which lie along the road to Merlo, 42 km of San Javier. All these towns are linked by regular TAC buses services, which run between Villa Dolores and Merlo (via San Javier).
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