Parque Nacional El Rey

Parque Nacional El Rey is the closest of the three cloudforest parks to Salta city (196km), though still not easily accessible unless you go with a specially arranged expedition. Covering 44,000 ha, it was once a privately owned estate, 'El Rey' (the king), on the eastern border of the Spanish territory. It belonged at one time to Coronel Fernández Cornejo, who had carried out the expulsion of the Jesuits, and the remains of his 18th-century house can still be found in the park. With a warm climate, and relatively high average rainfall, the park's vegetation is extremely varied, since the landscape stretches from arid steppe in the east at 750 m above sea level, to mountainous regions at over 2000 m. So in the east, you can find Chaqueño-serrano forest, then transition jungle in the middle, and high mountain forest at the most western extreme. The natural amphitheatre formation of the park's landscape is created by the horseshoe-shaped ridge of the Sierra de la Cresta del Gallo, northwest of the park, reaching heights of around 1700 m, and from it there are rivers descending through lush jungle to the Río Popayán flowing below. There's abundant wildlife, much of it easily spotted, since visitors to the park are few and far between, and there's little vehicular access. Toucans abound, and other birdlife too, though these are rather more shy but you might be lucky enough to spot wild cats and tapirs.

Park information

The best time to visit is May to November, avoiding the very rainy season of January to March. There is a rangers' office near the entrance with a clearing where you can camp. This is a simple campsite, with drinking water and bathrooms. More information is available on the Parques Nacionales website, www.parquesnacionales.gov.ar.

Walks

There are several good paths you can take to explore the park's varied landscapes, and accompanying wildlife. Los Patitosis a small lake, 1.5 km from the guardaparquescentre, and a great one-hour walk for spotting aquatic birds and mammals. Popayán Riveris 10 km (two hours) from the guardaparquescentre. Pozo Verdepath is 12 km from the guardaparquescentre and challenging for the first 3 km. Part of the way there's a footpath with interpretation information, called 'Los Ocultos'. Santa Elena Field and Los Lobitos waterfallis a challenging hike but good for seeing transition jungle; 4 km from the guardaparques, two hours each way; you'll need a guide. Chorro de los Lorosis a pedestrian path of medium-high difficulty. It is 10 km long and crosses the transition jungle.