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CALILEGUA NATIONAL
PARK
Province of Jujuy
Calilegua National Park, in eastern
Jujuy province, lies on the eastern slopes of the Calilegua range. It
was created in 1979 and protects a substantial area of Yungas, the montane
cloud forest, one of the regions with greatest Biodiversity in the country,
while guaranteeing the sources of water for irrigation of the cultivated
valley below. Witrh its 76,320 ha it is the largest national park in NW
Argentina.
ITS NATURAL
ASPECTS
The whole of the park is steep
mountainsides cut up by the sharp v-shaped valleys of tumbling streams.
These outposts of the Andes are mostly of soft sedimentary origin and
very unstable. Where the forest is interfered with there is a high likelihood
of landslides which temporarily dam the streams and are potentially dangerous
to cultivated land and towns downstream.
The park reaches elevations in excess of 3000m at Cerro Hermoso and Cerro
Amarillo. The drainage of most of the central part of the park ends up
in the San Lorenzo river, that of the northern end in the Río de
las Piedras. All these end up in the northward-flowing San Francisco which
spills into the Bermejo.
The park is cloaked in Yungas cloudforest which because of the difficulty
of the terrain has been virtually untouched. On the lower slopes grows
the transition forest between chaco woods and montane forest proper, with
species of both. montane forests grow as high as 1800 m above sea level
while above them the alder and podocarp woods, these in turn to be followed
by upland grasslands. The fauna varies with the vegetation, so at lower
levels the tapir abounds and one can find tracks of the scarce, shy and
endangered parana otter. The jaguar ranges higher. Here a variety of bats
are active during hours of darkness, even to a nectar feeder which pollinates
flowers. Agoutis and an underground tuco-tuco are also present. On the
grassy tops there are tarucas, the northern andean deer, a species which
is very much threatened and has been declared a Natural Monument..
There are some 400 species of bird found in the park, many endemic, such
as the red-faced guan, but others include the toco toucan, king vulture,
blue-crowned motmot, giant antshrike, many species of hummingbirds, woodpeckers,
tanagers and so on.
And two almost-endemic frogs, one being orange yellow and black, the other
with "marsupial" breeding habits.
HOW TO GET
THERE
Route 34 borders the foot
of the range going northwards towards Bolivia from San Pedro. Very few
kilometres north of the bridge over the San Lorenzo river at Libertador
San Martín is the village of Calilegua where the park's HQ is located.
But immediately north of that same bridge there is a dirt road heading
into the mountains, after 9 km of which and ford on the Aguas Negras stream
one enters the park at the Aguas Negras ranger station. This is route
83 which climbs through the park for 23 km from 500 m to 1700 m above
sea level and then heads off to villages beyond.
OF INTEREST
TO THE VISITOR
Half way through the park
(1150 m above sea level) is the Mesada de las Colmenas ranger station.
There is a campsite with bathrooms just inside the park at Aguas Negras.
Several walking trails lead off the route 83:
* Burgo trail - leaves the campsite to give visitors a taste of the transition
forest. 600 m long and fairly easy walking.
* Trail to a lookout leaving from 180 m beyond the Aguas Negras ranger
station on the right of the road. Fairly easy - to a panorama of the San
Lorenzo river.
* Lagunita trail - 2 km beyond Aguas Negras ranger station, right of the
road, to a pond where waterbirds are seen. Return the same way or down
to the Aguas Negras stream and back downstream to the ford. Fairly easy
though steep.
* Tataupa trail, 500 yards beyond the above, left of the road. Descends
to the Negrito stream; return along this downstream to the San Lorenzo.
Somewhat difficult.
* La Junta trail leaves the road yet another 500 yards up the road and
descends to the confluence of the Aguas Negras and the Toldos streams.
Returns along the Aguas Negras downstream to the ford. Somewhat difficult.
* La Herradura trail 100 yards from the Aguas Negras ranger station, left
of the road; a sample of the pedemont transition forest - easy walking.
* La Cascadita trail, departs from a point 100 yards from the Mesada de
las Colmenas ranger station, through wonderful montane forest to the Negrito
stream. 300 yards downstream there is a little waterfall where it meets
the Tres Cruces stream. Back the same way. Steep and slippery, somewhat
difficult..
Above and beyond the park there is the hamlet of Alto Calilegua, only
reached on foot or horse, from where one can reach the top of Cerro Hermoso
from behind for a fantastic view of the park and beyond. It takes a day
or so. There are inca ruins of sorts at the very top. This is for hill-walkers
who are prepared for such outings..
Route 83 ends at Valle Grande (but is being extended), and from the end
of the road a trail starts over the mountains to drop down into the Humahuaca
valley some two or three days later. A stiff mountain walk rising to some
5000 m, not to be undertaken lightly.
Thanks to APN - Administración
de Parques Nacionales
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