Some curious travelers have heard his name; others, their history, but what is clear is that many want to get there and do not know exactly how to do it. Pueblo Escondido, a magical place among the mountains of Córdoba, in Argentina, a “ghost” town? a myth, a legend and a handful of history that no one can miss.
How to get to Pueblo Escondido? What is there really? Pueblo Escondido is an abandoned town, today, the mecca of adventure tourism in Córdoba and San Luis, timidly located between the hills with corners taken by the nature, waiting to be discovered. Do not miss this post where we will tell you everything about Pueblo Escondido, a hidden wonder among the mountains.
A little history about Pueblo Escondido
The place to which “everyone wants to get to, but they don’t really know how” is located in the Calamuchita Valley, in the province of Córdoba and a few kilometers from the San Luis province, west central Argentina.
But, what is a town doing at the foot of Cerro Áspero, located almost as if hidden among the mountains and going unnoticed? Pueblo Escondido used to be an old mining site, where tungsten mines were exploited. In this town lived almost 400 workers who, since the middle of the 20th century, worked in the mine and lived in this remote part of Argentina.
- Important fact: tungsten is a natural element, which can be found in rocks and minerals, never in its pure state but always combined with other chemicals. It was used mainly for military purposes, such as to make war tanks, armored vehicles and projectiles for cannons.
Since the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, such was the use that was given to this natural material that the exploitation of tungsten mines reached its peak during the Second World War, A fact that, with its completion, caused the mine to be disused (due to the drop in the international price of tungsten) and therefore, the abandoned town.
A own plant, houses for bosses and workers, administrative offices and even a hospital and even a telephone and a cableway had been built for the use of the miners, they were also abandoned, almost in a state of repair. deterioration and the town… hidden.
In 1995, the remaining facilities were bought, creating a restaurant and a mountain refuge to promote adventure tourism and reveal the secrets and corners of a site that It is worth visiting, a place where curiosity does not kill the cat but attracts fans of trekking, of adventure, of 4×4 experiences and of those who enjoy these emblematic ones that make the imagination fly and suppose, haunted places in Argentina.
How to get to Pueblo Escondido?
As we anticipated, Pueblo Escondido is located between the Calamuchita Valley and the Sierras del Sur, in the province of Córdoba, at the foot of Cerro Áspero. A province that has already taken us to places with stories, myths and legends such as Hotel Eden of the mountains but that, apparently, without answers or facts that confirm any situation.
As the name indicates, the road can be difficult but not impossible, so there are different ways to choose how to get to Pueblo Escondido.
There are two ways to get to Pueblo Escondido, from the province of Córdoba or from San Luis.
How to get to Pueblo Escondido from Córdoba
From Embalse, it is necessary to move to the town of La Cruz, in Calamuchita, province of Córdoba, where the roads and excursions start in 4×4 trucks, quadricycles and motorcycles adapted to the mountain. It is a road of about 65 kilometers of gravel that is in good condition although it is advisable to do it in one of the vehicles that we told you before.
How to get to Pueblo Escondido from San Luis
From the town of Merlo, the capital of the province of San Luis, the route is characterized by being one of the most chosen, first because it is only 25 kilometers from the destination and secondly, for having the possibility of doing a beautiful trekking path along the route to enjoy the mountain landscape.
From Merlo, it is necessary to take the paved road towards the Filo Serrano for 20 kilometers and then 5 more kilometers of gravel where it is possible to leave the car, on the side of the route. Entering (on foot) you arrive at El Tono Post, pay an entrance fee and begin this walk at the foot of Cerro Áspero, along landscapes that seem to constantly change as you progress through nature. To sum up, the only ways to get to Pueblo Escondido is on foot (with a guide or on your own), in 4×4 trucks, quad bikes, enduro motorcycles, mountain bike or horse, since access to the town is complicated (but not impossible) and can only be done in adventure tourism mode.
Staying in Pueblo Escondido is possible and is a great option to enjoy the peace recovered from a place that fought against the dynamites of the mines. In Pueblo Escondido it is possible to spend the night in restored bedrooms or on camping pitches. It is also possible to do it in Los Vallecitos Natural Park, 17 kilometers from Filo Serrano.
Trekking in Pueblo Escondido
Besides being a site that could be the target of some ghost story, myths or mountain legends, Pueblo Escondido is much more than a beautiful postcard among the mountains. Pueblo Escondido is the mecca of trekking in the Córdoba mountains, a journey through the most diverse landscapes where almost any traveler can do it.
- Traveling clarification: the difficulty of trekking is between medium and low, so you don’t need to be super trained to do it. What is important to keep in mind is that it is a path with loose stones, so good footwear and stability are a key factor to enjoy the path.
Visiting Pueblo Escondido is traveling back in time, it is enjoying ruins and restorations, houses amidst nature that, nowadays, tries to re-take over the place, a peace that cannot It was lived in the last century but today it reigns among the hills, of a remote place in the middle of Argentina that few travelers know.
A mountain refuge, a landscape of changing colors, the sound of a waterfall in the background … sensations that can be perceived if you enjoy this landscape on foot, recommended by many.
So, how to trek in Pueblo Escondido
We agree that, if physical conditions allow it, trekking in Pueblo Escondido is a great option.
To get to Pueblo Escondido on foot, there are two different paths:
- The pedestrian path that starts from El Tono Post and marks the path to the town and to the Salto del Tigre, a waterfall in the middle of the mountains.
- The path made by the trucks which is much more marked than the previous one but can be done on foot and reaches the town directly, so, in an hour and a half, You get to Pueblo Escondido without detours to the waterfall.
The path most chosen by travelers is the exclusive pedestrian, the one that starts from El Tono Post, the place where, once the access ticket is paid, it is possible enter this mountain landscape and a possible magical detour.
The path begins at a spray-painted landmark that indicates the way to Pueblo Escondido, the mountain landscapes open as inviting travelers to pass and the tranquility that at the time had been lost, regain strength in the form of peace and silence.
After 30 minutes of walking, a deviation appears, on one side, Pueblo Escondido and to the right, the road to Salto del Tigre.
- Traveler tip: if you want to visit Pueblo Escondido only for the day, it is advisable to follow the route to the left side and reach your destination, especially to avoid sunset to return. If you have time or if you want to stay in the region, then a great recommendation is to visit the Salto del Tigre.
If time permits, a great recommendation is to deviate to the right side and continue the path to Salto del Tigre, before reaching the destination you have been waiting for so long. The Salto del Tigre is a waterfall in the middle of the mountains, a 22-meter-high waterfall that descends into a 30-meter-long and 10-meter-deep pool.
El Salto del Tigre, in addition to being a beautiful photo from the heights, has access on foot and it is possible to follow the path that descends towards the shore of the hole, where cool off and take a bath to continue.
After the detour, the road continues towards Pueblo Escondido, the most complicated part of the entire route: loose stones, strong ascents and rough terrain inform that the arrival is getting closer and that Pueblo Escondido, no longer It seems that its name characterizes it.
Hanging bridges, more stones and the Tigre River that welcomes the entrance of Pueblo Escondido, a mixture of nature, history, curiosity and an adventurous spirit that, like a child in a toy store, makes one want to walk among the abandoned settlements, in search of knowing what there is.
To walk through Pueblo Escondido there is no rule or an exact recommendation, it is the key moment where let the adventurous traveler, the imagination and the desire to know each natural and historical corner of this curious place.
When hunger begins to take center stage, it is important to remember (and it is impossible to miss it) that in Pueblo Escondido there is a restaurant, part of the search for the recovery of the place that, together with the on-site accommodation seeks to attract these curious travelers.
In a few words, the journey and the destination make up a unique experience, one of those places that you don’t see every day and a way to get to know the Cordoba mountains that only few know, a great possibility to meet nature and history in one place, an opportunity to discover a hidden town.
