The waterfall "Salto de la Moneda" is a natural attraction, which has had a great development thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations. The main attraction is a waterfall called Salto Grande, and it is known as Salto de la Moneda. This is a cascade where water falls from a height of 15 meters and flows into a mirror of water 10 meters in diameter and 4 meters deep. The place was generated from a conjunction of geological phenomena, which developed over several centuries.
The name of the place, Salto de la Moneda, refers to the fact that the mirror of water is round in shape and, thanks to the crystal clear water and the reflection of the sun that hits the surrounding stones (mostly granite, with quartz crystals, feldspar and mica), it creates the illusion of reflections, like gold coins. This phenomenon can be seen in the summer season, at times close to noon.
There are other waterfalls, called "Salto Chico" and "Salto del Arcoíris", but they cannot be visited because the trails have not been made passable.
Track:
Distance: 3.1km.
Positive tracking: 163m.
Negative tracking: 37m.
How do you get there?
There are two ways to get to the attraction, one is through the main entrance, where you will find the position where the guides are and the booth to pay an entrance fee to access a low difficulty self-giuded trail. The place has a barbecue and grills, which can be used depending on the winds and the weather situation in order to prevent fires. The group of guides is trained in first aid and rescue. It is not necessary that they indicate the path, since it is self-guided, but they do fulfil the role of instructing about culture and the fantastic flora and fauna that we can find along the way. This has become an added value for the place. The entrance fee includes insurance that covers activities such as trekking (grade II).
The other way to access the “Salto de la Moneda” is through the Potrero de los Funes River. It is recommended to be accompanied by a guide, since the tour opens several paths and it is easy to get lost if you are not familiar with the area.
Natural environment
Regarding the vegetation, you can find species such as ferns, a variety of cactus, peperina (Minthostachys verticillata), pasto puna, palan palan (Nicotiana glauca), chircas, orejas de burro, etc. Animal species can also be seen, such as ferrets, cougars, hares, a variety of snakes, jaguarundís (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), guinea pigs, frogs, weasels, a wide variety of birds, etc.
This attraction had to be privatized, since people accessed it and caused pollution and fires, for that reason it was necessary to resort to visit control. It was a negative aspect at the beginning, but later it was possible to balance and improve over the years, getting to create a sustainable economic activity that generates permanent jobs.
The place has a 4WD road, which is used by firefighters or health groups in case of emergency.
In short, it is an attraction looking to grow constantly, that guards and protects its natural beauty and that wants to innovate with new projects and facilities in the future so that visitors feel comfortable and can enjoy new proposals every year.
Recommendations
- Sports shoes
- Water
- Take your garbage with you
- Respect nature
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