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Category: Places to visit

Santa Rosa de Calamuchita: The Waterfall (La Cascada)

One of the places that we recommend to visit in Santa Rosa de Calamuchita is the waterfall. It is an easy hike which could take anything from 50 minutes to an hour. There are two hiking routes which are clearly marked. Both of them lead to the waterfall but vary in difficulty.

Hiking routes to the waterfall

This hike can be enjoyed by the whole family and we have had people here at the Hostel who took a 2 year old with them. Obviously the hike will take longer and you will have to carry the little one in some places.

There are seats available right in front of the waterfall to enjoy the view. Trees provide nice shade and this hike can also be enjoyed on a hot day.

The waterfall does not have a lot of water during winter and a low rain season. But it is never completely dry and you will still be able to enjoy the hike. My favourite time of the year to hike there is during the summer months when everything is green!

Entrance to the waterfall can be a little tricky. You will find a sign (Restaurante Águila) in Ruta 5 close to the Petrobras station. Right at the top of the road is a restaurant where you can park your car or bicycle. Climb through the fence (It is fenced off for the cows) and start your walk. Entrance is normally free but during the high season an entrance fee of 2 pesos are charged.

En medio de las Sierras Grandes frente a Santa Rosa de Calamuchita podemos disfrutar de un salto de agua de una arroyo en medio de la Quebrada.

Para acceder a ella debemos ir por la Ruta nº 5 y pasar unos 100 mts la estación de servicios Petrobras (en sentido norte – sur) y a mano izquierda veremos un cartel que indica Restaurant “El Águila”.

Tomamos ese camino y a unos 1000 mts encontraremos un playón de estacionamiento. Desde allí comienza el recorrido a píe de unos 50 min. aprox.

Hostel Tinktinkie en Santa Rosa de Calamuchita

Places to visit: Villa Cuidad Parque

I love discovering new places in and around Santa Rosa de Calamuchita. The nice thing about our beautiful valley is that there is so much to see and you don´t even have to drive far! So off with the scooter I went to explore a little town called Villa Ciudad Parque.

I have never been to this town but have driven past it many times on my way to Cordoba city. The entrance to the town boasts an impressive arch. In the front is a little tourist office with very friendly people who offered me a map and information about places to visit.

When I turned into the main street I was expecting to see the town centre immediately. But I was pleasantly surprised to be driving for almost a kilometre before I saw something that resembled a town. I was driving down a double road and it felt like I was driving through a forest. The trees were beautiful and high and little sunlight came through. I loved the smell of the trees.

I got to a very nice park where children could play and where you can sit and relax. There was a little kiosk (A Spanish word for a little shop where you can buy beverages) and it almost looked like a bus stop. A crafter was displaying her goods but she was closing for siesta so I didn´t want to disturb her.

I continued for another 500m when I finally came to the end of the road. I was pleasantly surprised. The road led to the river and here I could see some activity. It did not resemble a town at all but there was some restaurants and people were hanging around. I loved the atmosphere. The river is the same river that is flowing past our hostel but it seemed to be wider this part. I crossed the bridge where I met other visitors taking photos.

The weather here is getting cold and it is not the best time to enjoy the river. But I can see that in summer time this place must be very busy. There are places to have a barbecue or picnic and the view is awesome. Now leaves were lying everywhere and the place had a definite autumn feel to it. I walked around for a little while, took some photos and sat down on a rock next to the river. The view was beautiful but so again so is the whole Calamuchita Valley.

I took a last look at the river and then it was time to go home.

Places to visit: Via Crucis Hiking route

We always recommend places to visit while staying at Hostel Tinktinkie. One of these places is Via Crucis.

Via Crucis is a hiking route in Santa Rosa de Calamuchita where 14 crosses have been planted. It is +- 150m from the base to the top of the hill where you have a panoramic view of the beautiful Calamuchita valley. From the top of the hill you can see the winding Santa Rosa river.

I have been to Via Crucis a couple of times. The first time was in August 2008 when Andrey and I climbed it for the first time. August was a good time to climb the hill because it was not very hot but the river was very dry. The rain season only starts late September. It is not a very difficult route to hike. Climbing down was more difficult because there are a lot of small rocks and it can be slippery. I do not suggest you climb the route when it has been raining. There are also alot of places where you can rest when you get tired.

When you reach the top of the hill you find the last cross. Normally people leave some souvernirs here, like pieces of material, a coin or water.

The 2nd time I did not go with. My family was visiting from South Africa and the women decided to stay behind. It was only Andrey and my brother-in-law that went. They loved it! They both had their cameras with them and took a lot of pictures of the fauna and flaura. You also find a lot of different bird species while you are climbing.

A view of the Calamuchita Valley with the Champaqui Mountain range in the background.

The 3rd time was when my daughters visited from South Africa. They are two very active teenagers and couldn’t climb the hill fast enough. But we chose a hot day and I got a lot of muscle cramps. This time I did not make it to the top as I was in too much pain. Mariska waited with me until Nadine and Andrey came down. I also recently went with my friend Monica. We had a lot of fun!

It is very easy to find the hiking route. You follow Ruta 5, go past the hospital and you will find the entrance to Via Crucis. It is marked with a wooden sign and you cannot miss it.

The winding Santa Rosa River.
Nadine at the last cross.