Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the national park's car park 2, near the visitor centre above La Pampilla, the main trail heads south across the Pampa de Achala, a rolling upland of tussock grass and granite outcrops at almost 2,000 m. It dips through a few shallow stream valleys, then runs out to the Balcón Norte, a viewpoint on the northern rim of the gorge. Far below, the Río de los Condoritos runs between steep granite walls, and Andean condors often glide past at eye level. Return the same way.
It is 10.1 km there and back with 271 m of ascent; allow about 3 hours. The grade is Moderate: a clear path over open grassland, rocky in places.
Entry is free, but you must register online before walking without a guide. The park advises starting for the Balcón Norte before 15:00 in summer and 11:00 in winter, and the Altas Cumbres road is often closed by ice in winter and fog in summer. There is no shade or water on the plateau; summer storms bring lightning. A fire burned part of the park in October 2025; it reopened in full on 1 May 2026.
COATA and ERSA buses on the Altas Cumbres road stop at La Pampilla, 2.5 km from the visitor centre.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- The park, created in 1996, protects the gorge of the Río de los Condoritos on the Pampa de Achala
- Andean condors nest on the gorge walls and are often seen riding its updraughts
- The Pampa de Achala is a high, treeless grassland at about 2,000 m, with tabaquillo woods in its ravines
- The descent from the Balcón Norte to the river is a much harder extra, about 200 m down and back up
Getting there
Start: Quebrada del Condorito car park 2. -31.63087, -64.70954
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Córdoba: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
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Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.