San Juan

San Juan, capital of the Argentine province of the same name, was founded from Chile in 1562 as San Juan de la Frontera. The 1944 earthquake almost completely destroyed it, so much of today's city was built afterwards. Domingo Faustino Sarmiento was born there: his birthplace was Argentina's first national historic monument.

Nearby are the Ullum reservoir and dam, the Zonda Gorge, hot springs and the San Juan wine routes. Further away, in the east of the province, Ischigualasto Provincial Park, known as the Valley of the Moon, is a World Heritage Site together with neighboring Talampaya.

Towards Chile, the Agua Negra Pass links the Iglesia department with the Elqui Valley, on the way to Vicuña and La Serena. At 4,780 meters it is the highest pass between the two countries and is not open all year, so check before you travel.