Parque Independencia

Location:
Diagonal Sarmiento

National Park

By Elizabeth Sutcliffe

An impressive renaissance-style archway (a gift to the town by the Italian community on the centenary of its foundation) marks the entrance to Parque Independencia. The park is spread over a hillside and a 1,000 m. away from the site of an 1823 battle for independence.

The park is accessible by road or by deep stone steps. Castillo Morisco is at the peak of the park, a Moorish influenced 1920s castle with a restaurant inside, which is only open on evenings. Atop the castle, look for the two original canons from the battle, a statue of the town’s founder Martin Rodriguéz and -more bizarrely- a giant model of a dragonfly that's clinging to the rocks edge.

The view from the top is stunning, look for Piedra Movimienta to one side and Lago Dique to the other. In the early morning the trail and viewpoint are pleasantly deserted, but the kiosk at the top is always open to reward thirsty climbers.

Travel Skills: None