Llama caravans brought llama wool and other products to trade from Bolivia to Argentina for thousands of years.

The llama caravan tradition didn’t end until 2018, making Barrancas one of the best places in Argentina to learn about Andean culture.

The first excursion I did from Pristine Camps was to Barrancas, a canyon with dramatic orange cliffs and an even more dramatic history. Hundreds of pictographs and petroglyphs line the canyon, mostly depicting what are obviously llama caravans.

Visiting the canyon was fascinating and my guide, América had tons of great information about the place. I got even more information from the book “Caravanas de las Alturas” by Dr. Bibiana Vilá. If you’re interested in the history of llama caravans, look for some of her research.

If you don’t already have a local guide, stop at the museum in the village of Abdón Castro Tolay.

It’s a small museum, but there are several great exhibits. I was most impressed by the exhibit on stone maps and that the Cusco region has four of South America’s eight stone maps. This is where I bought my book about llama caravans written by Argentine ethnobiologist Dr. Bibiana Vilá.