The Puente del Inca is a rock formation that forms a natural bridge over the Las Cuevas River. It is located northwest of the Mendoza Province, Argentina, and its curious formation and past as a hotel with thermal baths have made it a prominent tourist spot, currently considered a Natural Area protected by the province.
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| Puente del Inca Argentina |
Location and Description
Puente del Inca is located at 2,700 meters of altitude, on the Andes Mountains and between the Banderita Norte and Banderita Sur hills, in the Las Heras Department, Las Cuevas district. It is about 183 kilometers from the City of Mendoza on Route 7, near the pass to Chile, and the main entrance of the Aconcagua Provincial Park.
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| Puente del Inca Argentina |
This geomorphological curiosity is about 48 meters long, 28 wide and 8 thick, and it is suspended 27 meters above the river. A series of stalactites, calcium inflorescences and in winter ice needles hang from it.
The formation was produced by the water erosion of the Las Cuevas river that created a passage through the moraines (sediments due to the retreat of glaciers) deposited in the valley with the shape of a trough ("U"). The thermal mining waters then cemented the area with a ferruginous carcass, which gave it its curious shape and a color in the tones of orange, yellow and ocher.
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| Puente del Inca Argentina |
Population
Puente del Inca has 132 permanent inhabitants (INDEC, 2001), which represents a slight increase of 3.1% compared to the 128 inhabitants (INDEC, 1991) of the previous census. This figure includes barracks.
Climate
It has a temperate, arid and continental climate, the temperatures present an important annual oscillation and the precipitations are little. Summer is hot and humid, it is the rainiest season and average temperatures are above 25 ° C. Winter is cold and dry, with temperatures below 0 ° C.
History
In Colonial times, it was an obligatory passage for travelers and couriers to Chile and for the Army of the Andes in the campaign of 1817.
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| Puente del Inca Argentina |
At the height of the bridge, on the right bank of the river, there are five hot springs of the same type but with different saline components and temperatures ranging from 33 to 38 ° C; they are called: Venus, Mars, Saturn, Mercury and Champagne. Water is considered to have healing and anti-stress properties as it is rich in sodium, alkaline, arsenical, bicarbonate, calcium and sulfurous salts and chloride. The transparency is given by iron peroxide and algae, which favor settling. These properties also cause objects exposed to these waters to be mineralized with a ferruginous coating in less than 40 days.
In 1925 the Puente del Inca Hotel was built, where the most important personalities of the time attended. Each room had its own thermal bath. In 1965 the frequent avalanches, which had previously disabled the trans-Andean train service, totally destroyed the hotel, saving only the small colonial chapel, where the staff and visitors temporarily settled. Until today (July 2009) the hotel remains abandoned.