Discover Departamento Capital

The Museo de Ciencias Antropológicas y Naturales de la Universidad Nacional de La Rioja in Departamento Capital houses a significant archaeological and paleontological collection. These two fields offer different perspectives on past cultures and natural history. The museum offers free guided tours for school groups and the general public. Check the latest details about this offer before making plans.

Museums and city history in the nearby city of La Rioja

In the nearby city of La Rioja, the Museo de Bellas Artes displays paintings, sculptures, and temporary exhibitions featuring works by prominent artists from the province and Argentina. The Museo Inca Huasi focuses on archaeology: it houses more than 9,000 objects from the Aguada, Diaguita, Belén, Condorhuasi, and Santa María cultures. Fine art and archaeological collections thus offer visitors different themes to explore.

The Museo de La Ciudad traces the urban, social, and cultural development of the provincial capital, as well as the formation of its residents’ identity, through photographs, objects, and stories. The focus here is on city history and social change.

Churches, history, and tradition

The Iglesia y Convento Santo Domingo in the nearby city of La Rioja dates back to the colonial period; construction began around 1623. It was declared a National Historic Monument in 1931. The Museo de Arte Religioso “Sor Leonor de Santa María Ocampo” is located in the former cloister.

The Iglesia Catedral San Nicolás de Bari was built after the 1894 earthquake. Construction began in 1910 under the direction of architect Juan B. Arnaldi, and the cathedral was inaugurated in 1912. The Santuario Diocesano Nuestra Señora de la Merced was built by Ángel Marturet in 1898 and expanded in 1937 with a tower and bell tower created by the Macchi brothers. The Iglesia La Merced is part of the “Huellas de Pelegrinos” route for religious and cultural tourism.

Las Padercitas in the nearby city of La Rioja are the remains of a fort built of adobe in 1630 on the orders of Don Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera to protect the city from attacks by Indigenous groups. The site is located in the Quebrada de los Sauces and was declared a National Historic Monument in 1942. Since 1919, a pilgrimage in honor of San Francisco Solano has taken place there on the third Sunday of every August.

Leisure at Parque de la Ciudad

Parque de la Ciudad in the nearby city of La Rioja is a green recreational area of more than 50 hectares at the foot of the Sierras. Amenities include an artificial lake with birds and fish, cycling paths, picnic areas, children’s playgrounds, and public swimming pools. One swimming pool is open during the summer season; check current operating details before your visit. The Superdomo in La Rioja also hosts sporting, cultural, and artistic events.

Discover more destinations: La Rioja, Las Padercitas, Departamento Chilecito, Coronel Felipe Varela, Departamento General Lamadrid, Departamento General Juan Facundo Quiroga, Departamento Rosario Vera Peñaloza, Famatina Department.

Back to the main travel guide: La Rioja.