GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE AREA
This National Park is located in the centre-west of the Salta province, in San Carlos and Cachi Departments. The protected area was created in 1996, when the Administración de Parques Nacionales acquired the territory (it was a private one).
PN Los Cardones (Los Cardones National Park) has a 65.000 hectares surface, with hills and ravine (between the 2.700 and 5.000 metres height ). It is important the bush formation with the “cardones” predominance.

CULTURAL RESOURCES
The old inhabitants
Before the Spanish arrival, the protected area had a important roll for the native people, due its environmental richness and its strategy location (in the Lerma and Calchaquí valleys).
Thousand of years ago, the region was important to the shepherd tailback; because the area had basic resources such as water and pasture. The place was important to the cave art, too.
In the “inca” occupation, different ways were created. Some of them united commercial , production, and control centers with the empire centers.
The Calchaquí Valley was the spanish conquests penetration way. This valley couldn´t be dominated until the beginning of the 17 th century. The colonization process evidences can be found in the cultural diversity that join the indigenous heritage and the Hispanic heritage.

Cultural heritage
A traditional legend
The legend says that Pasakana -a powerfull inca pey´s daughter- didn´t have the pey´s consent to get married. So, she ran away with her lover -Kehuaillu-. The lovers asked for protection to the “Pachamama” and were taken in one of its land blanket. This fact produced that Kehuaillu arise wrapped in a green poncho. Into the poncho he embraced his lover. Then, when pasakana wants to see the beauty of the hills –and as she need not to be recognized- she appears as a flower.