Almafuerte lies on the shore of Lake Piedras Moras. The town combines lakeside experiences with hiking trails, kayak routes and traces of its railway history. When planning your visit, you can focus on different things: lakeside paths and nature watching, activities on the water, or the history of the region.
Lake, Water Sports and Submerged Heritage
Pedal boating is one of the activities on Lake Piedras Moras. Personalized intensive windsurfing courses are also available. When diving in the Piedras Moras Dam, the submerged village of El Salto serves as a historic landmark. These experiences combine activity on and in the water with an unusual historical perspective.
The Usina La Cascada is also part of this submerged heritage: the three-story building, dating from 1914, features typical English architecture and lies underwater. Those interested in the history of the structures will find a historical point of interest in the Piedras Moras Dam, alongside the visible landmarks on land.
Compare Trails and Kayak Routes
Aguada de Pájaros is a 1.91-kilometer loop along the banks of the Ctalamochita River in Almafuerte’s Balneario. The Circuito TurĂstico Natural – Almafuerte also runs along the shore of Lake Piedras Moras and through the Balneario. Both routes use the water as a point of orientation; Aguada de Pájaros is specifically described as a loop of a stated length.
The Casa de Piedra + Acueducto hiking trail combines old paths and new trails, stream crossings, the former Usina Casa de Piedra, the Piedras Moras Dam, the river mouth and the Canal Molina aqueduct, which is over 130 years old. This gives it a different focus from the lakeside loops: here, the different trail sections and historic structures take center stage.
The two guided kayak routes also differ in their courses. The Casa de Piedra route follows the southern shore of the Piedras Moras Dam to the former Usina Casa de Piedra. The Desembocadura Arroyo Soconcho route follows the northern shore of the lake to the mouth of the Soconcho Stream and passes submerged forests. The shores and destinations mentioned make it easier to distinguish the routes by their respective landscapes.
Nature Watching and Getting Around
The Circuito Barrancas runs along the eastern beaches of Lake Piedras Moras and offers opportunities to watch nutrias, turtles and birds. Birdwatching is considered an inclusive ecotourism activity that can be enjoyed in almost any part of Almafuerte. Visitors looking to combine a named route with specific wildlife sightings will find a suitable option in the Circuito Barrancas.
As part of the city’s “Mejor en Bici” program, the municipal government has ten bicycles that tourists can borrow for the circuits. The program adds an option for getting around on two wheels to the trails described above. Check bicycle availability before your visit.
Museum and the History of Almafuerte
The Museo Antropológico Regional Camiare is located in Almafuerte’s former railway station and presents ten thousand years of history in three halls. Its collection includes megafauna specimens, mainly glyptodonts, as well as tools from the region’s early cultures. The former railway station connects a museum visit with Almafuerte’s railway history.
In the “Nuevos Pobladores” room, the museum displays telephones, telegraphs, signaling equipment, staff-block equipment and railway lamps from the railway era. The exhibition complements the three halls’ broad historical overview with specific objects from railway operations. The Casa del Fundador is also considered part of Almafuerte’s historical and cultural heritage, according to the city.
Discover more destinations: RĂo Tercero, Las Perdices.
Go to the broader travel overview: Tercero Arriba Department.
