Puente del Inca
The small town of Puente del Inca is located in the Argentine Andes in the province of Mendoza at an altitude of 2720 meters.
The place is world-famous for the Puente del Inca (English: Bridge of the Incas ), which is located on the edge of the settlements. Contrary to what the name suggests, the bridge is not a building by the Incas, but a rock arch naturally formed by erosion . The name comes from the assumption that the Incas have penetrated this far. The natural arch spans 47 meters high and 28 meters wide over the Río de las Cuevas .
A hot sulphurous spring rises at the Puente , which colors the rock red-yellow. This fact led to the construction of a thermal bath in the 1940s, which was destroyed by a landslide in 1953. You could still get under the bridge today via the path through the remains, but this access has been closed since 2005 due to the risk of collapse until further notice.
Legend
The name comes from a legend . According to this, at the time of the Inca there lived a ruler whose son was born paralyzed. After all attempts to heal him had failed, this ruler heard of healing springs in the south. He then selected his best warriors and set off with them. When he arrived at his destination - today's Puente del Inca - he and his companions were separated from the springs by a raging river. The courageous warriors did not want to disappoint their ruler, grabbed each other by the ankles and together formed a human bridge. In this way, the ruler could cross the river with his son in his arms over their backs. He found the cure for his son in thermal water. However, when he looked back at his men to thank them, they were petrified. They were completely covered with minerals from the water by the springs and so formed the Puente del Inca .
Web links
- Information at LiveArgentina.com (Spanish)
- Information at Mendozatravel.com (Spanish)
Coordinates: 32 ° 49 ′ S , 69 ° 55 ′ W