VALLE DE LOS GIGANTES

It is in this arid land, on these dirt and sand roads, a few kilometers south of San Felipe on the road 5 that the biggest cactus of the planet can be found: the Cardonne cactus, with their scientific name Pachycereus pringlei (named like this because they look like pachyderm legs). They can reach a height of nearly 20 m and can live up to 300 years: we feel very small under their branches! One of them was even uprooted and sent to the Seville exhibition in 1992, for the 500th anniversary of the Spanish-American existence. In this way, visitors could witness the enormous size of these gigantic succulents. Indeed, it is hard to understand how tiny one feels when standing next to them! Travelers often compare this desert forest (a nice oxymoron) to Sequoia National Park in California, except that the Cardoons, unlike those colossal trees, will not envelop you in their shade and, on the contrary, we recommend that you bring a hat, sunscreen and UV protection clothing, as the sun is merciless in this region! There is a parking lot where visitors can leave their vehicles and hike or take pictures. Plan on spending about an hour touring the area and be sure to bring enough water as it will be hard to find in the area. Don't miss this amazing sight that is a real must-see in the area!