Paddling near Santa María, Catamarca

Santa María sits in the Valles Calchaquíes of Catamarca province, in the arid northwest of Argentina. The Río Santa María runs close to the city, and the broader region is laced with Andean rivers and streams that drain the surrounding ranges. Paddling here is shaped by the high-desert environment: rivers tend to be seasonal and relatively shallow, with flatwater and mild-moving stretches suited to kayak and SUP exploration.