Cinco Saltos
Cinco Saltos is a city and municipality in Río Negro Province, Argentina, known for its canal system, fruit-growing setting, industrial history, and cultural events.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Cinco Saltos is a city in Río Negro Province, Argentina, situated on the eastern side of the valley of the Neuquén River. It lies near Pellegrini Lake, approximately 20 kilometres northwest of Neuquén and about 25 kilometres from Allen. The city forms part of the wider urban, agricultural, and industrial environment of the Upper Río Negro and Neuquén valleys. The name Cinco Saltos, meaning “Five Waterfalls,” refers to the stepped structure of the canal that begins upstream at the Ingeniero Ballester Dam and passes along the eastern edge of the city. Before the railway station gave the settlement its current name, the area was known as La Picasa, after a picaza or baguala horse said to have roamed locally. Water infrastructure and rail transport were central to the settlement’s development, linking the community to irrigation, agriculture, and regional commerce. The first settlers arrived in 1914. An initial urban layout was planned north of the railway, but flooding in 1918 submerged the lots and halted construction in that area. A Village Development Committee was established on 16 September 1925, providing an institutional foundation for later municipal development. During the settlement’s early years, health care was limited to itinerant doctors. A rural hospital was founded on 3 January 1960 in the presence of Río Negro Governor Edgardo Castello, marking an important expansion of local public services. Cinco Saltos later experienced significant industrialization through the establishment of a plant producing caustic soda, chlorine, and vinyl monomer. The facility raised incomes for industrial workers and professionals and contributed to the creation of Industrial School No. 1, named after Dr. Armando Novelli, with an emphasis on chemical and technical education. Industrial activity also generated environmental controversy: reports attributed to the provincial environmental body CODEMA identified pollution associated with the factory. The company entered bankruptcy proceedings in 1992 and the plant closed in 1995, causing a severe contraction in employment and contributing to outward migration. Economic conditions began to change in the 2000s. By 2004, population growth was associated with changes in oil exploration and exploitation in the surrounding region. Cinco Saltos also served as a residential location for people connected with the expanding Neuquén metropolitan area, including professionals working in the region’s energy economy. Agriculture, especially fruit production, remains important to the city’s identity and to the broader valley landscape. The city hosts the annual La Picasa International Film Festival and has promoted public cultural and tourism activities tied to local identity. It also gained attention for large community apple pies prepared in 2009 and 2010 to benefit volunteer firefighters. Local folklore includes the nickname “City of Witches,” stories of witchcraft associated with Bajo Negro, and reports of unusual or UFO-related sightings near Pellegrini Lake and Lake Arroyones. These accounts form part of the city’s popular mythology rather than an established institutional identity. In 2009, an intact body believed to be that of a girl who died in the 1930s was found in a cemetery ossuary, adding another unusual episode to local lore.
History
Cinco Saltos developed in the irrigated Upper Valley of the Neuquén River in what is now Río Negro Province, Argentina. The first settlers arrived in 1914. Early plans placed the settlement north of the railway, but flooding in 1918 covered the proposed lots and prevented construction there. The railway later helped establish the name Cinco Saltos, replacing the earlier local name La Picasa. The current name refers to the five stepped falls or levels of a canal that originates upstream at the Ingeniero Ballester Dam and runs near the city’s eastern boundary. A Village Development Committee was created on 16 September 1925. In its early decades, the settlement had limited public services, including no permanent health-care institution and reliance on itinerant doctors. This changed with the foundation of the local rural hospital on 3 January 1960, an event attended by Governor Edgardo Castello. The hospital’s creation represented a major step in the consolidation of Cinco Saltos as a regional community. The city’s economy was transformed by the establishment of a chemical manufacturing plant producing caustic soda, chlorine, and vinyl monomer. The factory provided employment and improved incomes for both industrial workers and professionals. Its presence also supported specialized education, including Industrial School No. 1, later associated with the name Dr. Armando Novelli and a chemistry-oriented technical curriculum. At the same time, the plant became the focus of environmental criticism. Reports associated with CODEMA stated that its operations had caused pollution. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1992, and the plant closed in 1995. The loss of the industrial base produced a substantial employment shock, economic depression, and migration from the city. During the early 2000s, regional oil exploration and exploitation altered local economic patterns. By 2004, Cinco Saltos was experiencing renewed population growth connected with demand for professionals and with its role as a place of residence for people working in the broader Neuquén urban and energy complex. Its location also continued to connect it to the agricultural economy of the Río Negro valley, particularly fruit production. Cultural and tourism activities have become part of the city’s public profile. Cinco Saltos hosts the La Picasa International Film Festival, whose name recalls the settlement’s earlier identity. The city has also organized community events built around apples, including exceptionally long apple pies made in 2009 and 2010 to benefit volunteer firefighters. Local folklore gives Cinco Saltos the informal nickname “City of Witches,” with stories linked to Bajo Negro and reports of unusual sightings around Pellegrini Lake and Lake Arroyones. These stories are part of local popular culture. In 2009, an intact corpse of a girl believed to have died in the 1930s was discovered in a cemetery ossuary, becoming another widely noted local mystery.
- 2010
Apple-pie record attempt is repeated
[1]A second event produced a 258-metre apple pie, including a gluten-free section.
- 2009
Community produces a 201-metre apple pie
[1]A large apple pie was prepared to support the city’s volunteer firefighters.
- 2004
Regional oil activity supports renewed growth
[1]Changes in surrounding oil exploration and exploitation contributed to population growth and increased demand for local professionals and housing.
- 1995
Chemical plant closes
[1]The industrial plant closed, causing a major reduction in local employment and contributing to migration.
- 1992
Chemical company files for bankruptcy
[1]The company operating the city’s chemical plant entered bankruptcy proceedings.
- 1960
Rural hospital is founded
[1]The local rural hospital was founded on 3 January in the presence of Governor Edgardo Castello.
- 1925
Village Development Committee is formed
[1]A local Village Development Committee was established on 16 September, providing an organized framework for settlement development.
- 1918
Flooding disrupts the initial town plan
[1]Floodwaters covered the planned lots north of the railway and prevented construction there.
- 1914
First settlers arrive
[1]The first settlers established themselves in the area that later became Cinco Saltos.
Products and positioning
Municipal city identity combining Upper Valley agriculture, irrigation infrastructure, industrial heritage, regional employment links to Neuquén, and community cultural tourism.
Agricultural products
Apples and valley fruit
Apple production is part of the agricultural identity of Cinco Saltos and the wider irrigated Río Negro valley. Apples also feature prominently in local promotional and community events, including the city’s giant apple-pie initiatives.
Industrial chemicals
Chemical products
Cinco Saltos historically hosted a plant producing caustic soda, chlorine, and vinyl monomer. The facility was economically important but was also associated with pollution reports and closed in 1995 following the operating company’s bankruptcy.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2010Second giant apple pie fundraiser
Cinco Saltos · Argentina
A second community apple-pie event produced a 258-metre pie, including 10 metres of gluten-free dough, again supporting volunteer firefighters.
Outcome. The event expanded the previous year’s initiative; a subsequent version was held in Buenos Aires in 2011.
- 2009Longest apple pie community fundraiser
Cinco Saltos · Argentina
The community organized the preparation of a 201-metre apple pie, with baker Osvaldo Gross participating. The event was held to benefit local volunteer firefighters and connected the city’s agricultural identity with civic fundraising.
Outcome. The event was completed and repeated in a larger form the following year.
Brand decisions
1995
Closure of the chemical manufacturing plantStrategyBackground
The plant had been a major source of industrial employment and had supported technical education, but its operating company filed for bankruptcy in 1992. Environmental reports also associated the facility with pollution.
Action taken
The facility ceased operations in 1995.
Aftermath
The closure caused a major loss of jobs, contributed to economic decline, and encouraged migration from Cinco Saltos. Later regional oil activity helped support renewed growth.
Sources2 sources
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