Of special interest for tourist visitors are the two historic stone shelters built for muleteers 150 years ago. One can be seen on the side of the access road and the other near the shore of the lagoon.

Between 1864 and 1873, in order to secure the national territory in the Andes Cordillera and the passage of muleteers carrying cattle to Chile, 14 stone shelters were built in the region known today as the Pircas Negras pass. The initiative of the at that time President of Argentina, Bartolomé Mitre, was completed by his successor Domingo F. Sarmiento. The shelters were built approximately 30 km from each other, which is the distance a muleteer would walk per day with his animals.

Constructed of stone and mortar, they have a very particular shape that resembles the nest of an ovenbird: circular in shape with a single entrance. For ventilation there is a hole at the top of the dome-shaped roof. Due to their design and construction they have withstood the extreme climate of the place for more than 150 years. They were in use until the 1960s.

The refuge "El Peñón" is located next to the road RN 76. The refuge called "El Retamo" or simply "de La Laguna" because it is located on the shore of the lagoon, more than 4 thousand meters above sea level, is distinguished by a very special detail: Next to the entrance there is a cross with the inscription "QEPD Destapado" [RIP Uncovered] and under it, one can see a human skeleton bleached by the sun and weather. It is supposed to belong to a muleteer who died in the 1950s. It is said that every time his grave was covered with stones, it appeared "uncovered" the following spring. After several years it was no longer covered, respecting the "wish of the deceased," and then the people began to leave offerings and asking "El Destapadito" [the cute little uncovered] for miracles.