Imagine a thousand kilometers of beaches and cliffs over the ocean, mountain ranges, steep paths,  waterfalls, glaciers, transparent water lakes and rivers, an infinite number of vegetal species, birds, mammals and sea fauna ... There is a word that can be associated to all this: Adventure.
Argentina posseses a vast territory comprising all the climates and geographical variations, and peerless lanscapes to enjoy being in close contact with nature. It is the ideal land for adventure tourism. That's the reason why it offers numberless possibilities and emotions for the lovers of this type of practice. 
Here we will list the main activities, and the regions where they can be practised.


Trekking

Trekking, consists of a walk along uneven grounds and paths (in general mountainous places), apt to go on foot and without the need of any special equipment.
There are varied routes with different levels of difficulty, many of which are apt to be enjoyed by any person willing to walk and to be in contact with nature getting pleasure from the, most of times, astounding landscapes.
Along and accross the country, there are an infinity of environments and geographical varieties suitable for this activity, especially those places sorrounded by a mountainous relief or escarpments.
Here we enumerate some areas and important circuits:

Salta
Valle de Los Dinasaurios (Dinosaurs Valley) - Cachi, Calchaqui Valleys,  El Rey National Park, Quebrada del Toro (Bull's Gorge), Valle Encantado (Enchanted Valley), Puna and  Atacama Desert, Nevada del Chañi, and all the mountain range area in general  (to be reached from Salta). 

Buenos Aires
Tandil and Ventana Sierras.

Córdoba
Valley of the Pinto river, Choracato, El Cajón and los Terrones Dykes, Los Gigantes (The Giants),  Quebrada del Condorito National Park (Little Condor Gorge), and in all the region of sierras (to be reached from several tourist destinations of the province).

San Luis
Los Comechingones Sierra (to be reached from Merlo), las Quijadas Sierras National Park (to be reached from San Luis) and in all the region of sierras.

San Juan
Calingasta, Valle de La Luna (The Moon Valley) and the whole mountain range area in general 

Mendoza
Aconcagua Provincial Park and the whole mountain range area in general (to be reached from Mendoza, and also from San Rafael).

Nequén
The whole mountain range area in general, especially within the Lanin National Park (to be reached from San Martín de los Andes) and Arrayanes (to be reached from Villa La Angostura).

Río Negro
Otto Meiling and Mount Tronador  Refuge, Mount Lopez, Jacob Lake, Emilio Frey Refuge, Neumeyer Refuge – Challhuaco Valley (Bariloche), Cajón Azul, Lindo, Hielo Azul (El Bolsón) and all the region of the Nahuel Huapi and Puelo lake National Parks.

Chubut
Cinco Saltos waterfalls, Cascada stream, Mount Dedal , Mount Cocinero, Mount Alto el Petizo, Limonao Port–  Krugger Lake, Palanganas of Frey river and the whole region of Los Alerces National Park. (to be reached Esquel).
There are many options at Trevelín and at the region of the Futaleufú river too.

Santa Cruz
Nimes Ponds, Lago Argentino (Argentine lake), minitrekking on ice at the Perito Moreno Glacier (El Calafate), Chorrillo del Salto, Mount Torre, Mount Fitz Roy, Piedra del Fraile, Lago del Desierto (Desert Lake) in El Chaltén and all the region of  The Glaciers National Park.

Rock Climbing - Rappel

Rappel or rock climbing is a sport practised on rocky walls having more than 60º degrees of inclination and where it is necessary to use your hands to move along.The walls may be either associated to ice or snow or not.
In Argentina there are a thousand kilometres of mountainous regions: The Andes Mountain Range, the Sierras of Córdoba, San Luis, and some others  that offer numberless sceneries for the practice of this activity.
However, we can mention some places especially prepared to practise it: 

Córdoba
Macizo Los Gigantes (The Giants Massif) (2374 m.s.n.m.), La Ola (The Wave).

Río Negro
Frey in Mount Catedral  (Bariloche) (rock)

Mendoza
Los Arenales (rock), Cascades in Puente del Inca (Inca's Bridge), Mount Rincón (ice)

Santa Cruz
Fitz Roy range (3375 m.s.n.m.) (rock and ice)

Mountaineering

Mountaineering is the climbing up to the top of mountains with different hights and levels of difficulty, applying different technics. It can be combined either with trekking, or rock or ice climbing. 
The access to the top of smaller mountains, with less difficulty and without climbing is called  Ascension.
This activity needs training and a good physical condition, even though there are low mountains without major difficulties that can be scaled by people having no special training. 
In all the montainous regions of Argentina (The Andean Mountain Range, Sierras of Córdoba, San Luis, etc.)  there are mountains that can be climbed. 
In Mendoza, Mount Aconcagua, with its  6962 m.a.s.l., is the highest peak of America and the ultimate goal of climbers fom all over the world.
Here we list some of the most important mountains to practise mountaineering:

Salta
Llullaillaco (6739 a.s.l.m.), Socompa volcano (6031 a.s.l.m.) (to be reached from Salta).

Central Sierras
Champaquí (2790 a.s.l.m.) (to be reached from Merlo and Villa General Belgrano), Los Gigantes Massif (2374 a.s.l.m.) (to be reached from Mina Clavero)

Mendoza
Aconcagua (6962 a.s.l.m.) (the highest peak in América, to be reached from Mendoza), Tupungato (6800 a.s.l.m.).

Neuquén
Lanín Volcano (3776 a.s.l.m.) (to be reached from San Martín de los Andes)

Río Negro
Tronador (3554 a.s.l.m.) (to be reached from Bariloche)

Santa Cruz
Fitz Roy (3375 a.s.l.m.), Torre (3128 a.s.l.m.)


Mountain Bike

The mountain bike allows you to explore steep grounds, just as trekking does, but at higher speed. 
The possibility of exercising your legs, together with the pleasure of being in contact with nature enjoying wonderful lanscapes is a combination hard to reject for the bike lovers.  
In our country, in all the mountainous regions, there exists numberless tracks, paths, and grounds in which this activity can be practised.


Horseback Riding

The geography of our country offers a varid range of sceneries to go around on horseback. It is quite usual to find especial excursions called mountain crossings in which you go on horse for several days visiting exeptionally beautiful wild landscapes. The whole Andean region is ideal to go around on horse (where the mountain crossings are organised to go up to Chile ) and in the northern part of the country they are organised on mule.

Safaris 4 x 4

The 4 x4 safaris are unconventional excursions carried out in four-wheel drive vehicles, that allow you to get into interesting and exclusive places hard to be reached by the public due to the roughness of its grounds.  
These safaris are recommended in forest and mountainous regions.

Northeast
The Iguazu National Park is the most appropriate place to carry out this activity, for it can be combined with flora and fauna watching and/or photographic safaris.

Northwest
There are programmed tours that combine different kinds of activities in all-terrain vehicles. In this excursions you will have the possibility to know deserts, salt mines, forests, gorges, thermal waters, geysers, historic ruins, rupestrian paintings, etc.

Cuyo and Andean Patagonia 
Organised excursions combined with trekking, photographic safaris and/or flora and fauna watching.

Central Sierras
There are organised excursions with four-wheel drive vehicles in the whole region of the Sierras of Cordoba and San Luis.


Photographic Safaris 

Just as we said at the beginning of this page, Argentina comprises a diverse variety of landscapes, flora and fauna to satisfy all the expectation of the photography lovers 
Mountain ranges, waterfalls, glaciers, rivers, lakes, woods, salt mines, dunas, beaches, cliffs, terrestrial flora and fauna, sea fauna watching, picturesque villages and populated cities with varied arquitecture, are just some examples to capture with a camera.
The varied  National Parks which our country owns, show different landscapes, ranging from forests to deserts. 
All the regions that make up our country can be exploited to make photographic safaris and combine them,  in many cases, with flora and fauna watching. 

Flora and Fauna Watching

Due to the variety of climates and geographical areas, our country posseses many zones to carry out flora and fauna watching. In the Atlantic Patagonia, you can enjoy the sea fauna.
There are several National Parks with plenty of flora and fauna to watch. 
Here we list some interesting zones. 

Salta
In  El Rey and Baritu National Parks, there is plenty of flora and fauna to see. Organised visits from Salta.

Misiones
There are several possibilities to see flora and fauna at the region of the Iguazu National Park (close to Puerto Iguazú), for the forestal environment lodges 2000 vegetal species, 400 bird species, varieties of mammals and an immeasurable world of insects. All this species turn this ecosystem into one of the richest natural environments in the world.

Buenos Aires
Ernesto Tornquist National Park (La Ventana Sierras),  Sierra of El Tigre Natural Reservation (Tandil).

Córdoba
Watching of  Tabaquillos and mountain ferns, variety of birds, condors at the Quebrada del Condorito (to be reached from Mina Clavero), mammals such as pumas and deers.

San Luis
At las Quijadas Sierras National Park (to be reached from San Luis): flora, fauna and dinosaurs fossils 

Atlantic Patagonia 
At  Valdés Peninsula, Port Pirámides, Punta Tombo and Punta Loma, watching of a great variety of sea fauna : sea woolves and elephants, penguins, orcas and whales (points close to Puerto Madryn and Las Grutas).

Andean Patagonia 
At Lanín, Nahuel Huapi, Los Arrayanes, Los Alerces,  Puelo Lake and The Glaciers National Parks and Tierra del Fuego: varieties of flora (the only larch and  myrtle woods existing in the world) and fauna.

Rafting

Rafting consists of moving down the current of a river within a rubber raft, with a group of people rowing together. 
This unique experience combines the emotion of speed with the pleasure of seeing the virgin nature and wonderful landscapes, turning this practice into an unforgettable sensation.
Even though this activity comprises several levels of difficulty, many times it can be practised by unexperienced people of almost all ages, for, this excursions are always organised with the presence of professional guides and appropriate equipment.
Here we mention some zones where it is practised:

Río Negro
Manso and Limay rivers (Bariloche), Azul river (El Bolsón)

Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz river (to be reached from El Calafate)

Chubut
Corcovado and Futaleufú river (Esquel)

Mendoza
Mendoza and Tunuyán rivers (Mendoza), Atuel river (San Rafael).

Misiones
Iguazú river (Puerto Iguazú)

Salta
Juramento river (visits from Salta)

Neuquén
Meliquina and Hua Hum rivers (San Martín de los Andes)

Canoeing / Kayak

The sailing in rivers, lakes, ponds and dams by means of canoes and kayaks, is a sport that gathers many adepts and can be practised both in quiet warers (lakes, ponds, dams), and quick waters (rivers), where the kayak is mostly used.
There are numberless water courses and mirrors in Argentina where this activity can be practised. In some places kayaks and canoes can be rented
Nevertheless we can say that the mountain range region is the most appropriate zone. 
Some places we can indicate are:: 

Salta
Cabra Corral Dyke (close to the city of Salta) (equipment can be rented) and some other places with organised visits

Entre Ríos
Paraná and Uruguay rivers

Mendoza, Córdoba, San Juan and San Luis
Dams and rivers of the region.

Neuquén
Lácar lake (San Martín de los Andes) (equipment can be rented), and the whole lacustrine area of the Lanín National Park.

Río Negro
Nahuel Huapi lake (Bariloche) (equipment can be rented ) and some other lakes and rivers of this zone (organised excursions).

Chubut
The whole lacustrine area of Los Alerces National Park and Futaleufú river (Esquel).

Santa Cruz
Rivers and lakes of the region.

Canyoning

This activity can be practised in the Azul river, close to El Bolsón, in the province of Río Negro. It consists of going down beautiful deep canyons protected by a neoprene suit, a life jacket and a helmet and where rapids, waterfalls, pools and stone slides alternate with quiet water pools sorrounded by high granite walls.
Experienced guides offer the tourist the necessary security so that they can feel the adrenaline with the minimun risk. 

Parashuting / Hang Gliding

Flying down from mountains and cliffs in parachutes or hang gliders is a sensation hard to describe. There are several mountains and cliffs over oceanic beaches where this activity can be practised.
Here we list some appropriate areas 

Noroeste
Mounts of Salta, and other provinces.

Cuyo
Mount Arco (Mendoza)

Sierras del Centro
Carpintería (in San Luis, to be reached from Merlo), Cuchi Corral (to be reached from La Cumbre) and some other zones of the western sierras.

Andean Patagonia 
Mount Otto or Mount Cathedral (Bariloche), Mount Piltriquitrón (El Bolsón)

Patagonia Atlántica
Cliffs and beaches (Las Grutas)

Scuba Diving

In Argentina there are two ways of practising scuba diving: either in waters of the Atlantic ocean, or in natural or artificial (dam) lacustrine areas. 

Oceanic Coasts
The Atlantic Patagonia is the most appropriate region for the practice of this activity due to its transparent waters and the great quantity of sea fauna.  Puerto Madryn is the most important national centre for scuba diving of the country, although there other points such as Las Grutas in Río Negro.
There are numberless species to be seen such as: sargos, sea bass, oysters, crabs, octopus, starfish, sea horses and quite big salmons; appart from seaweeds and crustaceous. sea woolves, grey back dolphins, orcas, tuna and whales watching.

Lacustrine Areas
There are thousands of lakes, ponds and dams with appropriate waters for immersion. We can mention among them: the pond of la Niña Encantada (The Enchanted Girl) in  Mendoza (to be reached from Las Leñas), several dams in Córdoba and San Luis, Traful lake in Neuquén (with a submerged wood), and  Nahuel Huapi lake in Bariloche, Río Negro.

Snorkelling

Without the need to use oxygen tubes and just with a basic underwater swimming set (neoprene jacket, diving mask and flippers) it is quite possible to discover an interesting underwater life.

Chubut
Punta Este, Kaiser, Mount Avanzado and  Punta Cuevas (Puerto Madryn).

Sandboard

This activity (quite similar to snowboard but practised on the sand) can be carried out in sand dunes having the necessary inclination. 
In the region of beaches in the province of Buenos Aires (Pinamar, Cariló and Villa Gesell), and in the Andean Patagonia  (Puerto Madryn) there are suitable sand dunes to practise this exciting activity. 

Speleism - Mining tourism

The speleology is the science that studies the nature, fauna and flora of the underground caves. However, appart from scientist, there are many enthusiasts who enjoy getting into the world of the underground caves and abandoned mines to look for new adventures. 
We show you some places where this fascinating activity can be carried out.

Córdoba
Ongamira Caves (to be reached from Capilla del Monte)

San Luis
Carolina Mines (to be reached from San Luis)

Río Negro
Sierra Grande (to be reached from Las Grutas or Puerto Madryn): organised excursions to the abandoned mines with appropriate equipment.

.