Argentina posseses numerous National
Parks especially created to preserve landscapes, geological, and palaeontologic
patrimonies, and autochthonous flora and fauna of our country.
These parks have different geographical characteristics and quite varied
sorroundings.
Through them, visitor can be in close contact with nature; appreciate astounding
beauties such as The Iguazu Falls and the Perito Moreno Glacier, (both declared
National Patrimony of the Humanity by the UNESCO); know the flora and
fauna of different regions; admire geological formations and fossils; get
astounded by the woods, lakes and snow-capped mountains; observe gigantic
millenarian larchs and the beautiful myrtles that are unique in the world.
You will find a world of possibilities to live the virgin nature and carry out
different activities such as sporting fishing, trekking, rafting, horse-riding,
mountain bike and photographic safaris, among others
Here we offer the details of the most important parks:
This
park comprises an area of 76.000 hectares. It was
created with the aim of protecting a representative part of a mountain
subtropical forest.
Its rich fauna consists of species such as the yaguedondí, red squirrel, red
agouti, melero bear, ferret, tapir and puma. It is the last refuge of species
like the yaguareté.
Its relief corresponds to the slopes of the Serranías de Calilegua, with deep
canyons carved by water courses.
It has an underwood sector consisting of White , Yellow wood, the Tipa and the
Pacará, which can be higher than 30 m. Then you will find the higher forest or
nuboselva, covered by clouds in summer and at the beginning of autumm, with a
thick underwood of creepers, lianas and shrubs.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: Jujuy (110 Km.)
This Park, which was recently
created with the aim of preserving the "giant cactus"
(a typical cactus of this region that grows between the 2000 y 3500 m.a.s.l.),
occupies an area of 65.000 hectares
The fruit of the "giant cactus", the pascana, is edible, and, in a
way, very resistent.This fruit was used both by the aboriginals and later on by
the criollos for construction.
Even though it constitutes a real desert, its mountaineous landscapes are
extremely beautiful.
The park lodges other vegetal and animal species typical of this place such as
the vicuña and the taruca (northern guemal ).
The activities that can be carried out are fotographic safaris, trekking,
mountaineering, flora and fauna watching, and others.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: Salta
(100 Km.)
It comprises an
area of 45.000 hectares and is a magnificent exponent of the forest landscape of
subtropical woods. This park keeps its flora and fauna intact.
Sorrounded by mountains of about 1000 m.a.s.l., the park stands out as a natural
amphitheatre with streams of crystal water flowing downhill through the valley.
The park lodges a large number of animal species such as: the puma, the
yaguareté, the fox, the tapir, the coati, the biting bat, monkeys and others.
Birds such as the condor, falcon, and the mount turkey hen. Snakes such as the
rattlesnake, cross snake and coral snake. Insects and snails.
The water courses are rich in dorados, American shads, bogues, croakers, etc. Its flora is represented by several specimens of red cebil, viraró, palo
borracho, laurel, white tipa, quina, walnut tree, huge cedar. Other species are
lianas, orchids, giant cactus and tunas. At the top of mountains, at 1500 m. of
height, you can find elder trees, pines, and herbaceous formations. There is a
hostelry, bungalows and a camping area with sanitary installations and bonfires.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: Salta
(185 Km.)
With an area of 72.000
hectares, this beautiful place is still isolated. It has a fully irregular
relief, with sevaral mountain ridges and folds irregularly distributed. The almost unsurmountable
difficulties to reach this zone, added to a tropical climate, the rivers,
streams, falls and deep canyons, favoured the preservation of a vegetation of
the forest type, and an extrordinary rich fauna.
Among the flora species we can find cedars, pines, American timber trees, walnut
tress, lindens, oaks and others. The
zoological reservation is quite abundant, comprising the following species:
tiger, pumas, wildcats ounces, lavador little bear, squirrels, monkeys,
coaties, etc. There are also several birds, and in the water courses, fish such
as American shads, the dorado and the bogue.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: Salta
(350 Km.)
It was declared Natural
Patrimony of the Humanity by the UNESCO. It comprises an area of 67.000
hectares, including its connected reservation.
It nearly constitutes the last exponent of the subtropical forest in the country
and includes the world famous Iguazu Falls.
Its existence is aimed at the preservation of the already mentioned falls and of
a neighbouring zone representative of the original forest sorroundings of
Misiones (before the deforestation carried out by men), last integral
refuge of the regional flora and fauna.
This forest used to be an extension of the Brazilian southern forest.
The ground of the Iguazu National Park is reddish and its organic matter comes
from the leaves and vegetals which grow densely in the region favoured by
the high temperatures and heavy rains.
Its relief consists of light elevations of about 30 metres of height and gullies
of about 60 m.a.s.l.in the falls
The Iguazu Falls make up a semicircle of aproximately 2700 metres consisting
of 275 falls. Appart from the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's gorge), other
well known falls are the Bozetti, Dos Hermanas (Two Sisters), San Martín, Adán
and Eva, Tres Mosqueteros (Three Musketeers) and Rivadavia.
The park lodges more than 400 species of birds, about 2000 vegetal species and
an immeasurable world of insects making of this ecosystem one of richest natural
environments of the country.
It posseses interpretation paths and complete installations for the tourist,
including footbridges to appreciate the atounding falls "from the
inside"
You can also carry out several activities related to adventure tourism.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: Puerto
Iguazú (20 Km.)
It is both a Park and a
Natural Reservation whose main aim is to preserve the vast Yatay palm trees
areas which used to cover the Entre Rios, Uruguay and part of the south of
Brazil territories up to the end of the last century. These palm
trees, of almost 12 metres of height, posses leaves of about 2 metres of length
with trunks of 40 cm in diameter. Many of these specimens are about 800 years
old.
The Ubacay, Los Loros, El Palmar and El Espino streams, which get into the
Uruguay river, flow through this park. In this
captivating park, rich in flora and fauna, we find a special contrast, that is
the contrast between the palm trees and the forest in galleries situated on the
coastlines of the Uruguay river and the streams.
The pasture is closely linked to the palm trees, making up a unique ecosystem
where you will find numerous animal species.
Its fauna consists of vizcachas, ferrets, foxes, otters, capybaras, river
little woolves, skunks, wildcats and corzuelas.
Among the reptiles there are snakes species such as the pit viper and two
varieties of turtles, the painted and the river ones. Another reptile worth
standing out is the golden lizard, which is fully harmless.
Among the water birds that inhabit this park we can find the herons, the storks
and ducks.
The terrestrial birds are American Ostriches, woodcocks, red herons, falcons,
partridges, eagles, calanders, hummingbirds, parrots, etc.
Its relief is ondulated, with clayish sandy grounds, and rocks
outcroppings.
The historical value of this park is given by the Barquin and Salvia ruins.
It has an Interpretation Centre over the Uruguay river, right in front of the
camping area.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park.Colón
(65 Km.)
With an area of 40.000
hectares, this park is situated on the eastern hillside of the Pampa of Achala
with elevations that range between the 1900 and 2300 m. The tourist attraction is based on its landscape
and geomorphological values: the high pampa covered by pastures, the rocky
sierra without vegetation, and the deep gorges. Within the park we can
find the gigantic and spectacular crevice of 800 m. of depth and 1500 m of
separation between edges, with vertical walls impossible to climb and the
Condoritos river running all along its bottom. This
territory constitutes the easternmost natural habitat of the Condor, the coated eagle and the peregrin falcon. These
huge birds inhabit and nest in this zone and especially in the gorge. A male condor of the
region is about 3,50 m. between its wing extremes and is around 1,50 m.hight. At the Interpretation
Centre you can receive a lecture about the park, its fauna and flora. In the gorge and its sorroundings you will find
the southernmost tabaquillos woods in the world. Here, the
most important rivers of the province (Suquía, Xanaes, de Los Sauces) are
born. The
activities that can be carried out are mainly the environmental interpretation,
flora and fauna watching, fotographic safaris, trekking, horseback riding, and lanscapes
visits.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: Mina
Clavero (50 Km.)
This park, which occupies
215.000 hectares, is an autochthonous flora and fauna natural reservation, and
palaeontologic and
archeological deposit.
As long as geological formations are concerned, this park is formed by
strata that make up deep canyons of around 180 m. of height. This canyons were
wind eroded giving birth to curious formations such as the Monk, The Wise Man,
the Tower, and many others.
Another interesting formation is the so called "Lost City", a
depression of approximately 2 km. in diameter, formed by a series of curious
formations, labyrinths, and several inner rivers.
The fauna of this region consists of guanacos, Patagonic hare or maras, foxes,
ferrets and sierra squirrels. Finally, in Tampalaya we can
see several petroglyphs and ceramics belonging to the inhabitants that occupied
the land before the arrival of the colonization, and which are still object of
numerous studies of scientists and investigators from all over the world.
Talampaya posseses a vehicles private service that is in charge of taking the
visitors into the park, showing them different circuits with the precense of
specialized guides.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: La Rioja
(170 Km.)
This park occupies 150.000
hectares and is composed of piled geological formations of grey and reddish
colouring coming from the Mesozoic Age. This formations were wind and water
eroded throughout the centuries.
These sierras were first called “Pequeño Cañón del Colorado” (Little
Colorado Canyon), due to its resemblance to the famous canyon.
Due to the erosion, the formations acquired capricious forms reaching its
maximun climax with the so called “Potrero de Aguada”: a succesion of
bleachers, cliffs and cornices.
The Portillo Mount, with its 1200 metres, is the maximun height of the zone.
Going towards the western border of the Park we can find isolated water mirrors,
some of them permanent, others, most of them, temporary. The limits of these
scarcely deep water courses vary according to the volume of the
Desaguadero river.
Its vegetation is scarce and represented by the Jarillas, a great variety of
shrubs and cactus, white quebrachos and other species.
Among the fauna that inhabits the place we find species that are in danger of
extintion such as the gato moro, the red vizcacha rat and the smaller
blind picho. There are also animals in critical state of survival such as the
gato del pajonal, the wildcat, the puma, the red fox, the small grey fox, the
guanaco, etc.
Besides, we can find the following birds: the peregrine falcon, the condor, The
black neck swam, the yellow cardinal bird, the red eagle and others.
This national park posseses remarkable palaeontologic registers, such as
prehistoric reptile fossils.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: San
Luis (120 Km.)
It comprises an
area of 379.000 hectares. 194.600 hectares belong to the park and the remaining
184.400 belong to three sectors of reservation.
Within this park lies the magestic Lanin volcano, hence its name, with its
3776 m.a.s.l. and its almost perfect conical form.
This park was created with the aim of preserving a representative sector of the
Andean-Patagonic region absent from other protected areas such as
the pellin oak, evergreen beech, and araucaria woods (whose valuable wood
was highly exploited at the beginning of the last century).
Its mountaineous relief is rich in lakes. Most of them were originated by the
advance of the glaciers during the Quaternary period. Within the park you will
find the following lakes:Huechulaufquen, Paimún, Lolog, Lácar, Meliquina,
Hermoso, Escondido, Machónico and others.
The flora of this park consists of the Pehuén, typical of this zone, the ñire,
the lenga, the espinillo; and the valdiviana forest were we find cipreses,
mushrooms, ferns, caña cohihue, etc.
Among the mammals: guemal, pudú (short deer), huillín (river woolf), puma, red
and grey foxes, skunks, ferrets, red deer, wild boar, etc.
The characteristic birds are gulls, herons, woodpeckers, rayaditos, thrushes,
etc.
The ichthyic fauna comprises both autochthonous species such as the
puyén, Patagonic herring, etc.; and exotic ones such as the rainbow trout,
fontinalis, brown trout and the close salmon (apt for sporting fishing).
Here you can take part in a large number of activities, mainly related to
adventure tourism, and fishing, and several terrestrial and lacustrine
excursions.
In the Quetrihué Peninsula,
near to Villa La Angostura, you can find this small park whose object is to
preserve a landscape unique in the world: The myrtle woods.
It is a native tree of singular beauty. Its twisted trunk has a cinnamon
colouring bark covered by white irregular spots and is both cold and very smooth
to the touch. It grows in a very slow way, reaching heights of about 12 and 15
metres with a trunk of approximately 50 centimetres of diameter.
Other species that can be found here, appart from the myrtle, are: palo
santo, the maitén, the laurel and the cinnamon. among the birds that inhabit
the park are the chucao and the Patagonic thrush.
Among the mammals we find the red fox, the skunk, the pudú (short deer), and
the huillín (river woolf).
This park can be reached from Villa La Angostura through a walking path.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: Villa
La Angostura (in one of the borders of the park)
First South American Park and one of the first in the world,
this vast and wonderful park occupies an area of 766.000 hectares (the park and two reservations). It has a mountaineous relief
typical of the southern Andes. Its geomorphology presents medium height
mounts, glaciers, rivers, lakes, woods, and valleys.
The most important peak of the park is the Mount Tronador with 3554 m.a.s.l.
It has a large number of lakes such as the vast Nahuel Huapi, the Traful, the
Correntoso, the Falkner, the Villariño and others. Among the birds we
can find the cormorant (queer species that inhabit the Victoria Island), cooking
gulls, black neck herons, woodpecker, witch heron, great bustard, etc.
The autochthonous fauna comprises : guemal, puma, pudú (short deer), huillín
(river woolf), red fox, skunk, short weasel, etc. Among the exotic fauna we have
the red deer.
The ichthyic fauna comprises both the autochthonous species such as the perch,
the puye, the Patagonic herring smelt etc.; and the exotic ones such as the
Rainbow trouts, fontinalis, marrón y el close salmon (apt for sporting
fishing). A singularly attractive point is the mouth of the Frías
river, coming from the homonymous pond, in the westernmost extreme of the Blest
Arm of the Nahuel Huapi Lake. Here the deep blue waters of this arm receive the
green opalescence of the Frias waters.
The Mirador, excelent watching point over the Traful lake, is a spectacular
cliff thar falls abruptly over such lake.
The erosion has left its signs in the rocky figures of the Valle Encantado
(Enchanted Valley), which, due to its capricious and suggestive forms, have
received names such as Indian Head, God's finger, etc.
The main sports that can be practised within the park are: skiing,
mountaineering, trekking, sporting fishing of salmonids and cannoying.
This
National Park comprises an area of 23.700 hectares and offers a
mountainous scenary (with heights that exceed the 2000 m. of height) and woods
with quite strange species that do not exist in other Andean Patagonic
parks.
The Puelo lake, after which the park was named, has a bluish green tone and its
waters are more temperate than most of the Patagonic lakes due to its low
height. (205 m.a.s.l.).
All around the area, as if framing the place, there are imposing mountains such
as Tres Picos and the Vanguardia with hanging glacierscan that can be
appreciated the whole year.
Its fauna, favoured by the inaccessible geography of the park, is actually being
recovered and is mainly represented by pumas, pudues and guemals. Within
the lacustrine environments there are autochthonous species such as the criolla
perch, and exotic ones such as the salmonids (Brown and Rainbow trouts).
There is a large variety of birds with more than 100 registered
species.
The park, offers different activities for the visitors: swimming, sailing in
catamaran ships (reaching up to Chile), and sporting fishing.
It has an organized camping area, guided horseback riding, and boats rental,
among other attractions.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: El
Bolsón (15 Km.)
The
park comprises a total area of
263. 000 hectares. It was created with the aim of preserving an exceptional
natural patrimony: the larch woods. These conifers, a truly botanical
curiosity, are about 3.000 years old and 60 metres high with trunks of
about 3,5 m. in diameter.
This Park, just
as the other National Parks located in the Andean Patagonia, posseses an uneven
mountaineous relief with valleys peppered by rivers and lakes of unparalleled
beauty among which we can find the Futalaufquen, Verde, Menéndez and Rivadavia
lakes.
These water courses are rich in salmonids and you can practise sporting fishing
over them.
The mountain lovers will feel a strong attraction towards the Mount Torrecillas
and its beautiful snowcapped peak with eternal snow of approximately 100 m. of
thickness.
There are a large number of paths suitable for trekking and for the organization
of walking tours to be in close contact with nature. Its
flora gathers the peculiarities of the Andean-patagonic woods and its fauna is
quite varied, including exotic species just as the european wild boar and the
mink.
The Visitors Centre, The National Park Intendancy and its Forest keeper
headquarters are meeting points and ideal places to obtain information. The
Limonao (Lago Futalaufquen), and Chucao Ports (Lago Menéndez), are the
departure point of some lacustrine excursions, which, together with the
terrestrian ones, let us enjoy this exceptional park.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: Esquel
(40 Km.)
Declared Natural Patrimony of
the Humanity by the UNESCO, this park includes one of the most spectacular
landscape beauties in the world: The glaciers.
It occupies 600.000 hectares and is surrounded by lakes, woods and mountains.
You will find here the imposing Perito Moreno Glacier, the Upsala Glacier, and
others.
Despite the glaciers static appearance, they are constantly moving and that's
why great blocks of ice are constantly getting off their extremes and falling
into the water.
The Perito Moreno Glacier is the most spectacular and the easiest one to reach:
with its 80 m.of hight above the sea level, it is admired by thousands of
tourists coming from all over the world.
Within the park there are two important lakes: Argentino and Viedma.
The Mount Fitz Roy, which dominates the whole surrounding landscape, belongs to
a mountain range of peerless beauty existing within the park.
Its fauna preserves species in recesion or danger of extintion such as the
guemal, the hullín, the pudu (short deer), the huanaco, and others Several lacustrine and
terrestrial excursions can be carried out within the park, and you can even have
the possibility to walk over the Perito Moreno to be in close contact with
the gacier's ice, meeting its peaks and inner ponds.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: El
Calafate (80 Km.)
This
park constitutes the southernmost protected natural area of the Argentine Republic. It
comprises an area of 63.000 hectares.
It has a fully irregular relief with a succesion of steep mountains, rivers, and
lakes giving birth to several astounding landscapes.
A series of mountain ranges with north to south orientation act as barriers that
divide the park into valleys quite difficult to reach.
As long as the arboreal vegetation is concerned, it is represented
by six species: cinnamon, leñador, notro, lenga, ñire and sour
cherry tree. The flowers, which increase in summer, are: yellow violets; white,
green and yellow orchids; everlasting flowers; white and yellow daysies, and
others.
This park preserves the following animal species: red foxes, huanacos, rabbits,
beavers, condors.
There are plenty of birds, and among the species that we can find are the
Patagonic woodpecker and the rayadito. Being the only national park that has a
sea coast (over the Atlantic Ocean) it offers the unique opportunity of watching
birds such as the black head albatross, the petrel, and others; and also some
sea mammals.
Among the ichtyc fauna of sweet water we find the puyen and the peladilla.
There are exotic salmonids, such as the Rainbow and brown trout suitable for
sporting fishing.
In the sea we can find robalo, the pollack, taled Argentine hake and the
sardines. There
exists a varied infrastructure within the park.
Tourist Destination nearer to this park: Ushuaia
(11 km.)
Active
Media - All Rights reserved
