National parks of Argentina. National parks of argentina useful information for your trip. What to do in Nahuel Huapi National Park

1. Los Glaciares National Park

"Los Glaciares" means "glaciers" in Spanish, and that's about it. It's huge national park, the main tourist attractions of which are glaciers. Unlike most of their counterparts in the rest of the world, the glaciers of Los Glaciares are among the most easily accessible, as they descend from the mountains to the shores of the lakes. Thus, anyone can see them, even with disabilities. The main thing is that you have enough money to get to one of the southernmost parts of Patagonia.

What to do in Los Glaciares National Park?

• Go to the Perito Moreno glacier - the most popular, picturesque and closest to mainland. In addition, there is excellent infrastructure in the vicinity of the glacier. Anyone can walk along the paths and observation platforms around the glacier. Also, when traveling on a catamaran, you can find yourself in close proximity to a 60-meter wall of ice. People with average physical fitness should go on a 3-4 hour trek along the glacier itself.
• See the Uppsala glacier - the largest glacier in South America, the size of 3 Buenos Aires (!!!).
• Go to the Spegazzini Glacier - a wall of ice that reaches 135 meters in height (more than twice as high as Perito Moreno or 30 meters higher than St. Isaac's Cathedral!). Technical climbing, trekking, and walks along lakes are possible.
• Visit the Argentine trekking paradise around Mount Fitz Roy.
• Among the adventure activities in Los Glaciares National Park, bicycle rides, kayaking, rafting on lakes and rivers, tours on off-road vehicles, and ATVs are available.

How to get to Los Glaciares National Park?

The base city for visiting the national park is El Calafate. You can fly here from several major cities Argentina. Tours to some glaciers and Mount Fitz Roy operate from the tourist village of El Chaltén, which is 2-3 hours away by car or bus from El Calafate.

When to visit Los Glaciares National Park?

The ideal months to travel to the glaciers are from November to March, although it is also possible to come from September to May. Despite the huge number of glaciers, low sub-zero temperatures are not often found here. Even directly on glaciers in good weather You can get pretty sweaty.

2. Iguazu National Park (Parque Nacional Iguazu)

What to do in Iguazu National Park?

• Admire the waterfalls. For ease of review, there are many observation platforms, equipped paths, developed park infrastructure.
• Take a shower under the waterfalls while taking an extreme boat tour.
• Take a ride on a train through the jungle, which will take you to the most powerful of the 200 waterfalls, the Devil's Throat.
• Go on a short walk along the Macuco road and take a dip under one of the waterfalls.
• Take a helicopter tour and experience the power and beauty of the waterfalls from a bird's eye view.
• See the local fauna: here you can find coatis, iguanas, many butterflies and birds (more than 400 species!).
• Visit the bird park on the Brazilian side.
• Swim in the river with crocodiles.

How to get to Iguazu National Park?

The ideal base point from which to explore all the attractions of the parks is the city of Puerto Iguazu. There is a good selection of accommodation and restaurants, local airport There are many flights arriving from Buenos Aires and some other cities in Argentina.

When to visit Iguazu National Park?

You can visit Iguazu National Park all year round. In winter it is relatively warm and there are significantly fewer tourists, and in summer it can be very hot (above +30°C). Traditionally, the rainiest month is November, although no one has canceled the increasingly frequent natural anomalies. Rain has its pros and cons. Of course, few people want to walk in cloudy weather. On the other hand, the river is especially full these days, which means you can see the waterfalls “on” at full capacity. In addition, even in the rainiest months, clear days are not uncommon.

3. Provincial Reserve La Payunia (Reserva provincial La Payunia)

In Argentina, in addition to national parks, nature reserves and provincial parks (i.e. regional-level parks) are also organized. Among them there are unique places, which could easily qualify for country-level attractions. The Payunia Nature Reserve is the most striking example. It is still rarely talked about, but the place itself is undoubtedly worthy of a visit. This region of Argentina is the second largest in the world after Kamchatka in terms of the number of volcanoes. There are more than 800 of them here!

What to do in the Pajunia Nature Reserve?

• It is not difficult to guess that the main spectacle here is volcanoes and those created as a result of eruptions unique landscapes. These views are absolutely surreal! In some places of the reserve there are black fields where nothing but black ash is visible to the horizon.
• During an excursion, go down into the huge crater of one of the volcanoes.
• View places of Argentine oil production.
• Photograph guanacos, armadillos and Patagonian hares.
• Go on an off-road tour. They also offer minibus rides, which are not for the faint of heart!

How to get to the Pajunia Nature Reserve?

The base town for visiting the reserve is Malargüe. People usually get here from Mendoza, located 350 km to the north (buses). The place is quite remote, but you can also go from Malargüe to explore mountain valleys and the most famous in South America ski resort Las Leñas. So a trip for a couple of days will be quite justified.

When to visit the Pajunia Nature Reserve?

The best time to visit the reserve is the Argentine summer and off-season, i.e. from November to April.

4. Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi

Nahuel Huapi National Park is the main holiday destination for most Argentines. Unless, of course, you take into account beach holiday. The park occupies a large part of the Argentine lake district - a place where the combination of mountains and lakes creates absolutely fabulous pictures. According to many travelers, and even more so Argentines, these places are not only as beautiful as the Swiss Alps, but even surpass them in beauty.

Nahuel Huapi is one of the most developed and well-maintained national parks in Argentina. On its territory is located Big City San Carlos de Bariloche. A description of the activities that you can do here will take more than one hour. So we'll try to be selectively brief.

What to do in Nahuel Huapi National Park?

• First of all, admire the classic views. This is extremely simple to do: both in the park and in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche there are numerous observation decks. The main postcard view of the park can be found on the mountain Cerro Campanario.
• Tracking. In the park you will find many routes lasting from an hour or less to 5-6 days. They are suitable for people with any physical fitness: there are both regular walks and professional climbs. They all have one thing in common – beautiful landscapes.
• Drive along the 7 Lakes Road, included in the list of the most scenic roads peace. This can be done either in a rented car or as part of an excursion. As a rule, a full circle along the road takes from 300 to 400 km. In fact, this route also covers part of the Lanin National Park.
• Tours of the lakes will not only give you a new perspective on Nahuel Huapi Park, but will also allow you to visit the islands and see the hidden gems of the lake district in the form of waterfalls and a forest of arrayanas (unusual myrtle trees).
• Sports activities in Nahuel Huapi are simply off the charts: kayaking, kitesurfing, scuba diving, sport fishing, paragliding, horseback riding, rafting, mountain biking, canopy (rape abseiling) and much more.

How to get to Nahuel Huapi National Park?

The city of San Carlos de Bariloche is located in the middle of the Nahuel Huapi National Park and is easily accessible by plane from many of Argentina's major cities. Most of the park's attractions can be reached by car.

When to visit Nahuel Huapi National Park?

The best time to visit the national park is from November to March. During the cold season, lovers come here ski holiday and others winter species sports

5. Lanin National Park

Lanín National Park borders Nahuel Huapi Park and is also an important part of Argentina's lake district. In many ways, it repeats its southern counterpart, both in landscapes and in activities. It’s worth going to Lanin for a quieter and measured life. Its central town of San Martin de Los Andes is a much quieter place than San Carlos de Bariloche, but not without its charm. San Martin really wants to be like European mountain towns, although it mainly resembles them only with rather high prices :)

What to do in Lanin National Park?

• Again, the beautiful lakes framed by mountains act as a magnet here. There are many viewing platforms around San Martin with unforgettable views.
• Lanin is the name of a volcano located exactly on the border of Argentina and Chile. Its almost perfect cone rises 3,700 meters above the park and is considered the main local decoration. You can make a technical climb to the volcano, which usually takes 1.5-2 days.
• Go on excursions around the lakes.
• The choice of sports activities is also large: trekking, horseback riding, kayaking, rowing, canopy, golf, many types winter sports etc.
• The park has a large number of campsites to suit every taste and budget.

How to get to Lanin National Park?

20 km from San Martin de Los Andes there is a small airport called Chapelco, where you can fly from Buenos Aires. Another option is to travel from San Carlos de Bariloche by car or bus.

When to visit Lanin National Park?

The ideal time to visit the park is from November to March. In winter people come here mainly for mountain species sports

6. Tierra del Fuego National Park

There are plenty of national parks with mountains and lakes in Argentina. But in the very south of Patagonia, nature becomes more and more harsh, which fascinates travelers who come here. There is nothing further south from here except a few islands and Antarctica.

6. National Park Tierra del Fuego(Tierra del Fuego). Photo by Petr Meissner.

What to do in Tierra del Fuego National Park?

• Go trekking. The park has over 40 km of well-marked hiking trails. There are several organized campsites.
• Take a ride on the world's southernmost train, which goes right through the national park.
• From the city of Ushuaia, which is located near the entrance to the national park, you can take a lot interesting excursions: sea trips with a visit to penguins and fur seals, helicopter rides (here they are some of the best in the world!), if there is snow, husky sled rides, etc.

How to get to Tierra del Fuego National Park?

Due to the remoteness of the region, people mainly fly to Ushuaia by plane from many cities in Argentina, as well as from Chile.

When to visit Tierra del Fuego National Park?

If winter adventures are not interesting to you, then it is better to come to the national park from November to March. It's almost never hot here. In summer the temperature usually does not exceed 10-15°C. Winters are rarely harsh: at this time the normal air temperature is from 0 to -5°C.

7. Los Cardones National Park

It’s hard to imagine that people are willing to travel hundreds of kilometers for cacti. However, this is exactly what is happening in Los Cardones National Park in northwestern Argentina. There are so many cacti here that entire valleys are occupied by them. The height of many of them is more than 15 meters! Well, where else can you go to the cactus forest? 🙂

What to do in Los Cardones National Park?

• Admire cacti among the vast expanses of desert mountains. The spectacle is especially impressive when the cacti are in bloom.
• Stop by the cute colonial town, or rather even the village, Kachi.
• Tour the wineries near the town of Cafayate.

How to get to Los Cardones National Park?

Most travelers enter the park through the city of Salta, where there is an airport with good connections to other regions of the country. You can also get to Salta by bus, which will generally take many hours.

When to visit Los Cardones National Park?

The park can be visited all year round; daytime temperatures here are above zero. There may be cold nights in winter.

8. Talampaya National Park and Ischigualasto Provincial Park (Parque Nacional Talampaya y Parque provincial Ischigualasto)

Despite different levels national importance, national and provincial parks can be called twins. By local standards, they are located close to each other and attract travelers with the same thing - unearthly landscapes. Ischigualasto local residents They even called it the “Moon Valley,” although it would be more correct to call this place the Martian valley. The fact is that the rocks here are of a brownish-red hue, which turns fiery red at dawn and sunset. And then the brain begins to go crazy, completely not recognizing the visible picture as what we are used to seeing on planet Earth.

These deserted and practically dead places more than 2 million years ago they were a real cradle of nature. The territory was covered with dense vegetation, the fossilized remains of which can still be found, and among all this plant diversity dinosaurs ran and flew, the skeletons of which are often found by paleontologists.

What to do in Talampaya and Ischigualasto parks?

• In Talampaya Park, the main attraction is a canyon with reddish cliffs up to 150 meters high.
• Both parks contain surreal rock formations, the result of centuries of soil erosion. They look like man-made monuments and this makes them even more impressive (for example, a submarine, a mushroom, a tray, a sphinx, etc.).
• On the list of the main attractions of Ischigualasto, the leader is the field with “bowling balls” - a rock that has acquired an almost perfect ball shape over time.
• All of the above can be seen during trekking, car excursions, and cycling.

09. Rock formation"Mushroom" in Ischigualasto Park. Photo by Pedro Reyna.

How to get to Talampaya and Ischigualasto parks?

Both parks are quite remote from civilization. You can get to them from two cities where there is good bus service and airports: San Juan (closer to Ischigualasto), and La Rioja (closer to Talampaya). By public transport getting to the parks is problematic. So you need to take a car or an excursion from nearby cities.

When to visit Talampaya and Ischigualasto parks?

The best time to visit is from September to December and from March to May. In most parks you cannot move around on your own and you need to buy one of the tours offered upon entering their territory (transport, walking tours, bicycles).

Argentina occupies the southeastern part of the continent South America and a number of nearby islands. It borders in the west with Chile, in the north with Bolivia and Paraguay, in the northeast with Brazil and Uruguay. In the east it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Argentina is located in three climatic zones: tropical, subtropical and temperate. Summer in the south of the country is cold: the average temperature of even the warmest month, here it is January, is +15°C. The "Pole of Heat" in Argentina is the tropical region of the Gran Chaco in the north. In summer the air there warms up to +30 - +40°C, and in winter the average temperatures reach +17 - +20°C.

Flora and fauna of Argentina

In the north of the country there are subtropical forests in which there are trees of valuable species: the evergreen coniferous araucaria and the lapacho tree, from the bark of which a very healthy tea drink is prepared, known even to the Incas.

IN southern parts The country is dominated by shrubby vegetation. Vast wetlands are covered with reeds, reeds, and water lilies, while higher and drier areas are occupied by meadows with rich grass cover. In some places there are sparse forests of acacias, mimosa, ostrich trees, and palm groves along the river banks.

One of the plants is national flower Argentina. This is Erythrina, or Coral tree. Some species of this plant are used for landscaping park areas and streets.

As for the animal world of the country, it is somewhat less diverse compared to the animal world of other countries Latin America, but most of it consists of species found nowhere else on the continent or in the world.

These include the Pampas deer, Pampas cat, and Magellanic dog. In the north-west of the country, on the territory of the high-mountain volcanic plateau Puna, the relict spectacled bear is found.

In the vast expanses of Pampa there are pumas, and in some places you can still find wild chinchillas, most of which were exterminated for their fur. The reservoirs are home to otters and nutria, as well as a large number of waterfowl. In subtropical forests there are various species of hummingbirds, including rare ones.

Architectural and cultural monuments

The cultural and architectural landscape of Argnetina is varied and somewhat heterogeneous. Buenos Aires is not just the capital of the country - it is a city that combines the architectural heritage of the times of the Spanish conquistadors and the creations of modern architects. The Buenos Aires cultural landscape is in line for inclusion in the list of sites World Heritage UNESCO.

Casa Rosada (Spanish: La Casa Rosada, The Pink House).

In this building on central square Plaza de Mayo is the main official working residence of the President of Argentina. The characteristic pink color of the walls of the Casa Rosada has turned the presidential residence into one of the most memorable buildings in Buenos Aires, one of its architectural symbols- he is on the list National monuments Argentina.

The history of this building is interesting. In 1594, a fort was erected on the site of this building according to the design of the Spanish conquistador Juan de Garay. The building was thoroughly rebuilt in 1713 and existed until 1857, when it was almost completely destroyed. Only a small outbuilding survived, from which a building began to grow in 1862, which still stands today.

The unusual color of the walls, according to existing legend, was supposed to symbolize the reconciliation of the country's two main political parties - the Unitarians and the Federalists. The colors of these parties were, respectively, white and red.

The version, of course, is beautiful in its own way, but the Argentines also tell another version, much more prosaic: the pink color of the building’s walls is due to cow’s blood, which was added to the paint for greater durability.

Pedestrian bridge Puente de la Mujer (Women's Bridge, Women's Bridge, Spanish Puente de la Mujer). The bridge was opened recently - on December 20, 2001, but this did not stop it from immediately becoming one of the attractions of the Argentine capital. The author of the project, Spaniard Santiago Calatrava, says that the silhouette of the bridge symbolizes a couple dancing tango.

The bridge is located in the Puerto Madero area - a modern business district built on the site of old docks and piers. All the streets in this quarter bear women's names, which is why the bridge was called the Woman's Bridge.

The river in this place is navigable, but the bridge is not raised or even raised: its central section rotates 90°, allowing the ship to pass.

Reserves and national parks

Argentina is home to several large nature reserves and national parks, which are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Cueva de las Manos (Spanish: Cueva de las Manos, Cave of Hands). Located in the south of Argentina, in the valley of the Pinturas River. On the walls of the cave are painted wall paintings of animals and negative images of human hands, the earliest of which date back to 9 thousand BC.

According to the results archaeological excavations, the cave was inhabited for a long time: the ancestors of the Indians of Patagonia lived in it. The latest drawings date back to the first millennium AD. The paints used to make the drawings are of mineral origin. Bone tubes were found in the cave, with the help of which the drawings were made.

In addition to numerous hands, the walls of the cave also depict scenes of hunting guanacos, rhea ostriches, cats and other animals. The drawings show the use of bolas, a traditional throwing weapon of the Indians of South America.

Inca Bridge (Spanish: Puente del Inca) and geothermal springs. The so-called Inca Bridge is an object of natural origin, natural bridge across the Mendoza River. The width of the bridge is 28 meters, length - 48, and thickness - 8 meters. The height of the arch is 27 meters.

Scientists believe that the bridge could have been formed as a result of a sequence of avalanches and rockfalls: avalanche ice and snow formed the first layer above the river, on which lay the second - from stones, dust and rock debris. The first layer melted, and the second, caking and soaking in the mineralized water of nearby geothermal springs, gradually formed the arch of a natural bridge.

Near the bridge, in the village of the same name, there are five geothermal springs. Venus, Mars, Saturn, Mercury and Champagne. The waters of the springs are rich in sodium chloride, alkali metals, arsenic-containing minerals, soda, various kinds of carbonates and sulfates. The water temperature varies from 33 °C to 38 °C in different sources.

Iguazu Falls (Spanish: Cataratas del Iguazu, port: Cataratas do Iguaçu). The complex is 2.7 km wide and includes approximately 270 individual waterfalls. The height of the water fall reaches 82 meters, but at most waterfalls it is a little more than 60 meters.

The largest waterfall - "Devil's Throat" (Spanish: Garganta del Diablo) is a U-shaped cliff 150 meters wide and 700 meters long. This waterfall, in addition to everything, marks the border between Brazil and Argentina.

Iguazu Falls is one of the most visited tourist destinations in South America. Every year there are 1.5-2 million visitors. Observation platforms are equipped especially for tourists. In the vicinity of the waterfall there are hiking and car routes, including those passing at the very foot of the waterfalls.

According to one of the local legends, waterfalls on the river appeared for the following reason: an Indian youth kidnapped his beloved and sailed with her on a boat down the Iguazu River. The gods opposed this and decided to stop the lovers.

They opened a gorge in front of them, into which the waters of the once calm river fell. Once in the whirlpool, the girl turned into one of the stones that lie at the foot of the waterfall. The young man became one of the trees that surround the river and waterfall, and now he forever looks at his beloved.

For lovers active rest you can go to ski resorts in the foothills of the Andes. For those who prefer to observe underwater worlds, there is the opportunity to go diving in Patagonia: in the Beagle Channel you can see a sunken ship lying on the bottom, and near the island of Tierra del Fuego you can find huge spider crabs and dolphins. Divers from all over the world flock to Puerto Madryn to appreciate the beauty of its waters.

Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world, but its entire population is concentrated mainly in cities, and therefore has vast and almost uninhabited areas. Although this is one of the countries that supply pulses in the world, only 30% of its territory is converted into arable land, the rest of the territory has completely diverse landscapes: deserts and semi-deserts, jungles and forests, where nature is a complete mistress. From the most high point In the Americas (Mount Aconcagua - 6.962 meters above sea level) and to the lowest point in the country (Salina Grande on the Valdez Peninsula - 48 meters below sea level), from the tropical to subarctic climates of Tierra del Fuego, there is a great variety of natural diversity.

Iguazu National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Iguazú) is a national park in Argentina, located in the department of Iguazu, in the northern part of the province of Misiones, in the Argentine Mesopotamia. The park was created in 1934 and partially contains one of the natural monuments South America Iguazu Falls,

Ischigualasto Provincial Park (Spanish: Parque provincial de Ischigualasto) is a conservation area in Argentina, located in the province of San Juan, in the north-west of the country. Together with Talampaya National Park, located within the same geological formation,

Los Glaciares National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, glaciers) is a national park located in Patagonia (South America), in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. The area of ​​the park is 4459 km². In 1981 it was included in the World Heritage List.

Nahuel Huapi (Spanish: Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi) is a national park in Argentina. Founded in the Lake Nahuel Huapi area in 1934, it is the country's oldest national park. Today the protected area covers an area of ​​7,050 km² in the provinces of Neuquén and Rio Negro in northern Patagonia.

Tierra del Fuego (Spanish: Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego) is a national park in the southern part of the Argentine sector of the island of Tierra del Fuego (Isla Grande), located 11 km west of Ushuaia. The park was created on October 15, 1960 and expanded in 1966.

Sierra de las Quijadas (Spanish: Parque Nacional Sierra de las Quijadas) is a national park located in the center of the province of San Luis, Argentina. Founded in 1991. The area of ​​the park is 73,533 hectares. The park is located in a paleontological area

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