17 NATIONAL PARKS IN ARGENTINA
12 NATIONAL PARKS IN ARGENTINA, From Iguazú Falls to Tierra del Fuego, these Argentina National premises are prodigies of nature. The public premises are a network of 33, each conserving a unique terrain and wildlife. Gray discoverer Francisco Moreno bestowed land in the Andes foothills to produce Argentina’s first public demesne in 1903. also, in 1934, the National Parks system came sanctioned, strengthening the defended areas of Nahuel Huapi National Park and Iguazu National Park.
The National Park Police Force protects these pristine gems. Argentina’s system has different four situations of protection National Parks, National Monuments, Natural Reserves and Educational Reserves, each with slightly different points. numerous of the premises are UNESCO World Heritage spots also. Then’s our pick of the stylish Argentina National Parks to visit.
17 ARGENTINA NATIONAL PARKS
The parks represent Argentina’s varied landscape, from rivers and subtropics to deserts to glaciers, mountains and wetlands. Each provides a natural marvel to enjoy, from the vast Yatay palm tree forests in El Palmar National Park to the mighty waterfalls of Iguazú National Park to the plunging canyons of Talampaya National Park. The Glaciers National Park preserves a landscape with several endangered species.
Some national parks are near tourist destinations and easy to access, while others, such as Baritú National Park 350km from Salta, are remote and wild. Many of the parks offer camping opportunities, and some, such as Iguazú National Park, have a range of adventure activities.
Most of the parks offer a Visitor’s Center or Interpretation Center, and some even have museums. National Parks range in size from less than 25,000 ha to over 750,000 ha. While the parks are a nature lover’s paradise, they are well-suited for any explorers and visitors who will be blown away by the natural beauty of Argentina.
1- CHACO NATIONAL PARK
Chaco National Park is a 15,000 ha park in the northern Argentine province of Chaco.
The Argentine government formed the park in 1954 to protect the biodiversity in the eastern area of the province, especially the quebracho colorado trees.
Quebracho is a wood that is rich in tannin.
For almost a century, the forests were decimated, almost to extinction due to uncontrolled logging.
Thanks to the creation of the Chaco National Park, the trees are once again thriving.
The park is in a humid region with a subtropical climate and has lagoons, woodlands, savanna, and marshes.
The different types of terrain encourage biodiversity within the park, and the woodlands consist of 15m-high native towering trees. In addition, the lower stratum is covered with chaguares, a variety of bromeliad that has solid and spiky spines.
Chaco National Park is a refuge for cougars, caraya monkeys, tapirs, yacarés (a type of alligator), armadillos, capybaras (a kind of rodent) and guazunchos deer. Following rain, you can find the footprints of different large mammals winding through the park.
2- EL PALMAR NATIONAL PARK
El Palmar National Park is in the province of Entre Rios, in the Littoral region of Argentina and covers 8,500 hectares.
It was established in 1965 to protect a representative sample of the largest yatay palm tree concentration in all of Argentina.
Yatay palm trees are known for their sweet orange fruit and vibrant yellow flowers, which bloom in dense bunches. The yatay palm tree used to populate three different provinces, including Entre Ríos, densely but has thinned out over time due to farming.
The national park was once home to many indigenous settlements.
In later years, between 1650 and 1767, the official Entre Ríos fields protector, Barquín, developed a successful lime factory. Today, the ruins of the factory remain a significant historical site.
Entre Ríos is part of the Mesopotamia zone of Argentina and has an ethereal landscape and weather that changes by location. For example, it can be hot and wet in the north while remaining mild and dry in the southeast.
The Uruguay River borders the eastern edge of the park, with brooks and streams running throughout the park, nourishing the diverse flora and fauna.
The park has several different environments, including palm forests, pasture lands, and groves, interspersed with grasslands and areas of bank jungle along the river.
The bank jungle is dense and rich with mataojos, trees from the myrtle family, and the guayaba colorado.
3- FORMOSA NATURAL RESERVE
In Formosa in northern Argentina lies the Formosa Natural Reserve, created for the protection of a representative sample of eastern Chaco in 1968.
The protected area includes 10,000 ha of “dry Chaco” eco-region, with a warm climate and the highest temperatures on the continent. In summer, it rains regularly (between 500 and 700 millimetres).
The Teuco river borders the southern edge of the park, and the Riacho Teuquito, smaller but just as beautiful, runs along the northern boundary.
Along the banks of both rivers grows a dense scrubland, with a diversity of flowers and other plants.
The country’s only protected area of Palo Santo trees is within the Formosa Natural Reserve, in the flatlands between the two rivers.
This tree is desirable for its green, aromatic wood. Because of this, it is an endangered plant in many other parts of the country, but this reserve provides the needed protection to keep the species alive.
4- HUEMUL NATIONAL PARK
Stretching over an extended area of southwest Argentina lies the Huemul Natural Monument, created in 1996 to protect the Huemul deer.
The Huemul is a critically endangered deer native to the Patagonian forests in Argentina and Chile, with under 1000 of its kind left in the world.
Several factors have contributed to the significant decline in population, including overhunting, the introduction of red deer and domesticated animals, disease from livestock, habitat loss from erosion and fires, and attacks by domestic dogs.
Huemul either live alone or in groups of up to 10 animals. In the summer, they climb the rocky terrain to stay cool at a higher altitude, while in the winter, the deer migrates back down to the wooded valleys.
5- IGUAZÚ NATIONAL PARK
In Misiones in northeast Argentina lies one of Argentina’s most beautiful national parks, home to one of South America’s most famous natural wonders, Iguazú Falls.
Iguazú National Park covers about 550-square-km from Argentina to Brazil and is a mix of subtropical jungles, rivers, and waterfalls.
Authorities created this national park in 1934 to conserve one of the country’s most beautiful natural spots along with the flora, fauna, and waterfalls found there.
Separating the Argentine park from the Brazilian park is the fast and furious Iguazú River, a river that at times spreads up to an incredible 1,500 m wide, flows further than 1320km in total, and finally, 23km ahead, ends up in the Parana River.
This spectacular national park was announced as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984.
One of the reasons to visit Iguazú National Park is to see the spectacular natural wonder, Iguazu Falls. This enormous group of waterfalls consists of more than 275 falls, some of which reach up to more than 80 m high, stretching more than 2.7km along the Iguazú River.
The world’s most extensive collection of waterfalls is a wonder to see from both Argentina and Brazil.
Iguazú’s subtropical jungle consists of various trees, some growing higher than 40m, such as the Curupy tree (which grows near the edge of the river), the Aguay, and the Ceibo, whose flower has been declared the national Argentine Flower.
Orchids grow in these forests, attaching themselves to the limbs of trees, absorbing the moisture and nutrients, and, at a lower level, yerba mate, one of Argentina’s favourite herbs to make tea.
6- LAGO PUELO NATIONAL PARK
Lago Puelo National Park is a smaller, though no less beautiful, parks in Argentina’s network of 29 magnificent parks.
Its 276 sq km sit in the northwest of the Chubut province, in the heart of Patagonia.
The park is relatively young, created in 1971 to protect the beautiful landscape and Valdivian flora contained within.
Puelo Lake is the main lake in the park and has a gorgeous bluish-green colour due to the high levels of glacier sediment, or silt, within the regional rivers.
The park consists of many eco-regions, including the Patagonian forest, steppes and the High Andes.
The climate is generally cold and wet, and it snows in winter. Being a part of the Andes means it’s mountainous and glacier action in the area has created many lakes and rivers.
Some of the flora within the park, such as the Avellano, tique, lingue and ulmo, are part of the Valdivian rain forest ecosystem that is unique to this part of the world.
7- LANIN NATIONAL PARK
Located in the province of Neuquén, in Patagonia, Lanín National Park was created in 1937 to protect its unique ecosystems, landscapes and species.
The park is bordered on the west by Chile and to the south by Nahuel Huapi National Park.
The park’s topography is beautiful and interesting, transitioning seamlessly from the majestic Andes to smaller, rolling hills.
Exclusive to the southern Andes Cordillera, the park is home to a large lake basin of 24 sparkling glacial lakes framed by several mountain ranges in the distance.
The Lanín volcano (3,776 m) towers 1,500 m above the surrounding mountains, making it the focal point from every angle and its magnificent peak is accentuated by its permanent snow covering.
The park’s landscape includes a variety of forests unique to the Patagonia and the Andean region. On the northern end of the park, you can explore pehuén forests, a type of pine also known as araucaria, or monkey-puzzle tree that grows up to 45 m tall.
8- LOS ALERCES NATIONAL PARK
Los Alerces National Park is in the Patagonian province of Chubut and has been a protected area since 1937.
The park is 2,630 sqkm and runs along the Chilean border.
Los Alerces was created to protect the alerce forest and other types of Patagonian Andean flora. The alerce tree is one of the world’s most ancient trees with one of the longest life spans.
Some of the trees within the park are about 3,000 years old, and many are well over 1,000 years old. The tree grows slowly and is part of the Cupressaceae family.
As the park is quite large, it has several forests and two different climates.
The west is home to a Neotropic ecozone of Valdivian temperate rain forests, which experience high rainfall and sit below the towering Andes mountains.
The remainder of the park consists mainly of Patagonian forests, with lenga trees, similar to Lanín and Nahuel Huapi National Parks.
The park is also home to a complex lake system connected by winding rivers like the Frey River and the Menendez, Rivadavia, Krüger and Futalaufquen lakes.
9- LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK
Los Glaciares National Park is a World Heritage Site on the southwest edge of the province of Santa Cruz and is a breathtaking national park with mountains, lakes and forests, from the icy Andes to the Patagonian steppe.
Los Glaciares is a wonderland of glaciers and ice. The glaciers are formed from Patagonic Continental Ice, the world’s largest continental ice extension after Antarctica.
The park consists of 47 impressive enormous glaciers, 13 of which flow to the Atlantic Ocean. There are over 200 smaller glaciers, as well.
What’s unusual about these glaciers is they start at 1500m above sea level (which is lower than most glaciers that are 2,500 m above sea level) and descend to 200 m.
Two large lakes, Lago Argentino and Lago Viedma flow via the Santa Cruz River into the Atlantic Ocean.
The most well-known part of the park is Perito Moreno, a massive glacier in the park’s south.
This glacier constantly moves, cyclically advancing and retreating, with spontaneous outbursts and ruptures due to the glacier advancing to one end of Lago Argentino, creating a natural dam against the water.
The water can rise to 30 m, and as it has nowhere else to go, it creates pressure on the glacier, which eventually ruptures, and the cycle begins all over again.
This irregular cycle is a naturally occurring event, taking place since 1917. It ruptures between one to 10 years, but the average tends to be every four to five years.
10- MBURUCUYA NATIONAL PARK
Mburucuya National Park is 17,660 ha, and due to the region’s sub-tropical climate, the diversity of plants here is astounding.
The noisy squawks of the forest are a testament to the 150 different species of birds that inhabit the park, including woodpeckers, parrots and various birds of prey.
Mburucuya National Park’s land was donated in 1991 by Doctor Troels M. Pedersen and his wife, Nina Johanne Sinding. It was officially opened by the government to the public in 1995, during the presidency of Carlos Menem.
The land was passed onto Doctor Troels M. Pedersen by his father, Dr. Nils Peter Pederson, a Dane who had acquired the land in 1928. The doctor was a botanist who immediately set about researching, investigating and studying flora and fauna in the area.
Conservation and environmentalism were high on his agenda, for example, Pederson prohibited hunting here, hence the excellent condition and incredible biodiversity that the park continues to enjoy today.
The park’s landscape is mostly wetland, and the area has 111 lakes and a network of rivers that is crucial in balancing the water and ecological systems in the local area.
11- NAHUEL HUAPI NATIONAL PARK
Nahuel Huapi National Park is Argentina’s oldest national park and has been part of the national park system since 1934.
The land in the centre of the park was donated in 1903 to the federal government by Perito Moreno.
The park sits at the foothills of the Andes, deep in the heart of Patagonia and its 7,050 sqkm straddles the southwest of Neuquén province and the northwest of Río Negro province.
Chile borders the park to the west, and San Carlos de Bariloche, the largest city within the park, is a popular tourist destination year-round.
Apart from its rich history, this park is fascinating because it is home to another park.
Los Arrayanes National Park sits on the Quetrihué Peninsula in Nahuel Huapi Lake, protecting the unique arrayanes myrtle trees.
This area is full of lakes and is popularly known as the Argentine Lake District, which consists of many lakes, including Mascardi Lake, Guitérrez Lake, Moreno Lak, Guillermo Traful Lake, and Nahuel Huapi Lake.
The latter has many islands, including Isla Huemul, where Argentina conducted secret research on nuclear fusion from 1949 to 1952.
Cerro Catedral is one of the most famous mountains in the park and is home to a popular ski resort.
The park’s highest peak is Cerro Tronador, which is right on the border with Chile, and stands 3,491 m.
The park’s rich flora and fauna are what make the park so famous, and each year, thousands come to hike and explore its diverse and beautiful landscapes.
12- NM BALLENA FRANCA AUSTRAL
After being widely hunted for nearly 300 years, the Southern Right Whale finally received international protection in 1937 by the International Whaling Committee.
Since then, the population of this once-endangered animal has been on the upswing, helped by creating Argentina’s National Monument of the Southern Right Whale in 1984.
Southern Right Whales are baleen whales with a bow-shaped lower jaw, and their heads are up to a quarter of the 15-meter body length. They are skimmers, with filters in their mouths that allow krill, their primary food source, into their mouths as they slowly swim. Occasionally, they are also bottom-feeders, eating from the mud on the ocean floor.
Right Whales were named so because whalers considered them to be the “right” whales to hunt: rich in blubber, slow swimmers (making them easy to catch), and they float when they are killed.
Today, this species is thriving and can be seen during certain times of the year off the Peninsula Valdés, on the Patagonian coast.
Around the end of April, 450 to 600 whales arrive in the San José Gulf and Nuevo Gulf, looking for shallower water to give birth.
They stay the winter and part of the spring, then travel south for deeper waters for their summer feeding.