Ecotourism

Arrayanes National Park

It is a park inside another (the Nahuel Huapi), founded in 1971 to protect the woods almost all of Arrayanes on the Quetriué Peninsula in Nahuel Huapi lake.
With an area of 1.840 hectares, it is located 12 kilometers away from Villa Angostura (Neuquén).
It characterizes for a woody area of a unique species of mirthaceus of cinnamon colored bark and white blooming. These trees - which are actually gigantic bushes - bloom every four years in spring, although not simultaneously.
The trekking of 12 kilometers (4 hours of duration approximately) as far as the peninsula is done along an interesting path. The area of the park reserved for the tourists is covered in half an hour trekking.
Most of the park is a natural reserve of restricted access.

Petrified Woods Natural Monument

To preserve the integrity of one of the best exponents of the process of petrifying on the most ancient woods that there were in Patagonia, this Natural Monument was founded in 1954.
It is located northeast of Santa Cruz province, in the Puerto Deseado department, 150 kilometers west of that location. The nearest town is Jaramillo, 135 kilometers away.
The park has an extension of 13.700 hectares.
Some 130 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period, the area that this Natural Monument had a stable weather of great humidity. Thick woods with tress of gigantic standing grew in this region. In the beginnings of the Cretacic Period, volcanic eruptions that coincided with the raising of the Mountain range, buried down vast extensions of the Patagonia territory. Many of the buried woods by ash were submitted to a petrification process. Afterwards, the wind blow and the rainfall left great sections of the petrified woods uncovered, that in some cases it has remained with the tree-trunks standing.
The most important deposit is near the office place of the park keepers.

Los Pozuelos Lagoon Natural Monument

This natural monument that protects the Pozuelos lagoon, was founded in 1981.
It is located in the puna region of the northern Jujuy province, between the locations of Rinconada, Lagunillas, Yoscaba, Cieneguillas and Pozuelos.
This lagoon has an extension of 15.700 hectares.
Since its importance as a place where many kinds of birds bear, this lagoon was included on the list of major International Humedals (Ramsar Convention).
This lagoon concentrates a rich and varied aquatic bird fauna which includes 44 species. Its more eye-catching members are the flamingoes, whose population reaches up to 25.000 individuals.

Perito Francisco P. Moreno National Park

The protection of the woods, mainly that of lenga (typical wood) and two interesting lake systems with glaziers and waterfalls.
This park characterizes for having fossil remains and rich fauna.
The Perito Francisco P. Moreno National Park has an extension of 115.000 hectaires.

Pre - Delta National Park

This park was founded in 1992 with the purpose of preserving a sample of the environments of the higher Delta of Paraná River.
This park has an area of 2.458 hectares. It is located southwest of Entre Rios province, 6 kilometers away to the south of Diamante city.

El Palmar National Park

This park of 8.500 hectares was founded in 1966 with the purpose of keeping a representative section of Yatay palm groves.
It is located in the center eastern of Entre Rios province, on the western water front of Uruguay River, between Colón and Concordia cities.
The characteristic scenery of this park is a mosaic of palm groves, pastures and woodiest.

Laguna Blanca National Park

This place has been included on the chart of Humedals of International importance (Rasmar Convention), for its special relevances as the habitat of aquatic birds.
This National park was founded in 1945 with the purpose of protecting one of the most important places of nesting of the black neck swan.
Laguna Blanca has an extension of 11.250 hectares. It is located in the center western on Nauquén province, 30 kilometers away from Zapala city.

Mburucuyá National Park

A National park that emerges from the donation of lands done by Dr. Troels M. Pedersen to the Administration of National Parks.
Mburucuyá has an extension of 15.060 hectares. It is located northwest of Corrientes province in the Mburucuyá Department.
The main characteristic of this protected area is its high bio-diversity, being an important hiding place for the native flora and fauna.

Tierra de Fuego National Park

Founded in 1960, it represents the most austral portion of the Andean Patagonia woods and it has as one of its borders the sea coast.
Tierra de Fuego has an extension of 63.000 hectares. It is located in the southwestern section of Tierra del Fuego province on the International border with the Chilean Republic.
Of mountainous topography, it presents a typical glazier scenery where deep valleys with rivers and lagoons alternate with mountain ranges that go from the northwest to the southeast.
The coastline section presents the Lapataia and Ensenada Bay where it alternate with raviers and small beaches that constitute the ideal environment for the coastline bird fauna.

Lihué Calel National Park

It was founded in 1977 with the purpose of keeping the mountain range of the same system and its historical, cultural and natural values of great singularity.
It is located in the south center of La Pampa province, in the Lihué Calel Department.
Lihué Calel Park has an extension of 9.901 hectares.
The mountain ranges of Lihué Calel have a maximum altitude of 589 meters above sea level with slight slopes on the sides facing the north, while the opposite ones fall down abruptly.
The dominant biogeography unit is the mount, represented by its characteristic vegetation of arum bush groves, with isolated chañar woodiest.

Sierra de la Quijadas National Park

This national park was founded in 1991 in order to keep representative environments of the Arid Chaco and the Mount. Also to preserve the archeological and paleonthological deposits.
It is located northwest of San Luis province in the Belgrano and Ayacucho Departments.
The Sierra of the Quijadas has an extension of 150.000 hectares.
One of the causes that influenced the choice this area was the existence of a singular geological formation of the north center of the Sierras called Potrero de la Aguada. It consists of an enormous natural amphitheater totally surrounded by steeps sandy walls and reddish coloration agglomerates in which erosion has carved the most capricious shapes.
One can appreciate a flora adapted to the particular environmental conditions of the place (driest and erosion). An example of this group is the Chica, a small endemic tree of Gran Cuyo of very slow growth and it is a very hard wood, of which one can appreciate individual twisted trunks growing on the border of the pieces of wall.

Baritú National Park

Located northwest of Salta province on the frontier Department of Santa Victoria.
Baritú has an extension pf 72.439 hectares.
This National park was founded in 1974 to preserve one section of Nuboselvas which has practically remained virgin due to its inaccessibility and it's relieved, because the abrupt scenery hindered the extraction of timber.
Of the numerous flows of water that border it, the Lipeo River in the north and the Porongal and Pescado rivers are remarkable which outflow into Bermejo River, in a small leg and it forms the northeast limit of the Park. This is the most northern of the National protected areas that keep the wilderness of the mountain.
The Salta cedars of valuable wood, reach a great size.

Quebrada Del Condorito National Park

It is located to the west of Cordova province in Punilla, Santa María and San Alberto Departments.
The Quebrada Del Condorito was founded in 1996.
The protected area has an extension of 15.000 hectares, of which 37.000 are under the category of National Park and the rest is kept as a Provincial Reserve.
The predominant vegetation is the pastures of the altitude with the isolated tabaquillo woodiest, similar to the characteristical ones of the Argentinean northwest.

Campo de los Alisos National Park

It was founded in 1995 to protect the representative section of the wilderness and the mountainous woods of the Andean range.
It is located in the Chicligasta Department, in the Tucumán province.
Campos de los Alisos has an extension of 10.000 hectares.
The Aconquija chain, an austral extension of the Calchaquíes Summits, is the first mountainous steep to the west of the Chaco Pampeana plain. This National Park is located on the eastern side of the Aconquija snow capped mountains.
It is interesting to visit the Cerro de la Bolsa.

Pilcomayo River National Park

This natural park was founded in 1951 to protect the pasture, stereos, ravines, lagoons and forests, types of Humid Chaco or Oriental Chaco.
Pilcomayo River has an extension of 47.754 hectares.
It is located to the northwest of Formosa province on the river banks of its name and borders with Paraguay Republic.
This park has been included on the chart list of the Internationally Important Humedals (Ramsar Convention).
It is situated in a zone of scarce slopes, with many beach mats and lagoons.
The management office of the Park is located in Blanca Lagoon.

Calilegua National Park

This park is located to the southwest of Jujuy province in Ledesma Department.
It was founded in 1979 to keep a representative section of the Yungas, one of the environments of the most bio diversity of Argentina.
Calilegua has an extension of 76.320 hectares. It is the most extensive National Park of the Argentinean North West.
This park has a broken relief with deep great ravines carved by the brooks and rivers of remarkable steepness, as well as cords of mountains with peaks of over 3.000 meters of altitude.
Mountains Hermoso, Amarillo, Morro Alto and Serranía del Socavón are outstanding for their majestic pose. From there a considerable number of brooks and rivers flow down that afterwards out shed in San Lorenzo and Ledezma rivers. All of those flow of water finally out shed in San Francisco River that flows northward for its encounter with Bermejo.

Chaco National Park

This park was founded in 1954 in order to protect a sample of Chaco Oriental.
Chaco has an extension of 15.000 hectares. It is located 130 kilometers to the northwest of Resistencia, the capital city of Chaco.
Inside the park different environments can be distinguished, like mounts, savannah with white palm and beach mats and lagoons.
The mount has trees that can reach 15 meters of high like the chaqueño red quebracho bark tree.
Also the carob tress and guayaibí tree can be found.

El Rey National Park

El Rey Park is located 80 kilometers away of the Department of Anta in Salta province.
It was founded in 1948 in order to preserve the section of Yungas and Chaco Serrano environment.
This park has an extension of 44.162 hectares.
It is surrounded by mountainous cords that gradually descend as far as the central valley, making up an immense amphitheater of unique beauty. From the mountains, the waters of numerous brooks flow downwards that finally joins to the Popayán River.

Iguazú National Park

This national park was founded in 1934 in order to keep one of the greatest natural beauties of Argentina : The waterfalls of Iguazú River, together with the splendid scenery of the subtropical forest that surrounds them.
It is located to the north of Misiones Province in the Iguazú Department.
This park has an extension of 67.000 hectares.
Towards the north of the park separated by Iguazú river that makes up the international limit is its Brazilian couple. In 1984 both of them were declared a Site of Worldwide Patrimony by the United Nations.
The Iguazú river that is born in the Serra do Mar (Brazil) a short distance away from the Atlantic coast, it flows westward in a sinuous course of over 500 kilometers emptying in the Paraná river, at only 90 meters above sea level.
Framed up by lowly coast, this river has a variable width in most of its course that varies from 500 up to 1.000 meters. Inside the park it width ness to some 1.500 meters and turns southwards and then take back northwards, forming up a wide U that has at its outlet the brusque unevenness on the land that gives way to the waterfalls. On its great curve, there is a proliferation of pitfalls, islets and long islands, break up the river into numerous branches. Reaching the ravine each of them gives way to a fall, whose, bunch becomes a great fan that are the Iguazú Waterfalls.

Lago Puelo National Park

It was founded as an annex to Alerces National Park in 1937 in order to preserve the Puelo watershed. In 1971 it was declared and independent National Park and Reserve.
Lago Puelo has an extension of 23.700 hectares. It is located in the northwestern end of Chubit province, bordering with the Chilean Republic.
The mountain range zone was profusely modified by the glazing action, forming up extended deep lakes. That is the case of Puelo Lake that empties into the Pacific Ocean through the river of the same name.

Lanín National Park

Founded in 1937 in order to keep the representative of the Andean - Patagonian woods, with species like the pehuén and raulí trees that in Argentina they are only found in a reduced area of Neuquin mountain range, framed up in a beautiful of landscape of lakes and mountains.
Lanin park has an extension of 379.000 hectares. It is located to the southwest of Neuquén province.
This park takes its name of Lanin Volcano whose permanently snow capped cone over rises the other peaks of the zone for over 1.500 meters.
Its beautiful geography additionally comprises 24 lakes of glaze origin.

The Alerces National Park

It was founded in 1937 in order to essentially protect the woods of Lahuán or Alerce, a giant Andean - Patagonian exponent of the flora.
The Alerces has an extension of 263.000 hectares. It is located in the west of Chubut province in the Andean region and on the international border with the Chilean Republic.
This National Park embraces a beautiful and complex lake system where numerous rivers and brooks empty and are born. The lakes are surrounded by mountainous cords covered by heavy coihue, cipres and lenga woods.
On its western end, the abundant rains nourish the most exuberant and rich formation inside the Andean - Patagonian woods : The Valdiviana forest.

The Cardones National Park

It is located in the central western of Salta province in Cachi and San Carlos Departments. Its name derives from the gigantic cactuses of the high plains.
The park occupies an interesting sample of 65.000 hectares of the nature of the mountains and dry gullies between 2.700 and 5.000 meters of altitude.
In this region, it constitutes an important wood resource.

The Glaziers National Park

Founded in 1937 in order to preserve an extensive area of continental ice and glaziers. It spreads along 600.000 hectares located at the southwest of Santa Cruz province.
Due to its imposing beauty, its glaziers and geomorphologic interest and part of its fauna in danger of extinguished, UNESCO has declared it a Site of Worldwide Patrimony in 1981.
Undoubtedly, the most remarkable of this park are its icy fields, that overall comprises an approximate area of 2.600 square kilometers (this means that over the 30% of the area of the Park is covered by ice). From these fields, 47 major glaziers descend.
The mostly known of the glaziers is the Perito Moreno that spreads along the waters of the Brazo Sur of Argentinean Lake.

Nahuel Huapi National Park

The generous donation of the lands done by the Mr. Perito Francisco Pascasio Moreno on November 1903 stands as the core on which the Nahuel Huapi National Park is founded in 1934. For its ecological and panoramic value, it protects an extensive representative area of the Andean region of the northern Patagonia.
It is located at the southwest of Neuquén province. It has an extension of 705.000 hectares.
This park keeps samples of three natural units: high Andean, Patagonian Andean woods and the Patagonian steppe.

The Leoncito Natural Reserve

This Natural Reserve was founded in 1994 in order to keep representative samples of the vegetarian communities typical of the environment of the mounts, besides preserving the habitat of the menaced species.
Also, historical sites are protected, paleonthological deposits and areas of archeological interest, including part of the course of the Camino del Inca (The Incan road).
The Leoncito Park has an extension of 76.000 hectares.
It is located southwest of San Juan province in the Calingasta Department. The nearest location is Barreal, 34 kilometers away. The Uspallata town is 93 kilometers away from the park.

San Antonio Natural Reserve

This reserve was founded in 1990. It is located northwest of Misiones province in the General Belgrano Department.
On its 400 hectares, it keeps one of the last wilderness life of the paraná pine or curiyú tree.
This native coniferous is a tree of great stand of 30 meters of height. Its seeds are edible, being eaten by the inhabitants of this place.

Colonia Benitez National Reserve

This protected Reserve is formed by two pieces of land that add up to 7 hectares of area. It is located in the Chaco province.
As well kept as a left at its death state in very good conservation condition of the fort, mount representative of the Oriental Chaco.
The woody campus was carefully relieved by Augusto Schultz, who issued a listing of the vegetable species present in this place.

Formosa Natural Reserve

This reserve was founded in 1968 to protect the sample of the western Chaco.
It is an area of 10.000 hectares.
The park is located west of Formosa province. The border with Salta province is at 60 kilometers and the closest town is Ingeniero Juarez.
This natural area has a very important floristic diversity.
A considerable area of this reserve, in the low inter fluvial, has the only protected sample in the system of National Parks with woods of Palo Santo. This tree has a kind of wood that is much appreciated for its hardness, greenish shade and a beautiful decoration, having been drastically cut down all over its measured distribution.

Otamendi Natural Reserve