The National Parks of the Northwest
In the northwest region of the country, you'll find six national parks to visit when you travel to Argentina. An exotic tropical park filled with the lush foliage of the yungas cloud forest, Baritu National Park, contains flocks of toucans and parrots and many endangered species. Calilegua National Park is a bio-diverse yungas paradise containing a quarter of Argentina's bird species. Pristine (Finca) El Rey National Park offers excellent wildlife-watching especially bird species in its subtropical cloud forests. Los Cardones National Park features a stark high-elevation landscape with a candelabra-shaped cactus, colorful hills and many birds. Copo National Park, one of Argentina's newest, is a vast area protecting Quebracho forests, habitat to several critically endangered species. Campo de los Alisos National Park is a small park of tall mountains, endangered wildlife species and Incan archeological sites.
The National Parks of the Northeast
The northeast region of Argentina contains six national parks to see on Argentina tours. Rio Pilcomayo National Park is one of the world's most important wetlands and home to monkey and stork species among its wildlife. Little visited Chaco National Park is a park of dense forests and wetlands that contains over 340 bird species, a paradise for birders. Mburucuya National Park is located in one of the world's largest most important estuaries filled with many rare wildlife species. Majestic Iguazu National Park contains the famous falls and its surrounding tropical forest, making it one of South America's top attractions. Pre-Delta National Park is an exotic water paradise with floating islands, water hyacinths and massive thorn bird nests suspended from trees. With its wildlife-rich habitat, El Palmar National Park protects the last of the vast yatay palm savannahs that once covered much of Entre Rios province and contiguous areas of Uruguay and Brazil.
The National Parks of the Central Andes
Five national parks are located in the central Andes region of Argentina and a sixth is being developed for future visits on Argentina tours. San Guillermo National Park is home to Argentina's largest remaining (and now growing) concentration of guanacos and vicunas. Talampaya National Park is the region's most popular attraction because of its unusual sandstone formations, Triassic period dinosaur fossils and cave dwellers' art. A stargazer's paradise, El Leoncito National Park contains two major astronomical observatories for viewing its star-filled pitch-black pollution-free skies. Sierra de la Quijadas National Park demonstrates the wonders of erosion in a colorful natural amphitheatre. Not yet open to the public, Los Venados de las Pampas National Park, will save some of the rapidly disappearing pampas and the dwindling wildlife. Quebrada del Condorito National Park offers a bird's eye view of condors in flight from the top of the ravine nicknamed "Condor Flight School" in high elevation grasslands.
The National Parks of the Pampas
This populous region contains only one national park to visit when you travel to Argentina. Lihue Calel National Park offers panoramic views of the pampas and terrain conducive to wildlife viewing. The park also protects some pre-Columbian petroglyphs that were found there.
The National Parks of Northern Patagonia
In northern Patagonia you'll find six of Argentina's national parks. Laguna Blanca National Park is one of the Western Hemisphere's two top places to see the magnificent black-necked swan plus a thousand other aquatic species in a stark volcanic landscape that attracts birdwatchers on Argentina tours from throughout the world. Lanin National Park is named for 13,000-ft Lanin volcano and famous for its distinctive monkey puzzle trees. Los Arrayanes National Park is a small park within a park that encompasses the world's only forest of Arrayanes trees, distinctive for the species' twisted trunk and cinnamon-colored bark.
Argentina's largest and most popular national park, Nahuel Huapi National Park is renowned for its spring spectacle of forest wildflowers, many lakes and varied landscapes, attracting visitors on Patagonia tours from throughout the world. Lago Puelo National Park is filled with lots of wildlife and activities that include the unforgettable experience of sailing on turquoise Lake Puelo. Los Alerces National Park contains resplendent ancient forests of its namesake tree, the world's second longest living tree species plus numerous pristine lakes and waterfalls.
National Parks of Southern Patagonia
The southernmost region of Argentina contains four national parks. The country's first continental marine park, Monte Leon National Park is home to thousands of penguins and is Argentina's most recent park to open to visitors on Argentina tours. To watch huge glacier pieces fall from the renowned turquoise Perito Moreno glacier and to hike on majestic Mt. Fitz Roy attracts visitors on Patagonia tours from around the world to Los Glaciares National Park. The least visited of Argentina's national parks is Perito Moreno National Park, a colorful landscape with small deer and big birds. Tierra del Fuego National Park is a destination for those seeking to travel to the ends of the earth.
