When people are asked about Argentina, what it's known for, the first thing they mention is tango, a romantic partnered dance filled with passion. The same amount of passion is shared for football (soccer in America), the most popular sport in Argentina. It is no surprise that the country is home to one of the top football teams in the world. It is also home to two of the world's best football players: Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.
At 2.8 million square kilometers (692 million acres), Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world, with a population of about 45 million people. Some of the residents are gauchos, Argentine’s version of the cowboy.
Argentina is also the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. The nation is also known for its steaks, which are best paired with wine as Argentina is also known for producing one of the best-tasting wines in the world.
There are a few places that tourists must visit when they are in Argentina. First, there is the Ushuaia, which is also considered the "End of the World" because it is in the southernmost tip of South America. This is the jumping point for people who want to go to Antarctica. Of course, the most important destination in Argentina is the colorful capital city of Buenos Aires.
But for tourists who just want a relaxing visit to the home of the gauchos, they should visit at least a few of Argentina’s 37 national parks. Here are 10 of the country’s national parks that are still largely undiscovered by tourists:
Aconquija National Park
One of Argentina’s youngest parks, the Aconquija is located in the province of Tucuman. Its park status was only established on July 4, 2018, making it the second newest park in Argentina as of 2019. At 250,000 acres (1,011 square kilometers), the park is situated in the eponymous mountain range. The mountain chain is also what the nation is trying to protect, by conserving this area. The mountain's glaciers, according to authorities, are sources of clean water that will supply Tucuman. The province is known for its lemon and blueberry plantations. Tucuman is known as the world's first producer of lemons.
Baritu National Park
Located in the province of Salta, Baritu is the only tropical park in Argentina. The park was established in 1974 yet and is bordered by several mountains. This protected area also forms part of the Southern Andean Yungas ecoregion, which traverses tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests in both Argentina and Bolivia.
The logo of the park features a jaguar on a branch of a tree overlooking the forest with a bunch of blossoming yellow flowers. Jaguar is one of the endangered species, protected by the park. Another endangered species under the park's protection is the Onza. Other animals found in the park include the spectacled bear and three-toed sloth.
The park may have some gems but its remote location makes it difficult to be accessed by tourists. This in a way, is good for the park as it remains generally unperturbed. But for those who venture into the park, the hilly slopes are great for more strenuous hikes, while the tropical forest provides great views during sightseeing walks. There are also waterfalls in the park that provide refreshing vistas.
If the park is interesting up close, the view from space is even more interesting as the park looks green with just some slim jagged lines indicating the presence of rivers.
Campo de los Alisos National Park
In English, the name translates to Field of Alders. The park has various landscapes—jungles in the lower level and snow-covered mountains at the highest elevation, which make for different ecosystems for flora and fauna. The alders are found populating intermediate slopes in the park.
The sites in the park are also varied. There is jungle vegetation of canopying trees and thriving plants, as well as a dairy farm. The park is also famous for the ruins of a small city and an Inca road. In fact, this is the only national park in Argentina that has ruins of a small city within.
The park is great for hiking as the jungle keeps the trails shaded. For those who want adventure, they can scale the snow-covered mountains. There are also certain areas where visitors can choose to camp for the night, they have to ask park rangers for this. Flora in the park includes horca molle, laurel and walnut trees. Fauna includes guanacos and pumas. There are also dozens of species of birds that reside in the park.
Unfortunately, the archeological sites that include the ruins of the city, as well as the Inca road, are not yet open for public viewing. These provide additional dynamics to the park.
Copo National Park
Uniquely housing a Dry Chaco biodiversity, this park is located in the Santiago del Estero Province. Among the most common trees in the park is the Santiago red quebracho. The forest area used to be 80% quebracho but their population has greatly diminished, and only about 20% remain. This is due to exploitation from Argentinians as well as neighboring countries. This prompted authorities to establish the Copo park to preserve the remaining quebrachos as well as revitalize its population.
Aside from the quebracho, other flora elements in the park include guayacan, itin, mistol, white quebracho, and yucan. The fauna population is composed of giant armadillos, chacoan peccaries, giant anteaters, jaguars and maned wolves. Endangered species that are found in the park are the boa of bizcacheras, crowned eagle, quimelero pig, tatu carreta and yaguarete.
El Rey National Park
Located in the province of Salta, part of the reason for the park's establishment is to conserve the Southern Andean Yungas ecoregion, which is home to tropical and subtropical forests. The park is home to some meadows as well as low scrub forests.
The park has several trails that are great for hiking. But there are also trails accessible by vehicles, which means tourists can go on a scenic drive to see the different types of vegetation, some brown broket deer and peccaries. The birdlife in the park is abundant. A lot of the aquatic birds find solace in Laguna Los Patitos. More birds can be seen at Pozo Verde, only accessible through a hike that could last for four hours, depending on the pace. The park also provides a camping area for those who want to stay overnight.
Ibera National Park
Argentina’s youngest park is already making waves as Ibera National Park was named as one of the best value destinations for 2019 by Lonely Planet, the world's premier travel guide. The park aims to protect Argentine forests, grasslands, and wetlands. The park was only established in December 2018.
This is the country’s largest park at 1.7 million acres (6,879 square kilometers). Before the establishment of the national park, there was already an existing Ibera Provincial Park. Some 395,000 acres were added to the provincial park to make a new national park.
The centerpiece of the park is the marshlands, which is considered one of the largest freshwater marshlands in South America. For now, the park has only received very few visitors since it's brand new. But due to its biodiversity, Lonely Planet predicted that the park will host around 100,000 annual visitors in 10 years.
Laguna Blanca National Park
As the name implies, the centerpiece of this park in Neuquen province is the lagoon. The park was established as early as 1940 to protect the black-necked swans that frequent the lagoon, which is in the Patagonian Steppe, the largest desert in Argentina. The lagoon is surrounded by hills and gorges.
The black-necked swans may be the reason why the lagoon became a protected natural resource, but many different kinds of aquatic birds benefit from it. There are over 100 species of shorebirds that visit the park, particularly during the migrating season. Among them are coots, ducks, flamingos, and geese. Along the cliffs located in the park are nests of raptors like the peregrine falcon and red-backed hawk.
The lagoon also used to house a large population of Patagonia frog, which is endemic to the Patagonia Steppe. But the species became extinct because of the presence of predatory fish. There are still isolated ponds within the park, where the frog lives. Somewhere along the hills live some of the park mammals which include cougars, foxes, and wildcats.
Another attraction in the park is the Salamanca Cave, which had human presence written all over them, literally. The cave has some rock paintings typical in northern Patagonia. There were also other prehistoric artifacts found in the cave, particularly those belonging to the Mapuche tribe, Argentina’s indigenous people.
The park has a covered viewpoint where tourists can see the panoramic vista of the lagoon with its beautiful blue waters.
Mburucuya National Park
This park is not only beautiful, but it is also quite significant in terms of water provision. The park is mostly wetlands. Mburucuya is also historically significant among Argentinians as it used to be the home of the nation’s indigenous peoples. The region used to cultivate different agricultural products like beans, cassava, cotton, maize, squash and yerba mate. During the Spanish colonization, the area experienced great deforestation.
The bid to establish the area as a national park started after World War II yet, but it only became official in 2001. Among the most noted species of plants in the park are the imposing Yatay palm trees. Native species in the park include Quebracho, Urunday, and Viraro.
Monte Leon National Park
This park serves as a great way to experience a different kind of Argentina. The park is characterized by Patagonian steppe and coastal biodiversity. In the park, tourists can see sandstone cliffs, rock formations, as well as islands and beaches. It is also a significant paleontological site.
Among the rock formations, the centerpiece is the Monte Cabeza de Leon or Lion Head Mount. That rock formation looks like the head of a lion, which is how the park got its name. The sandstone cliffs are not only marvelous to look at, but they also offer great viewpoints of the park's beaches.
It is quite surprising how the park hosts diverse species of animals, despite sparse vegetation. But the park is not completely barren as the other side of the park has grasslands, which is home to a herd of guanacos. Penguins are also common residents of the park, especially the Magellanic penguin species. Some 60,000 of them can be found in the park. There are also cormorants and ñandus in the park, as well as pumas. The park’s waters are home to some sea lions and southern right whales.
Perito Moreno National Park
Located in Santa Cruz province, the park is characterized by mountains and valleys, which are elevated by at least 900 meters. The mountain range provides a great landscape, some of which create a natural amphitheater. The highest peak is the Cerro Heros or Heros hill at 2,770 meters. The park is also home to the Red plain, which is unique because of its color, from which it got its name.
It is Argentina’s oldest park, which was established as early as 1937. Aside from the natural landscape from the mountains and valleys, there are also eight lakes in the park. The most popular of these lakes is the Belgrano Lake. There are also several rivers and streams in the park.
There are around 25 species of animals in the park including the endangered species of small wildcats: gato Pajero and gato huiña. Other species in the park are the deer, dwarf armadillo, ferret, guanaco, Patagonian fox, puma, tuco-tuco and skunk. The park is also a great place for birding as at least 115 species of birds have been documented in the park. Among them are Andean goose, duck, eagle, flamingo, hooded grebe, peregrine falcon, and podicep.