Argentina is an extremely diverse country that offers a wide range of landscapes and unique ecosystems across the nation, making it a great destination to reconnect with nature, but also a great place for the observation of unique flora and fauna - some of which can only be found in South America and even Argentina.
From North to South, we've compiled the best places to discover the country's unique topography, along with all of the different species travelers can encounter along the way.
Located in the extreme northeast of Argentina, almost isolated from the rest of the country, the Misiones province is an earthly paradise full of wonderful landscapes refreshed by crystalline waterways, some of them peaceful and most of them imposing. In the famous Iguaz National Park, travelers can discover more than 2,000 plant species, 400 bird species, a variety of mammals and butterflies that can't be found anywhere else in the world. Its diversity makes it one of the richest natural environments in the entire country, and the imposing setting of the Iguaz Falls is unique to the world.
Chaco National Park in El Chaco province boasts extensive savannas, palm forests, riverside jungles and islets called "monte fuerte." This national park is dedicated to the preservation of the "red quebracho," a native tree to South America that has been long endangered due to its overexploitation for the production of furniture. The park is also home to a variety of species, such as pumas, the Chaque?a snake, howling monkeys or "carays," and jaguarundis or "gato moro," a wild cat that is native to the Americas.
Nearby, at the Iber Wetlands Natural Reserve (Reserva Natural Esteros del Iber) in the province of Corrientes, travelers will find unique species that have been declared "provincial natural monuments" of this region of Argentina. These include yacar caimans, marsh deers, neotropical otters and maned wolves or "aguar guazs."
Heading further down, the Pre-Delta National Park boasts three types of environments: jungles, lagoons and river banks, all unified within a single island located in the province of Entre Rios. This is a protected area where the lagoons allow for the observation of aquatic birds, such as the Kingfisher, and semi-aquatic mammals such as capybaras and otters. Unique flora includes water lilies, hyacinths and the irup, which look like large green plates above the water.
Located in the geographic center of the country, Cordoba is a great place for flora and fauna sightseeing. In this region, travelers will find "Tabaquillos" (a tree unique to central Argentina), mountain ferns and animals such as pumas, deer and a great variety of birds. Condors in particular can be seen majestically flying from the scenic Mina Clavero to the Quebrada del Condorito. Also located in Cordoba in the San Luis region, the Sierra de las Quijadas National Park even houses dinosaur fossils.
It is the southernmost part of the country, Argentina's Patagonia, that encompasses several provinces that stand out for having wonderful landscapes and a great diversity of fauna. Perhaps its two most outstanding regions are the Andean Patagonia in the Andes mountain range and the Atlantic Patagonia, which is the coastal area. In this famous region of the country, travelers will find everything from beaches, mountains, lakes, glaciers and everything in between; which are of course home to a wide range of fauna such as sea lions, dolphins and whales in the coast, as well as deer; guanacos, a close relative of the llama; and puds, the world's smallest deer on land.
The Patagonia is also great for bird lovers! There are hundreds of species, including colonies of flamingos, black-necked swans, condors, cormorants, petrels, the native rhea or "choique," and of course, groups of friendly penguins. Some colonies of penguins in Patagonia are quite large, such as the one found in Punta Tombo, which is home to up to a million Magellanic penguins.
Another must-do while in the Patagonia area is the sighting of the Red Stag, found in the Luro Park Provincial Reserve (Reserva Provincial Parque Luro) in the province of La Pampa. During its reproductive season (March and April), males emit a powerful roar that can be heard across the reserve. There are group outings to viewpoints from where you can observe the majestic courtship behaviors, which differ at sunrise and at sunset.
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