Outdoor sights in Argentina
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A
Parque Lezama
Scruffy Parque Lezama was once thought to be the site of Buenos Aires’ founding in 1536, but archeological teams recently refuted the hypothesis. Today’s green park hosts old chess-playing gentlemen, bookworms toting mate (traditional Argentine tea) gourds and teenagers kissing on park benches. Don’t miss the striking Iglesia Ortodoxa Rusa (Russian Orthodox Church) on the north side of the park.
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Reserva Faunística Península Valdés
Lying on Argentina's barren eastern Patagonian coast, this oddly shaped peninsula is home to some of the country's richest wildlife. Elephant seals, Magellanic penguins, right whales, guanacos, armadillos and foxes are almost guaranteed sightings during their high seasons. This is where orcas have been filmed snatching pinnipeds (genus including seals and sea lions) off the beach.
Elephant seals, sea lions and dusky dolphins lounge around all year long. While the orca phenomenon occurs during high tide from February to April, note that sightings are very rare - you may be disappointed!
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B
Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur
The beautifully marshy land of this nature preserve makes it a popular site for weekend outings, when hundreds of picnickers, cyclists and families come for fresh air and natural views. If you’re lucky you may spot a river turtle or a coypu; bird-watchers will adore the 200-plus bird species that pause to rest here. You can rent bikes just outside the park entrance on the weekends (daily in summer).
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Güirá Oga Center for the Recuperation of Birds
Unfortunately, injured and orphaned wildlife seems to be an inevitable consequence of human proximity to the Argentine rainforest. Here, threatened native birds are given a chance to recover and return to the wild. Species in care at any one time might include macaws, toucans, maracanas and many different species of parrot and eagle endemic to the area.
As the name suggests, Güirá Oga is a haven for native birds. It takes in the wounded, sick, abandoned and threatened, and houses and attempts to recuperate them. Not only is its work worthy, it gives visitors the chance to get close to species they might otherwise not see in the wild. Animals hurt by illegal hunting and t…
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Parque El Desafío
Don’t miss Parque El Desafío, the perfect remedy to long-distance travel fatigue. Its octogenarian owner Joaquín Alonso, the ‘Dali of Recycling, ’ spent 30,000 hours fashioning some 80,000 bottles, cans and soda containers into whimsical folk art. Though he created the park to entertain his grandchildren, adults can appreciate it just as well. Plaques (some translated into English) with folk sayings and quotes from Seneca and Plato offer wit and reflection for all amid this symphony of junk. As one proclaims: Si quieres vivir mejor, mezcla a tu sensatez unos gramos de locura (‘If you want to live better, mix up your sensibility with a few grams of craziness’). The…
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Reserva Natural Otamendi
Covering some 27 sq km on the banks of the Paraná de las Palmas river, the Reserva Natural Otamendi is just beyond the Tigre Delta. The reserve takes in three habitats: the riverine forest with its native willows and brightly flowered coral trees; the floodplain with its variety of reeds and rushes where you'll find cabybaras and the rare marsh deer, as well as many bird species; and the tala woods with a small remnant of native pampas grassland beyond it.
The reserve also features remains of pre-Columbian settlements of fisherfolk and hunter-gatherers who left behind harpoon points and ceramics. The park is open from morning to late afternoon, but exact hours vary sligh…
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Reserva Natural Municipal Punta Rasa
A few kilometers north of San Clemente del Tuyú are several protected areas, including Reserva Natural Municipal Punta Rasa which is managed by the environmental NGO Fundación Vida Silvestre. At the tip of Cabo San Antonio, where the Río de la Plata meets the Atlantic, the park is essentially a beach with a wet pampas grassland beyond it. A path leads through the park, which is visited by more than 100,000 migratory birds each year - some from as far off as Alaska.
This reserve and its neighboring parks area are some of the last protected areas of pampas grassland in the province. There's no public transport to the park, 10km from the center of town, and no visitors ce…
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C
Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi
One of Argentina's most visited national parks, Nahuel Huapi occupies 750,000 hectares (1,853,290 acres) in the mountainous southwestern Neuquén and western Río Negro provinces. The park's centerpiece is Lago Nahuel Huapi, a glacial remnant over 100km (62mi) long that covers more than 500 sq km (193 sq mi). The lake is the source of the Río Limay, a major tributary of the Río Negro.
Rafting and kayaking on the Río Limay has become increasingly popular in recent years. The best time to be on the rivers is November through February, though you can raft October through Easter.
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Reserva Natural Sierra del Tigre
The Reserva Natural Sierra del Tigre is just south of Tandil, at the end of Calle Suiz, off Av Don Bosco. The rocky hills are fun to climb, and in spring the reserve is filled with fragrant wild flowers. The peaks offer views of the town to one side and the patchwork pampean farms stretching out from the other. A somewhat incongruous collection of animals – llamas and donkeys among them – have free run of the park, while their natural predator, the puma, is sadly caged.
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GüiráOga
Five kilometers out of town on the way to the Iguazú National Park, GüiráOga is an animal hospital and center for rehabilitation of injured wildlife. It also carries out valuable research into the Iguazú forest environment, and has a breeding program for endangered species. You get driven around the park by one of the biologists and get to meet the creatures in a natural state. The visit takes about 80 minutes and is recommended.
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Parque Nacional del Tierra del Fuego
Extending 63,000 hectares (155,676 acres) from the Beagle Channel in the south to beyond Lago Fagnano/Kami in the north, only a couple of thousand hectares of this park are open to the public: a miniscule system of short, easy trails along the rivers or through dense native forests. Plenty of birdlife graces the park, especially along the coastal zone. Keep an eye out for albatross, terns, oystercatchers and orange-billed steamer ducks.
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Parque Nacional El Palmar
On the west bank of the Río Uruguay, midway between Colón and Concordia, 8500-sq-km Parque Nacional El Palmar preserves the last extensive stands of yatay palm on the Argentine littoral. In the 19th century the native yatay covered large parts of Entre Ríos, Uruguay and southern Brazil, but the intensification of agriculture, ranching and forestry throughout the region destroyed much of the palm savanna.
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Parque 3 de Febrero
Also known as Bosques de Palermo, or Palermo Woods, this sweeping green space abounds with small lakes and paddleboats, pretty gazeboes, stands renting bikes and in-line skates, a monument to literary greats called El Jardín de los Poetas (the Garden of Poets), and the exquisite Rosedal (rose garden.) Watch your step at night, when Av de la Infanta Isabel becomes a transvestite red-light zone.
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Reserva Mar Chiquita
Most visitors come here to explore the Reserva Mar Chiquita, a Unesco World Biosphere Reserve. It takes in several types of landscapes and ecosystems, including the lagoon, pampean grasslands and the coastal dunes to the north (Reserva Provincial Dunas del Atlantica Sur). Tours of the area last around four hours and depart from the visitor center at 09:00 every day except Monday.
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Reserva Natural de Merlo
Two kilometers from the center, in Rincon del Este, on the road to the Miradors, the Reserva Natural de Merlo is a lovely spot for creekside walks up to a couple of swimming holes. The obligatory ziplines have been installed here and you can go whizzing through the canopy overhead for AR$30.
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E
Barrancas de Belgrano
Out in Belgrano, this handsomely landscaped park covers one of the city's few hills and was once the limit of the Río de La Plata. Old-timers pass the afternoons playing chess beneath the giant ombú tree, while dog owners unleash their pets downhill in the gated dog run.
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National Parks
Parque Nacional Campos del Tuyú was declared a national park in late 2007, and is the only national park in the Buenos Aires province. At the time of research, it was not yet open to visitors, though there are plans to make it accessible. Call National Parks to check.
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Paseo del Bosque
Plantations of eucalyptus, gingko, palm and subtropical hardwoods cover Paseo del Bosque, parkland expropriated from an estancia (ranch) at the time of the city's founding. It attracts a collection of strolling families, smooching lovers and sweaty joggers.
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Parque Nacional Chaco
Preserving several diverse ecosystems that reflect subtle differences in relief, soils and rainfall, this very accessible park protects 150 sq km of the humid eastern Chaco. It is 115km northwest of Resistencia via RN 16 and RP 9.
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Mundo Marino
Mundo Marino, 3km northwest of the center of San Clemente, is South America’s largest marine park and home to a selection of marine and terrestrial mammals. It offers entertainment such as seal and dolphin shows.
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Parque Sarmiento
The city unfolds into its largest open-space area at the Parque Sarmiento. The park was designed by Charles Thays, the architect who designed Mendoza's Parque General San Martín.
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Parque Unzué
A highlight of Gualeguaychú is this sizable and elegant riverside park across the bridge from the center. It's great for swimming, picnicking, camping, fishing and relaxing.
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Parque Yatana
Part art project, part urban refuge, Parque Yatana is a city block of lenga forest preserved from the encroaching development by one determined family.
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Estadio Parque Independencia
Estadio Parque Independencia is the base for Newell's Old Boys, a local soccer club with a long, proud history of producing great Argentine footballers.
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Parque de España
Heading north of La Fluvial, you pass various cultural venues before reaching this park and its mausoleumlike edifice.
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