Sights in Argentina
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Laguna Oca
Six kilometers south of town, Laguna Oca is a wetland area that has a popular beach, with food kiosks and canoe hire; once you wander away from the weekend crowds, there's a great deal of birdlife to be spotted.
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Casa de Joaquín V González
One of Argentina's greatest educators, and founder of the Universidad de La Plata, lived in the Casa de Joaquín V González.
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Parque Nacional Iguazú
On the Argentine side, this park has plenty to offer, and involves a fair amount of walking. The spread-out complex at the entrance has various amenities, including lockers, an ATM and a restaurant. There’s also an exhibition, Ybyrá-retá, with a display on the park and Guaraní life essentially aimed at school groups. The complex ends at a train station, where a train runs every half-hour to the Cataratas train station, where the waterfall walks begin, and to the Garganta del Diablo. You may prefer to walk: it’s only 650m along the ‘Sendero Verde’ path to the Cataratas station, and a further 2.3km to the Garganta and you may well see capuchin monkeys along the…
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Casa de Horacio Quiroga
Casa de Horacio Quiroga is at the southern end of town (a 20 to 30 minute walk), offering grand views of the Río Paraná. A small museum contains photos and some of the writer's possessions and first editions.
Quiroga's permanent Casa de Piedra is one of those simple but lovely houses that artists seem to inhabit, and holds various memorabilia, including butterfly specimens, an enormous snakeskin and the writer's rusted motorcycle. A replica of his initial wooden house, built for the 1996 biographical film Historias de Amor, de Locura y de Muerte (Stories of Love, Madness and Death), stands nearby.
Horacio Quiroga was a poet and novelist who also dabbled in other…
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Parque Nacional Calilegua
Receiving 1000mm to 1800mm of precipitation a year, but with a defined winter dry season, Calilegua comprises a variety of ecosystems. The transitional selva (jungle), from 350m to 500m above sea level, consists of tree species common in the Gran Chaco, such as deciduous lapacho and palo amarillo. Between 550m and 1600m, the cloud forest forms a dense canopy of trees more than 30m tall, punctuated by ferns, epiphytes and lianas, often mist-covered.
Above 1200m, the montane forest is composed of conifers, aliso and queñoa. Above 2600m this grades into moist grasslands, which become drier as one proceeds west toward the Quebrada de Humahuaca.
The 230 bird species at home in…
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Ciudad Cultural Konex
The bustling barrios of Abasto and Once, while a little dodgy at night, are part of the ‘real’ Buenos Aires that’s largely unaffected by the tourist trade. Walk west from Congreso along Av Corrientes, or take a quick taxi or Subte ride, to reach this cultural melting pot and commercial district crammed with colorful fabric shops and family-run Jewish and Peruvian eateries. The neighborhood’s centerpiece is the historic Mercado de Abasto, previously a massive fresh produce market and now a beautifully restored structure that houses the shopping mall called simply El Abasto. Nearby, on a gentrified street off Av Anchorena is the former home of tango legend Carlos…
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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…
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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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Baquina de Pescadores
Mar del Plata is one of the country's most important fishing ports and seafood-processing centers. At Baquina de Pescadores - the picturesque wharf hidden behind the ugly YPF fuel tanks - fisherfolk and stevedores follow their routine on and around kaleidoscopically colored wooden boats, monitored by sea lions who have established a large colony - mostly male - along one side of the pier.
In the early morning, unfazed by the chilly sea breeze, the fishermen load their nets and crates before spending the day at sea, escorted by the sea lions. At about 17:00, the pier gets noisy and hectic as the returning fishermen sort and box the fish, bargain for the best price and tidy…
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Convento y Museo de San Francisco
The principal historical landmark in Santa Fe is this Franciscan monastery and museum, built in 1680. The walls, which are more than 1m thick, support a roof made from Paraguayan cedar and hardwood beams held together by fittings and wooden spikes, rather than by nails. While the museum section is mediocre, the church is beautiful, with an exquisite wooden ceiling and a fine polychrome Christ by the grumpy Spanish master Alonso Cano – it was sent as a sympathy gift to Santa Fe by the Queen of Spain when the town moved. Note also the tomb of Padre Magallanes, a priest who was killed by a jaguar that took refuge in the church when it was driven from the shores of the Paraná…
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Fitz Roy Range
One of Patagonia's premier traveler magnets, El Chaltén, is a small, homely yet fast-growing village set in a pretty river valley. Travelers come here for the extraordinary snowcapped towers of the Fitz Roy range, which offer plenty of world-class hiking and camping along with some of the most stunning mountain scenery you'll ever see.
Climbers from around the world are drawn here for their chance to climb Cerro Fitz Roy (3441m/ 11,290ft), as well as other peaks. Pack for wind, rain and cold temperatures, even in summer, when views of the peaks can be obscured. If the sun is out, however, El Chaltén is paradise on earth; come see it soon, as the road to El Calafate is…
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Volcán Lanín
Dominating the view in all directions along the Chilean border, the snowcapped cone of 3776m (12,388ft) Volcán Lanín is the centerpiece of Parque Nacional Lanín, which extends 150km (93mi) from Parque Nacional Nahuel Haupi in the south to Lago Ñorquinco in the north. The northern approach to Volcán Lanín, which straddles the Argentine-Chilean border, is the shortest, and usually the earliest in the season to open for hikers and climbers.
Before climbing Lanín, ask permission at the Lanín National Park office or, if necessary, from the Gendarmería (border guards) in Junín. It's obligatory to show equipment, including plastic tools, crampons, ice axe and clothing -…
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La Aripuca de Iguazú
Rainforests throughout the world are under threat from human activity, and Argentina's are no exception. This unique place aims to both preserve threatened native tree species, and expand visitors' appreciation of the local ecology.
Designed to 'capture the conscience of man' (an aripuca is a trap used by the Guaraní to catch small animals) this interesting structure is made entirely from the timber of 29 different endangered native tree species. While this might sound contradictory, the timber is all salvaged, and the trap itself is a work of art, looking remarkably like a 10m-high (32ft) beaver's lodge. Tours of the site are designed to raise awareness of forest…
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Pucará
The reconstructed pre-Columbian fortification, the pucará, is 1km south of the center across an iron bridge. Its situation is undeniably strategic, commanding the river valley both ways and, though the site was undoubtedly used before, the ruins date from the 11th to 15th centuries. The 1950s reconstruction has taken liberties; worse yet is the earlier, ridiculous monument to pioneering archaeologists bang where the plaza would have been. Nevertheless, you can get a feel of what would have been a sizable fortified community. Most interesting is the ‘church, ’ a building with a short paved walkway to an altar; note the niche in the wall alongside. The site itself has…
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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…
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Parque Provincial Aconcagua
The region's most famous park is Parque Provincial Aconcagua, home of 6962m (22841ft) Cerro Aconcagua, the highest peak outside the Himalayas and a favorite climbing destination. Reaching the summit requires a commitment of at least 13 to 15 days, including acclimatization time. Potential climbers may like to acquire RJ Secor's climbing guide Aconcagua (Seattle, The Mountaineers, 1999).
Non-climbers can trek to base camps and refugios (rustic shelters) beneath the permanent snow line.
From December to March, permits are obligatory for both trekking and climbing in Parque Provincial Aconcagua; park rangers at Laguna Horcones will not permit visitors to proceed up the…
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Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
West of Ushuaia by 12km, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, Argentina’s first coastal national park, extends 630 sq km from the Beagle Channel in the south to beyond Lago Fagnano (also known as Lago Kami) in the north. However, only a couple of thousand hectares along the southern edge of the park are open to the public, with a miniscule system of short, easy trails that are designed more for day-tripping families than backpacking trekkers. The rest of the park is protected as a reserva estricta (strictly off-limits zone). Despite this, a few scenic hikes along the bays and rivers, or through dense native forests of evergreen coihue, canelo and deciduous lenga, are…
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Museo del Cablecarril
The fascinating Museo del Cablecarril and cablecar station documents an extraordinary engineering project that gave birth to the town of Chilecito at the beginning of the 20th century. To enable the mining of gold, silver and copper from the Sierra de Famatina, a German firm was contracted to construct a cablecar running from here, at the end of the railway line, to La Mejicana, at an altitude of 4603m, more than 3.5km above Chilecito and nearly 40km away. With nine stations, a tunnel and 262 towers, the project was completed in 1904. Men and supplies were carried to the mine, operated by a British firm, in four hours. WWI put an end to this Anglo-German cooperation and…
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Cripta Jesuítica
Built at the beginning of the 18th century by the Jesuits, the Cripta Jesuítica was originally designed as a novitiate and later converted to a crypt and crematorium. Abandoned after the Jesuit expulsion, it was demolished and buried around 1829 when the city, while expanding Av Colón, knocked the roof into the subterranean naves and built over the entire structure. It remained all but forgotten until Telecom, while laying underground telephone cable in 1989, accidentally ran into it. The city, with a new outlook on such treasures, exquisitely restored the crypt and uses it regularly for musical and theatrical performances and art exhibits. Entrances lie on either side of…
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El Shincal
Seven kilometers west of Londres, the Inca ruins of El Shincal are well worth visiting. Founded in 1470, the town occupied a commanding position in the foothills of the mountains, surveying the vast valley to the south. The setting is spectacular, with fantastic views and great atmosphere. The site was pretty thoroughly ruined when excavations began in 1991, but the ushno (ceremonial platform) and kallanka (possibly a barracks) have been restored, and you can climb two hillocks on either side of the central square. Aligned to the rising and setting sun, they probably served as both lookouts and altars. Entrance usually includes a tour by one of the welcoming family that…
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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…
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Monumento Natural Bosques Petrificados
During Jurassic times, 150 million years ago, this area enjoyed a humid, temperate climate with flourishing forests, but intense volcanic activity buried them in ash. Erosion later exposed the mineralized Proaraucaria trees (ancestors of the modern Araucaria, unique to the southern hemisphere), up to 3m in diameter and 35m in length. Today, the 150-sq-km Monumento Natural Bosques Petrificados has a small visitor center, English-language brochure and short interpretive trail, leading from park headquarters to the largest concentration of petrified trees. Until its legal protection in 1954, the area was plundered for some of its finest specimens; please don’t perpetuate…
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Pajcha – Museo de Arte Étnico Americano
This eye-opening private museum is a must-see if you’re interested in indigenous art and culture. Six exquisitely presented rooms present contemporary and recent artisanal work from all over Latin America. The quality of the pieces (which include amazing macaw-feather creations, religious sculpture from the Cuzco school, tools of the trade of Bolivian kallawaya healers and finely crafted Mapuche silver jewelry) is extraordinarily high, testament to decades of study and collection by the anthropologist founder. It’s an exquisite dose of color and beauty, and run with great enthusiasm by the English-speaking management, who will give you a worthwhile guided tour for an…
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Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio
Showcasing the most important fossil finds in Patagonia, this natural-history museum offers outstanding life-sized dinosaur exhibits and more than 1700 fossil remains of plant and marine life. Nature sounds and a video accent the informative plaques, and tours are available in a number of languages. The collection includes local dinosaurs, such as the tehuelchesaurus, patagosaurus and titanosaurus. With an international team, museum researchers helped discover a new and unusual species called Brachytrachelopan mesai, a short-necked sauropod. Feruglio was an Italian paleontologist who came to Argentina in 1925 as a petroleum geologist for YPF.
Kids aged eight to 12 can…
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Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi
Lago Nahuel Huapi, a glacial relic over 100km (62mi) long, is the centerpiece of this gorgeous national park. To the west, Monte Tronador (3554m/11,660ft) marks the Andean crest and Chilean border. Humid Valdivian forest covers its lower slopes, while summer wildflowers blanket alpine meadows.
The 60km (37mi) Circuito Chico is probably Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi's most popular excursion. Every 20-30 minutes, bus 20 (from San Martín and Morales) does half the circuit along Lago Nahuel Huapi to end at Puerto Pañuelos, where boat trips leave a few times daily for beautiful Puerto Blest, touristy Isla Victoria and pretty Península Quetrihué.
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