By Soren Rivero
Home to dozens of National Parks, beaches, and glaciers, Argentina will surely surprise you with how much exciting stuff there is to do while out in nature.
If seeing the great outdoors in Argentina isn’t on your list yet, it definitely should be. Here are five of the best outdoor adventures in Argentina!
Iguazu National Park
Iguazu National Park expands well over 600 square kilometers and is home to one of the most beautiful attractions in all of South America: Iguazu Falls. Millions of people visit these cascading waterfalls all year long, and so popular is this magnificent tourist destination, it rivals the attractiveness of the Niagara Falls!
Aside from that, this spectacular area is surrounded by some of the most breathtaking greenery you’ll see in all of Argentina. Thousands of subtropical trees ornament this mural of over 200 cascades, with numerous rainbows that glide across from one waterfall to the next.
Perito Moreno Glacier, Los Glaciares National Park
Glacier… does that mean, like ice? Yep! There’s a humongous ice cap in southern Argentina that feeds around 46 different glaciers. Not only that, but the National Park that’s been built around Los Glaciers is the largest of its kind in the entirety of Argentina.
Visitors can take a trip to the world-famous glacier Perito Moreno. The majority of tourists start their adventure in the small town of El Calafate, which is commonly regarded as the gateway city to Los Glaciares. While you can see tons of glaciers, we highly recommend visiting Perito Moreno as you can clearly hear the loud scratches and bangs of ice chunks clashing against each other.
Las Grutas
Quite different from the stark-white peaks of icy glaciers are the yellow-sand, warm beaches of Las Grutas in northern Patagonia. This beach-resort town is one of the lesser known beaches in Argentina, though the beauty and mystery behind it is slowly drawing more people each year.
The waters here are some of the warmest of all beaches in South America. What’s even more unique is that the long beaches of Las Grutas are set up against a backdrop of dozens of tall cliffs, all with their own caves. A trip here is truly spectacular for beachgoers who prefer a more quiet and secluded adventure.
Ibera Wetlands
Another place that’s often overlooked by visitors (both locals and tourists) is the Ibera Wetlands of northeastern Argentina. It’s the largest protected area in Argentina and the second largest marshlands in the world. Combining these two facts together, you get a large wetland composed of marshes, lagoons, and swamps filled to the brim with unique plants and animals that make up over 30% of Argentina’s biolife.
Getting here is a little tricky but is very do-able. Most visitors usually take a bus from Buenos Aires to Mercedes, then take a flight to Carlos Pellegrini (a small tourist town). There are dozens of estancias (resting lodges) surrounding the wetlands where tourists can stay, as well.
Los Cardones National Park
Los Cardones National Park, similar to Las Grutas, is another park that’s often overlooked. Here, you’ll see hundreds of unique desert life such as interesting species of cacti and bushes. Lizards and snakes are also common here and you might even see a dinosaur or two. Just kidding on that one, but Los Cardones is a popular spot for fossil hunting and other archeology activities!
Visit all of these and more on your trip to Argentina!
