Argentina
Located in the 'southern cone' of South America, is one of the most exciting
countries in the world, due to the great variety of natural and cultural
attractions it has to offer the traveler. Here, both the local or the foreign
visitor feel startled by the vast isolation of the Patagonia, the spectacular
Andes, the tranquil Pampas and the dramatic urban beat of Buenos Aires, one of
the largest and most cosmopolitan cities in the world.
For many
travelers, the local wonders are the main attraction. In the early twentieth
century, Argentina was the one of the first South American countries to
designate National Parks, and now it counts more than thirty National Parks and
Reserves throughout the country. Many of these parks, thought to be still
virtually unknown, constitute a rare mixture of landscapes hardly found all
together in one country. The Andean range offers spaces where amazing glaciers
like the Perito Moreno spill their ice on blue and green lakes of stunning
beauty. In Patagonia we find several National Parks like Lago Puelo, Los Alerces,
Los Arrayanes, Nahuel Huapi and the Lanín Volcano.
In the
central Andes we find the Aconcagua and some of the highest picks of the western
hemisphere. In the central provinces of La Rioja, San Juan and San Luis are also
located the geological wonders of National Park Las Quijadas, Talampaya and
Ischigualasto. Further north, the Puna with its impressive deserts and salares
(salt lakes) host a contrast of diverse biospheres such as the National Park Los
Cardones and the yungas (humid jungles) of Calilegua. On the northeast we find Iguazu
('great waters'), the world famous waterfalls and the 'impenetrable' Chaco.
The 'Mesopotamia' opens path to Las Pampas, land of the 'gauchos' (cowboys), the
cattle, dorado and surubí. At the heart of the country, Córdoba and its
friendly people, mountains and lakes, constitute the perfect refuge where
travelers can enjoy their favorite activity all year round. On the far south,
Tierra del Fuego sets the beginning of the world's last frontier, gateway to the
mysterious Antarctica. In all these remote regions, rare species of flora and
fauna are found wild, from condors and guanacos to the marine life of the
Penisula Valdés and Punta Tombo with its whales, penguins, sea elephants and
lions.
Finally, the
charming city of Buenos Aires is and adventure in itself, a mixture of nostalgic
and monumental past with a fast and modern present, with its tango and soccer,
the relaxed coffee tradition and its antique markets, bookshops and theatres. We
dare to say that elegance finds its place in this quite fairly called 'Paris of
the South'.