Our Country

This section is a brief description of the places included in our itineraries and programs meant to introduce the traveler to the geographic context.

Argentina is a Federal State divided into Provinces which bear administrative independence. The City of Buenos Aires is the Capital City and it houses the National Government Headquarters - the Casa Rosada in Plaza de Mayo- and the National Congress. The Capital of the Province of Buenos Aires is La Plata, at 60 km from Buenos Aires.

The different Provinces are grouped in geographical regions as follows:

:. Center - Pampa: Provinces of Buenos Aires and La Pampa
:. Northwest - Puna: Provinces of Catamarca, Tucumán, Salta, Jujuy, and Santiago del Estero
:. Northeast - Littoral or Mesopotamia: Provinces of Chaco, Formosa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, Corrientes, and Misiones
:. West - Cuyo: Provinces of Córdoba, San Luis, Mendoza, San Juan, and La Rioja
:. Patagonia: Provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego.


The Center - The Pampas (view Trips)

The Pampas include arid bush lands and vast fertile plains suitable for cattle farming and cropping, the Delta of the Parana River, and the Atlantic coast of the Province of Buenos Aires with large open beaches. The word "pampa" in Quechua -the language spoken by Bolivian natives- stands for flatland. The region known as “the Pampas” covers only the lowlands from the Andean range down to the Paraná River, the River Plate and the Atlantic coast. At first, the fertile Pampa boundary was the area around the River Plate, but the European immigrants extended the productive area a long way to the west applying their agricultural knowledge. With the exception of the coast which has a maritime climate, the rest of the Pampa is moderately warm and humid, with hot summers and mild winters.

Province of Buenos Aires: Crossing the boundaries of the main cities towards the countryside, you will come across green plains and blue skies divided by a neat horizon, dotted by sporadic groves, cattle, cropland, and country houses called “estancias”. This quiet monotony ends at the foot of two ranges of gentle hills (Sierras de Tandil and Sierras de la Ventana) in the South of the Province of Buenos Aires that mark the transition from the Pampas to Patagonia. These two hill ranges with their woods and creeks are suitable for trekking and horse riding. As in the rest of Argentina, visitors can lodge at beautiful estancias and inns. The East of the Province of Buenos Aires is on the Atlantic coast and has thousands of kilometers of wide beaches, charming cities like Mar del Plata, and sea-side towns in the middle of man-planted pinewoods stopping the dunes, like Pinamar and Cariló. To the north of the city of Buenos Aires, the Delta offers quite a different landscape – islands covered with subtropical vegetation, streams, nautical life, places for leisure, and the traditional Fruit and Crafts Market in the city of Tigre.

The West - Cuyo (view Trips)

Sierras Centrales: The Central Sierras consist of Precambrian hills, high plains, green valleys, rivers and reservoirs. The lush vegetation down in the valleys thins out as it gets into the mountains. The climate is warm and dry in winter, and rainy in summer.

Andes Centrales: The Central Andes boast the highest and most magnificent peaks above 6,000 m, the summit not only of Argentina but of America. The landscape shows arid soils, thin vegetation and high fertile valleys with vineyards (the best Argentine wines are produced in this region). The climate is dry and cold in winter, and moderately warm in summer.

Province of Cordoba: The Province of Cordoba is located in the center of Argentina and is characterized by Precambrian hills, high plains, lakes, reservoirs and green valleys. The mountains of Cordoba are ideal as an initiation into mountain sports. The highest peak, the Champaquí, is 2780 m high. Our itineraries include different valleys, depending on your interests and time availability. Cordoba is ideal for horse riding and trekking and visits to mountain country houses or crafts markets.

North of Cordoba – Sierras Chicas:

Cuchi Corral A voice of quechua origins, Cuchi Corral means ”pigs´ corral.” This area is located between the Sierras Chicas and Sierras Grandes systems, and west of the locality of La Cumbre in the Punilla Valley. In much older times the place was known as “leninbutos” populated by the Ampelir tribe. During the 17th century it was part of a big ranch or estancia. The landscape is geologically very attractive and it is preserved in its natural state containing ravines, a vast and profuse vegetation, extensive walnut groves, vertical waterfalls reaching almost 100m in height that merge into the Pintos River, and continue through a deep and extensive valley that carries the waters to the northern and fertile plains of Cruz del Eje. Nowadays, Cuchi Corral is known internationally for its Mirador, from where the popular sports like hangliding and paragliding take off.
Los Terrones National Park Mythic in character and of late, of great energetic fame as a metaphysical portal, Los Terrones are geological formations made of sedimentary rock materials, reddish in color, and much older than those of the Andean range cropping out 135 million years ago when the seas subsided. The sandlike mounds, eroded by the elements, have taken on capricious shapes and forms over time and people have named them according to similar structures. The park is home to interesting and varied fauna and flora.
Cerro Colorado The 3,000 hectares that make the Archaeological and Natural Park of Cerro Colorado protect a unique shrub forest and other Chaco species such as algarrobos, country apple trees, piquillines and cocos. In addition, here one finds more than 35,000 pictographs left by old area dwellers, especifically the Comechingones. It is the only place in the country where the petrogliphs document the Spanish conquests. Some images represent animals that no longer inhabit the region. The main objective of this reserve is to preserve both the rupestrian art and the shrub forests. Among the specific fauna of Cerro Colorado we find the mataco bola, the skunk and the pecarí.
Tulumba A truly open air museum where streets and buildings maintain the physiognomy of the long gone colonial times. The town´s historical importance dates back to the 18th century when the Marquis of Sobremonte, Viceroy of the River Plate, asked the Spanish Crown to raise the village’s rank to Villa of Tulumba, title that was granted by King Carlos IV in 1803 because of Tulumba’s key role in the commerce of cattle with Potosí in Bolivia. Of great interest nowadays is the Baroque Style Tabernacle carved by the Jesuit Missions indigenous workers and which originally belonged to the Cathedral of Cordoba. It is now housed in the Tulumba Chapel. A short walk through the Villa shows the visitor the Reynafé House, the Runa Huasi Indian Museum, and the Grenadier Marquez Plaza honoring the local soldier who died in the 1813 San Lorenzo battle during the Independence wars. He is remembered every February 3 with much celebration.
Ischilin Near the locality of Dean Funes (north of the Punilla Valley) is the old Indian post of Ischilin Viejo, dating back to the 18th century. Its only historical connection are the Independence Wars. At present , a private concern is working on restoring the old buildings surrounding the charming Plaza de Armas, which features a 700-year old algarrobo tree and a well. Of interest is the Our Lady of the Rosary Church built by the Jesuits between 1706 and 1736. The House Museum Fernando Fader, home to the famed Argentine painter, is located 8 km south of Ischilin in Loza Corral and is still a charming and bucolic hamlet. Because of his poor health, Mr. Fader (1882-1935) lived in and enjoyed the Córdoba hills for a good part of his life. Open to the public are his house, the study, reproductions of his art and the garden tended by the artist.

Province of Mendoza: Mendoza is well-known for the wines that are produced here. The area of the Uco Valley -near the beautiful Capital City called Mendoza after the Province name- is good for growing apple-trees, pear-trees, peach-trees, as well as grapes. In January the work at the grape fields gets to the final stage and a series of celebrations start taking place in the different towns. The last Sunday in February the Vendimia Fiesta is closed with the Celebration of Fruit Blessing in the city of Mendoza. Separated from Chile by the highest mountains of the andes chain, Mendoza boasts the highest peak of America, Mount Aconcagua /6959m) which attracts mountaineers from all over the world from November to March. In the South of Mendoza, near the city of San Rafael and Malargüe, great dams and geological and paleontological beds are added to the beauty of the mountains. This region is visited by lovers of adventures, as you can horse-back ride, kayak, hike, climb, raft, or whatever you choose to challenge your limits. The ski center Las Leñas offers runs for all ski levels in the months of July to September.

Provinces of San Juan and La Rioja: These two provinces cover the Central and Northern Andes in Argentina, with Chile to the West. They host the Moon Valley and Talampaya, a place of unparalleled beauty listed as a Natural Heritage by UNESCO. The Moon Valley takes you back to the origins of life on the planet. Here nature and the passage of time have carved the stone into uncommon shapes. The Talampaya canyon covers several tens of kilometers and has an average height of 160 m. In addition to the striking shapes eroded on the canyon walls, the place is a true deposit of rupestrian art. The national parks and protected areas in the Province of San Juan turn this province into a tourist attraction of unequaled variety.

The Northwest - The Puna (view Trips)

Northwestern Andes: This region is characterized by the Puna (the Andean altiplano or high plain at 3300 to 3500 m above sea level), salt lakes where the climate is dry and warm, large cactus areas which are even good for vineyards (Calchaquí Valleys) and rainforests or yungas where the climate is humid and rainy. The rainy season goes from December to March.

Provinces of Salta and Jujuy: These two provinces border on Bolivia and Chile and are located on the Northwestern tip of Argentina. They include high Andean mountains, high desert areas (known as the Puna), and towards the East, tropical rainforests and luxuriant vegetation. Among these areas is the Quebrada de Humahuaca, recently listed as a Heritage of Mankind by UNESCO. The distinctive feature of the Provinces of Salta and Jujuy is the presence of many villages with a strong culture and traditions. The Calchaquí Valleys are inhabited by the descendants of the ethnia diaguita, who follow their ancestors traditions of breeding animals, growing different crops, and producing handcrafts. The Calchaquí Valleys surprise the tourist with their magnificent deserts spotted with cactus and vineyards producing the best white wines of Argentina. In the Humahuaca Ravine the ancient ethinia was the quechua-aymará, and the present descendants are known as kollas. They live in communities, fight for their right to own the lands, they cultivate and rear animals and are good craftmen. There are a lot of popular celebrations to share with the locals, as the Pachamama (Mother Earth) day on the first of August, and Carnival festivities during the whole month of February.

Province of Catamarca: This province is the door to the Argentine Northwest, a region also known as “NOA”. The Sierras Pampeanas contain ancient crystal blocks and rocks dating back to some 500 million years. They cross the Province of Catamarca up to the Andes. The Andean Altiplano contains some of the highest peaks in South America and a large number of volcanoes. The mountain slopes are full of attractive secondary roads, passes, ports or portezuelos typical of Catamarca. Because vehicle traffic does not justify the construction of tunnels, the provincial roads are still narrow, twisty and very scenic as they climb up and down the mountains. These roads link small towns full of traditions and archeology sites. The local pottery and metalwork the craftsmen produce is part of their inherited culture. Some 2000 years ago and up to the Inca invasion the natives built circular houses with 3 to 6 rooms and produced highly developed pottery and ornaments in gold, silver, copper, and metal alloys.

The Northeast - The Littoral (view Trips)

Gran Chaco: The vegetation is diverse and includes high canopy forests and dense underbrush. The climate is warm and dry in winter, and warm, humid and rainy in summer.

Mesopotamia: This area has tropical and subtropical vegetation and some places of interests such as the Iguazú Falls, thermal waters, rugged mountains, and swamps. The climate is warm, humid, and rainy in summer, and moderately warm in winter.

Province of Misiones: The Province of Misiones is located between Paraguay and Brazil on the Argentine Northeast, and is famous for the Iguazú Falls, the most impressive falls in South America., in the northernmost tip of Argentina. The tour to the Iguazú Falls includes visits to the falls on both the Argentine and Brazilian sides and a visit to the jungle on a 4x4 led by a forest interpreter. The itinerary continues to the south, with a visit to the Wanda Mines, the Mocona Falls on the Uruguay River and the ruins of the Jesuit Missions of San Ignacio and Santa Ana.

The South - Patagonia (view Trips)

The transition from the Pampas to Patagonia is in the south of the Provinces of Buenos Aires and La Pampa. The Atlantic Ocean is Patagonia’s eastern boundary and has wide windy sand beaches. The strong winds and aridity of the climate is consistent with the bushy landscape and shrubby vegetation typical of Eastern Patagonia. This landscape continues down to the southern tip of the continent and borders on the Andean forests to the west. The Andean forests are very dense, exuberant and humid. They confine to the Andean region, and consist mainly of beech woods. Here and there, the beeches give way to the bushy steppe of Eastern Patagonia. The Andean forests reach heights of 1800 meters. The dominant tree variety in the forests of the Province of Neuquén is the Auracaria or Pehuén (Araucaria Araucana). This is a unique prehistoric tree, sacred to the Mapuche Indians, which used to cover a large portion of Patagonia before the formation of the Andes, more than 150 million years ago.
As far as the climate is concerned:

Eastern Patagonia: Eastern Patagonia covers the Valdez Peninsula, famous for its Southern Right Whales (Eubalena Australis) sanctuary. Geographically this region is a steppe and presents maritime features on the Atlantic Coast. The climate is dry and cold, and maritime on the coast.
Patagonian Andes and Tierra del Fuego: The Patagonian Andes go from the south of the Province of Mendoza down to Tierra del Fuego and boast forest and lake areas and glaciers, continental ice cap, and the Fitz Roy massif. The climate is humid and cold.

Province of Chubut:
Valdés Peninsula and the South Atlantic Whale : This fauna reserve was declared Whale Sanctuary by the International Whale Comission, and Humankind Patrimony by the ONU in 1999. The peninsula is linked to the coast by a strait of land bathed by the ocean. It offers a yellowish arid scenery contrsting against the light blue sea. There are low plains, coves and wide beaches which are visited by elephant seals, sea wolves, penguins and a great variety of birds who come to this place in different seasons to be born or to get coupled. The only urbanization is Puerto Pirámides, strategically located right over the Nuevo Gulf, protected by natural reefs which happen to e the shelter of the marine fauna, including the whales. This enables the tourist to see the whales from the very beach. Puerto Pirámides exclusively lives on ecotourism

The South Atlantic Whale: it is among the eleven species of greater volume in the world. The whale is born, feeds, reproduces and breeds its offsptring in the sea. It has no teeth, but a sort of beard through which it filters its main food -plancton. It breathes through two wholes located over its head; it has a black body with white stains in the abdomen and calluses in the head which enables them to be individualized. The South Atlantic whale can be seen along the coasts of Valdés Peninsula from June to October, as it approaches the coast to give birth to its offspring and couple. This whale is extinguishing - the total population is deemed in 5000 individuals. In Argentina, the Province of Chubut has protecting programs in force and the Nationaal congress has declared it Natural Monument. There are specific rules which authorize certain sailing trip providers to approach the whales in fixed spots.

Punta Tombo and the Magallean penguin: Punta Tombo is a protected area located at 110 km South of Trelew due to the fact the Magallean penguin nests here. It was first discovered by Maggalean in his trip to the Southern Hemisphere. The female puts the eggs in October and they start being born in the middle of November. Both male and female fetch the food for their offspring. In January the just born change their feathers and start approaching the sea. In March the migration to Northern areas starts.

Provinces of Neuquen and Rio Negro: Neuquén is on the northwestern border of the Argentine Patagonia. The Province of Neuquén is crossed by the Andes from north to south on its western boundary. This area contains many volcanoes (most of them extinguished), mountains covered by volcanic sands, pristine lakes, green valleys, pehuén forests and mixed Andean forests. The Aluminé area is very near the Chilean border and has two international passes across the Andes opened only during the summer. The forests around Lake Aluminé and the neighboring lakes Moquehue and Ñorquinco make their way up into the mountains mixing auracarias, Antarctic beeches, lengas, coehues (Nothfagus Dombeyi), radals and notros. This is the land of the Mapuche people living mainly in the mountains. The Mapuche community in Argentina is made up of some 90,000 people and is active in an effort to recover their land. Their economy is based on sheep and goat farming, craft production and sale, and such trades as shearing and fruit collection. Some communities have organized producer and consumer cooperatives. Tourists can visit the Mapuche communities. In the Andean portion of the Province of Río Negro, the Andean forests join the Patagonian steppe within a matter of miles. Bariloche and San Martín de los Andes are the main tourist centers in the area.

San Carlos de Bariloche: A city located at the foot of the Andes, some 1680 km away from Buenos Aires in the Andean Patagonia. The city and its surroundings are characterized by the presence of mountain ranges with peaks as high as 3500 m, heavy precipitations, rivers, lakes, glaciers and evergreen forests including coehues (Nothfagus Dombeyi, a Chilean evergreen used for thatching). Nearby is the Nahuel Huapi National Park that covers some 750,000 hectares. The climate varies from moderately warm to cold, and precipitations switch from 4000 to 1000 mm (from west to east) in less than 50 km due to the effect of the mountain range. This phenomenon gives rise to three areas with different vegetation – Andean-Patagonia forests, transition forests and steppe bush land. Andean forests include coehues, ceders, larches, lengas, Antarctic beeches, cypresses, radales and myrtles. In the places with the heaviest precipitations, the forests become almost impenetrable. The vegetation thins out as it climbs up the mountains. Bariloche is the most famous tourist town in the Argentine Andes.

El Calafate: As the saying goes “he who eats calafate (a local wild fruit) will come back”. El Calafate is a town in the Province of Santa Cruz, in the southern mainland. El Calafate is synonymous with Glacier Perito Moreno, part of the Los Glaciares National Park. The town is located on the banks of Lake Argentino, a lake that receives a number of large glaciers belonging to one of the world’s largest water reserves –the Patagonian Continental Ice Cap. Glacier Perito Moreno is the star of the lot because not only because it is within easy reach but also because it always offers its deafening ice slides to visitors. A tour to Perito Moreno will include a scenic walk along footbridges and, for the most daring visitors, a mini-trek on the glacier ice. It is this experience that makes tourists come back once and again. In addition, there are several lake tours to another magnificent glacier – the Upsala. After getting off at a jetty on Argentino Lake and walking for a short distance through a forest, tourists come across an awesome view – a lagoon receiving three other glaciers. People from all over the world come to El Calafate. As a result, an eclectic atmosphere comes to life in the evenings at the small local restaurants, where tasting the emblematic “Patagonia lamb” and other local delicacies is a must. The climate here is cold, even in summer, and the ideal time for a visit is from December to March.

Ushuaia: The world’s southernmost city developed around a high security prison (now open to tourists). The city of Ushuaia is located in the Argentine Province of Tierra del Fuego on a very scenic archipelago of islands covered with woods. The city is not densely populated and is more than 3000 km away from Buenos Aires. In these cold latitudes of intense glaciations, nature emerges in a pure state: ocean, channels and fiords, woods and steppes, and plenty of sea birds. The beaver and its incredible dikes -today a typical sight on the island- was imported by man producing a real ecological unbalance. Attractions worth visiting are Tierra del Fuego National Park, Lapataia Bay, Lake Fagnano, the Huskies Valley, the Train of the End of the World and, of course, the Beagle Channel. Ushuaia is a port for cruisers, Antarctic ships and fishing vessels, some overflowing with spider crabs. Ferry boats and other vessels leave Ushuaia for Estancia Harberton, across the Beagle Channel. The trip offers lovely views of the channel, of Les Eclaireurs lighthouse and of other small rocky islands populated only by seals and sea birds. An extra tourist attraction: Ushuaia is a duty free port.