The South |
The coastline in the south has the warmest water in the country and a favoured destination is Las Grutas, a tourist-oriented beach resort on the Blue Gulf in the Rio Negro province. The area takes its name from the many caves dotted about the coastline, and provides visitors with an opportunity to sunbathe on the well-sheltered beaches, or engage in plenty of watersports. The southern coastline is also incredibly popular due to the large amounts of marine life that can be found here, from Southern Right whales to elephant seals, sea lions, and penguins, as well as an astounding array of birdlife.
Continuing further south, one hits the world's southern-most city, Ushuaia, situated on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. This island territory (partly shared with Chile) is a favourite starting point for tours to Antarctica, but also offers plenty of activities, sights and sounds for the visitor, including trekking in the Andes in the western part of the archipelago, spectacular kayaking, some of the world's best brown trout fishing, and Argentina's only coastal national park. The southern region of Argentina is every bit as fascinating as the north and certainly has a lot to offer the intrepid traveller.
Attractions
Patagonia
Adventurous travellers are drawn to the savage beauty and rich wildlife of Patagonia. This region of contrasts and extremes runs from the river Colorado, south of Buenos Aires, across to the southern tip of South America. Many people go between July and April to visit the famous wildlife reserve of Peninsula Valdés, where right whales, sea elephants and other rare marine mammals come to breed in their thousands. However those going further south should visit only in the summer months if they wish to avoid temperatures that plummet to -13°F (-25°C). In villages along the valley of the Río Chubut you can explore the cultural legacy of the Welsh pioneers and nearby at Punta Tombo you can see the continent's largest penguin colony. Keen fly-fishermen come from around the world to test their skills in the region's rivers, the best known of which is the Río Gallegos. On the western fringe, along the Andes, you will find the most impressive of Patagonia's great lakes and national parks. The Parque Nacional Perito Moreno, with the aquamarine gem of Lago Belgrano, has excellent trekking possibilities as does the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. Here visitors will find one of the world's natural wonders, the vast Perito Moreno glacier, a great river of ice that breaks off into Lake Argentino.
Tierra del Fuego
This island territory at the tip of South America is shared by Chile and Argentina and is a place of staggering scenery. Though further south the region does not reach the extreme temperatures of neighbouring Patagonia, but it is still not for the faint-hearted. The principal tourist destination is Ushuaia, in the south, the base for visiting the dramatic Canal Beagle, trekking in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego and the mountain ranges of southern Tierra del Fuego (with its magnificent scenery of lakes, snow-capped mountains and beechwood forests). There is less reason to visit the north of the island unless you are a keen fly-fishermen heading to the Río Grande, the world's best brown-trout river.
Website: www.tierradelfuego.org.ar
Excursions