The 7 Most Remarkable Natural Wonders of Argentina (and 21 Runners-Up!)
Unreal. Exceptional. Must-See. Spectacular. These are the words that people use to describe Argentina. In fact, Argentina’s sensational qualities attract over 5.8 million tourists annually (according to the World Tourism Organization), making it the most-visited country in South America and the second most-visited of Latin America, after Mexico. This begs the question: what’s so amazing about this southernmost country of the Americas? Believe it or not, the exquisite natural wonders of Argentina are what compel travelers to flock to the country by the millions in search of adventure and new experiences.
The Vote Is In!
In 2019, the first worldwide voting platform gave Argentina’s population the chance to name and vote for the seven natural wonders located within their borders. Out of 77 original contenders, a panel of judges narrowed the options to 28 finalists, from which voters in Argentina whittled it down within a year to the top 7.
Let’s take a look at the fascinating list that gives us a unique glance at Argentina’s natural treasures through the eyes of the people who live there. Afterward, I’ll share with you the 21 travel-worthy places that almost made the cut!
Seven Natural Wonders of Argentina
1. Perito Moreno in Parque Nacional de los Glaciares
Traveler reviews: 5/5
What Is It?
Los Glaciares National Park is not only the largest national park in Argentina, but it is also the largest ice cap outside of Antarctica and Greenland. The entire park showcases massive, skyscraping sheets of ice connecting over frigid and deep lakes of ice water run-off.
The most famous and well-known of these glaciers is Perito Moreno, a monumental wall of ice crushing a path through the Patagonian Andes. UNESCO named this park a world heritage site for its “exceptional natural beauty, with rugged, towering mountains and numerous glacial lakes.”
Defining Features
Temperatures in the park range from 33°F (0.6°C) in winter to 56°F (13.4°C) in summer. At higher altitudes, the average temperature drops to a bitter 26°F (-3°C). Perito Moreno succumbs to these cyclic temperature changes by expanding and retracting in a dynamic forward and backward movement. Similarly, spectacular icefalls greet visitors as huge chunks of ice tumble abruptly from the glacier’s front walls.
Location
The park lies on the border of southern Argentina and Chile, closest to the town of El Calafate, which touts itself as “the gateway to Perito Moreno Glacier.”
What to Do There
Join a group of ice trekkers, who hike on ice from anywhere between 10 to 12 hours. Perito Moreno tour operators Hielo y Aventura offer treks for beginners and hardcore winter enthusiasts who understand that wearing ice cleats is crucial.
They say you can not only see and hear blocks of ice rupturing and floating away as icebergs, but while on the trek, you can feel them. What’s more, you have a chance to explore first-hand the lively and partially frozen Lago Argentino by boating along the Rico Branch of the glacial lake. If you’d like to see it in action before you book your trip, watch this video of Perito Moreno.
2. Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi
Traveler reviews: 5/5
What Is It?
Nahuel Huapi is the oldest park in Argentina and the largest park within an adjoining system of more than 10 other parks. Rolling mountains of volcanic rock surround Nahuel Huapi Lake with its western border resting at the foothills of the Patagonian Andes. Interestingly, the name “Nahuel Huapi” means “Island of the Puma” in Mapuche, a local indigenous language of west-central Argentina.
Of course, pumas aren’t the only creatures that roam the region—the park is teeming with otters, foxes, deer, and other temperate forest animals. The scene it provides is breath-taking. Towering slopes of eroded glacial features adorn the landscape among cypress, conifers, and remnants of ancient rock formations.
Defining Features
The winters in this area are cold and rainy with frequent snowfall, while the summers are dry and reach up to 60°F (16°C).
Despite varying temperatures, it doesn’t stop tourists from visiting the highest peak of the park, called Cerro Catedral, to put on their skis at the biggest ski center in South America.
Location
San Carlos de Bariloche, also called “the Honeymoon Capital,” is a city that exists along the southern shore of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It serves as a launchpad for tourists, allowing direct access to the Argentine Lake District, which encompasses various lakes and parks of the region.
What to Do There
Activities vary depending on the time of year. Summer sports like rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, rock-climbing, and kite surfing are extremely popular. The winter months (June-September) attract tourists who want to ski, snowboard, sled, and canopy zip-line along snow-covered treetops.
3. Salinas Grandes, Jujuy
Traveler reviews: 4.5/5
What Is It?
Salinas Grandes is the third largest salt flat in the world and the second-highest in elevation, sitting at 11,318 ft. (3,449 m.) above sea level. Despite being the third-largest, its expanse is so impressive that it spans the borders of two major provinces of northwestern Argentina: Jujuy and Salta.
In simple terms, the salt flats are a massive evaporated river in the middle of a desert. And as such, the surrounding terrain is dry and sparsely vegetated, much like the southwestern states of the U.S., The view from the ground shows the western horizon displaying deep red canyons and barren rock of the Andes mountains, reminiscent of a Martian landscape.
Defining Features
This giant highland plateau with its desert temperatures provides warm and sunny afternoons, while during night-time, temperatures plunge below freezing. Two seasons exist in this area that affect tourists’ experience of the salt flats: rainy and dry season.
The dry season turns the salt flats into a porous, grainy, and crunchy stretch of salty flatlands. The most spectacular time of year to visit is during the rainy season, when the flats hold a shallow layer of water that morphs into a mirror, reflecting the sky. Quite literally, you’ll look like you’re walking on air. Just be careful of hidden mud pockets, which reportedly have the power to engulf an entire vehicle.
Location
Jujuy and Salta are located in the extreme northwest of Argentina, bordering Chile and Bolivia. The closest town to the salt flats is the aptly named “Desert City,” called Purmamarca. The bus ride from this charming little town to the vast white desert is about half an hour and marked by vicuña sightings and windy roads.
What to Do There
Plenty of tours will take you for a day trip to the salt flats, where you’ll learn all sorts of information about them, like how they were created, how they’re being mined, and what they represent culturally to the locals.
Since restaurants are unavailable in the area, it’s advised that you pack a lunch with plenty of liquids to combat the dry heat. Additionally, there are three-day tours that take you all around the surrounding provinces of Jujuy and/or Salta.
4. Bañado la Estrella, Formosa
Traveler reviews: 4.5/5
What Is It?
El Bañado la Estrella is the third largest wetland in the Americas and a wildlife sanctuary for countless animals such as herons, anteaters, alligators, maned wolves, and curiyús, a variety of anaconda. It exists as a result of overflow from the Pilcomayo river, a tributary of the Paraguay River, and its water level depends entirely on the amount of rain that fills these rivers.
Since this seasonally flooded ecosystem only recently opened as a destination for ecotourism, it remains in its pristine, original state. Ideal visitors are lovers of adventure, nature, and environmental conservation.
Defining Features
The wetlands extend as a diagonal parallel to the Pilcomayo River in a northwest-southeast direction. It crosses the Tropic of Capricorn and the climate is subtropical. Two areas are considered the most exquisite to experience: El Vertedero, which is a flat expanse of water that resembles a mirror, and Fortín La Soledad, which is a fisherman community that lives within the wetlands. It’s important to note that the dry season (November-May) is not a good time to visit the area since the water level drops significantly.
Location
Three main cities provide an entry to the wetlands: Las Lomitas, Ingeniero Juárez, and Formosa. While all three places offer lodging and tourist activities, the capital of the Formosa province, identically named Formosa, shares lovely views of the Paraguay River.
What to Do There
Tourists should bring rainboots, a hat, sunscreen, and bug repellent. According to tour providers, you can visit for extended stays or stop for a moment to contemplate the landscape, take photos, and move on. Specific activities include navigating the waters by kayak or canoe, bird-watching (or animal-watching) with binoculars, visiting the indigenous and Creole communities, partaking in photographic safaris, and taking in the exceptional sunrise and sunset views.
5. Río Mina Clavero, Córdoba
Traveler reviews: 4.6/5
What Is It?
Mina Clavero is a small, but wildly popular tourist town located in the Traslasierra Valley, a region of Córdoba, Argentina. It’s to the west of the Sierra Grandes, nestled between the mountain ranges of Achala and Pocho. The river that descends from the Achala mountains and winds through the town is the Mina Clavero River.
With its cold and crystalline waters, it crosses the city, forming natural pockets of golden, rocky beaches. Many tourists find this natural paradise to be irresistible, especially sun-loving water enthusiasts.
Defining Features
Mina Clavero River is said to have healing gifts. According to those who know this place, it’s an experience that you must live in order to understand the alluring power it holds.
For one thing, the picturesque town of Mina Clavero and its river exhibit unforgettable tranquility. Fresh air, clean water, and the pristine sounds of nature abound at every turn. The sound of waterfalls can be heard from many spots along the river, whose source begins in the Achala mountains and descends between stones in countless fissures.
The river’s water gained fame more than 100 years ago, when travelers moved by mule back from Córdoba to the river in search of its therapeutic properties.
Location
Mina Clavero is easily reached from three main cities: Cruz del Eje, Villa Dolores, and Córdoba. As the second-most populated city of Argentina, Cordoba is often preferred by most tourists, sitting 85 km. east of Mina Clavero (a 2.5 hour bus ride).
What to Do There
Stay along the riverbed, soaking up the sun and fresh air, or go swimming. If you’d like to explore the mountainous terrain from which this famous river is born, then you can go rock climbing, mountain biking, or visit waterfalls.
One of the more extreme activities is hiking a set of suspension bridges that were built in 1914 to cross over numerous mountain streams. Take a gander at the museo de piedra (rock museum) in the oldest “museum town” in Cordoba province to learn about geodes, fossils, and minerals of all kinds.
6. Selva Misionera, Misiones
Traveler reviews: 4.5/5
What Is It?
In the northeast corner of the province of Misiones, Argentina thrives a sprawling subtropical jungle named Selva Misionera. Thanks to abundant annual rainfall and a very short dry season, Selva Misionera is a humid, dense forest with a tangled undergrowth of plants and vegetation.
The jungle lives inside Iguazú National Park, where a massive semicircle of waterfalls cascades down multi-layered cliffsides. UNESCO named the falls a World Heritage Site and calls it “one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world.”
Defining Features
As expected of any jungle, an amazing variety of flora and fauna exist here. Among the animals are rare and endangered species, such as the jaguar, ocelot, anteater, harpy eagle, and yacare caiman. According to tourists, the rainy season offers the most spectacular falls, while the dry season offers more rainbows, so take your pick!
Location
Iguazu National Park is located along the border of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. In fact, the extravagance of the falls can be seen from both the Brazilian side and the Argentinian side. Since the international border runs directly through the Iguazu falls, they are literally split in half, forcing visitors to get a visa from both countries if they want to see both sides.
What to Do There
Tourists can jump on an ecological jungle train that claims to have low noise impact on the environment and leaves no waste. You can take a safari boat ride, go river rafting, take a helicopter ride over the falls, visit the Parque de Aves (aviary park), canopy walking, ziplining, and much more.
7. Parque Nacional Talampaya, La Rioja
Traveler reviews: 4.5/5
What Is It?
Talampaya National Park is a dry red-soil canyon, a remnant of the ancient Talampaya river, whose towering walls and rock formations reach up to 469 ft. (143 m.). In fact, it is the driest region in the country, spanning 830 square miles (2,149 km2) of rocky, sandy, salty shrubland in north-central Argentina. Its purpose is to protect archaeological and palaeontological sites in the area, where significant fossil discoveries were made in the early 20th century.
Defining Features
Extreme temperatures differentiate deserts and shrublands from other biomes. With little humidity and zero cloud cover, Talampaya National Park experiences high daytime temperatures and freezing cold nights. Despite these conditions, it harbors a variety of wildlife, including guanacos, hares, maras, foxes, and condors.
Location
The park exists on the central-eastern side of the province of La Rioja. It sits 134 miles (217 km.) from the capital of the province, a city of the same name, and which actually has a dinosaur named after it: Riojasaurus. According to tourists, the most convenient place to stay the night while visiting is Valle Fertil, in the San Juan Province.
What to Do There
Go hiking with a guide through this ancient canyon and learn about its history and formation. Tour the spots where fossil discoveries were made, stand small against towering cliff sides of rainbow-colored rock. Most tourist tours will lead you to the ancient remains of pre-Hispanic villages that were once established in this region. One such village left traces of petroglyphs found in a place called the canyon gate.
21 Who Almost Made It to the Top
Here’s a list of the 21 runners-up, whose exceptional beauty and noteworthy features almost made it to the top 7 natural wonders of Argentina.
- Laguna del Diamante, Mendoza
- Cono de Arita, Salta
- Esteros del Iberá, Corrientes
- Dunas de Tatón, Catamarca
- Bosques Petrificados, Santa Cruz
- Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
- Campo del Cielo, Chaco
- Valle del Tafí, Tucumán
- Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes, Neuquén
- Serranías del Hornocal, Jujuy
- Salar de Pocitos, Salta
- Parque Provincial Ischigualasto, San Juan
- Campo de Piedra Pómez, Catamarca
- Parque Luro, La Pampa
- Volcán Lanín, Neuquén
- Cerro Chaltén, Santa Cruz
- Península Valdés, Chubut
- Cerro Aconcagua, Mendoza
- Parque Nacional Los Alerces, Chubut
- Saltos del Moconá, Misiones
- Delta del Paraná, Provincia de Buenos Aires
Fuel Your Wanderlust
Before you set out to explore Argentina and its exquisite natural beauty, sign up for a free class to practice your Spanish with a native speaker who would love to help you prepare! Check out other Spanish-speaking countries in South America that you may want to visit in the future. ¡Buen viaje!
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