Aside from having a rich culture and inviting people, Argentina is also somewhat of a natural wonder. As a long strip of land that begins a few thousand miles south of the Equator, it features diverse terrain, from humid tropics to icy tundra. Here’s a hodge-podge post about some of the things you can experience when you venture outside of BA or other metropolitan areas.
Northeast
Argentina’s most diverse eco-system lies within a park that is also contiguous with Brazil and Uruguay. A sub-tropical rainforest moderates weather patterns, allowing a wide array of creatures to flourish within. This is the region that is home to Igazú Falls, the third largest in the world by volume, and probably the most well-known and visited site of natural beauty in Argentina. Legend has it that a native woman was supposed to marry a god against her will, so she tried to escape with her mortal lover in a canoe. When the jilted god found out, he was so angry that he split the river in two, so they would have no chance of escape. This photo only captures a fraction of the falls’ loveliness, but the rainbow is nearly omnipresent due to the mist from the falls.
West
The most famous region in western Argentina is Mendoza, Argentine wine country. Located at the foot of the Andes, European immigrants (mostly Spanish) utilized the land for its grape-growing abilities due to the surrounding sunny climate and pre-dug canals thanks to the Huarpe people. It has developed considerably since the establishment of the vineyards, and is the largest wine producing region in South America, 5th in the world. Ecologically, it is pretty “green”, as pesticides and herbicides are rarely necessary due to the altitude. I can’t say that I’m much of a wine aficionado, but apparently there are dozens of bicycle tours that take you through different vineyards and through the countryside I think that sounds adorable.
There’s about a 70% chance those grapes growing are Malbec, a French variety that flourish in this region.
South
A far cry from the tropical climate typically associated with South America, Patagonia is a mountainous region shared between Argentina and Chile that is famous for its glaciers. The name “Patagonia” comes from Ferdinand Magellan’s description of the native Tehuelches as “patagão,” interpreted as ‘big foot’, since they were considerably taller than the average European. Although it is larger than a million square kilometers, fewer than two million people live in Patagonia, so culturally it is not a very distinct region. It does, however, possess one of the only glaciers in the world that is still growing, the Perito Moreno glacier, as well as six species of penguin, one of which is called the Macaroni penguin.
The Perito Moreno glacier is a top tourist attraction and it’s easy to understand why, as this bad boy moves about 2 meters per day.
I find Argentine diversity, both cultural and geographical, quite fascinating and hope that you learned something too, or at least enjoyed the pretty pictures.
Sources:
http://worldwildlife.org/blogs/wwf-travel-blog/posts/ten-interesting-facts-about-iguacu-falls
http://www.mendozaholidays.com/Mendoza.asp
http://www.giantbomb.com/patagonia/3035-3892/
http://holidayforce.com/perito-moreno-glacier-tour-prices/
http://argentina4u.com/blog/en/2013/11/new-years-eve-in-argentina-5-magical-places-to-celebrate.html
http://www.michaelandersongallery.com/photo/iguazu-falls-garden-rainforest/