Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi (
p362
)
KATHRIN ZIEGLER /GETTY IMAGES ©
Most of Patagonia lies in the rain shadow of the Chilean Andes, so the vast steppes of
southeastern Argentina resemble the sparse grasslands of the arid Andean highlands.
Closer to the border there are pockets of dense
nothofagus
(southern beech),
Araucaria
araucana
(monkey-puzzle trees) and coniferous woodlands that owe their existence to
the winter storms that sneak over the cordillera. Northern Tierra del Fuego is a grassy ex-
tension of the Patagonian steppe, but the heavy rainfall of the mountainous southern half
supports verdant southern-beech forests.
Argentina's National Parks
Argentina's national and provincial parks offer a huge variety of environments, from the
sweltering tropics of Parque Nacional Iguazú to the crashing glaciers of Parque Nacional
Los Glaciares to the animal-rich coastal waters of Reserva Faunística Península Valdés.
