Argentina Wildlife Encounters

Argentina [1] abounds in wildlife that, for most visitors, will be utterly novel.

Esteros del Iberá

In the vast sodden center of Corrientes Province, the Iberá marshes [2] are the Everglades of Argentina, with a cornucopia of birds plus caimans, capybaras, marsh deer, the elusive maned wolf, and even the recently reintroduced giant anteater.

The Antiplano and the Yungas

In the thin air of northwestern Argentina, guanacos and vicuñas gallop across the steppe while Andean condors circle above them. Wetlands such as Laguna Pozuelos are home to thousands of breeding flamingos; at lower elevations, the yungas cloud forests of Parque Nacional Calilegua and Parque Nacional El Rey support the occasional jaguar and many colorful subtropical birds.

Península Valdés

Linked to the mainland by a narrow isthmus, the seas and shores of Chubut’s Reserva Provincial Península Valdés [3] boast an array of marine mammals — elephant seals, orcas, sea lions, and whales — and an abundance of Magellanic penguins and other shorebirds.

Parwue Nacional Los Glaciares

It’s most famous for the Moreno Glacier [4], but the lands of Los Glaciares [5] are blessed with abundant wildlife, including the sprinting ñandú or rhea, stealthy foxes, galloping guanacos, and even the occasional puma.