El Palmar National Park: its endless palm trees and sunsets make visitors fall in love.

El Palmar National Park (in Spanish, Parque Nacional El Palmar) is one of Argentina's national parks, located on the center-west of the province of Entre Ríos, mid-way between the cities of Colón (54 km) and Concordia (60 km).

 

It has an area of about 85 km² and was created in 1966 for the preservation of its characteristic Yatay palm trees (Syagrus yatay, formerly Butia yatay, Arecaceae family).

 

Location: El Palmar National park is located in the Entre Ríos province, in the west of the Uruguay river, between Colón and Concordia Cities.

 

Surface: It has a 8.500 hectares surface.

 

Created: It was created in 1965 in order to protect a representative sample of the biggest “yatay” palm tree concentration of Argentina.

 

The park’s famous historical ruins may be accessed from there. It is one kilometer away across the corridor rainforest, next to two bridges specially designed for this tour. When the bank of the Uruguay River is reached, the constructions may be spotted. These ruins, which belonged to an ancient lime facility, unveil the remains of limekilns, an old jetty and some old houses built by the river.

But the real protagonists are the palm trees, known as the “Yatay” variety, which form colonies with specimens over 300 years old and over twenty meters high.

Maybe due to all this, El Palmar is one of the sites on earth where seeking for explanations about its origin or formation is useless. And where nature, with its secret, will continue to be an enchanted place. It will still be God’s fault.

 

Plants:

yatay palm trees, petunias silvestres, chilcas, aromos, ñandubay.

Animals:

Pajaros carpinteros, ñandues, inambú or sudamerican, scrubland fox, cotorras, overos lizards, vizcachas.

Characteristics:

PN El Palmar (El Palmar National Park) protects the biggest “yatay” palm tree concentration of Argentine Republic.

The protected area is characterized by a plain landscape which is conformed by different environments, such as “palmares”, pastures, “little forests”,“pajonales”, and “bank jungle”.

The protected area belongs to the spinal eco-region. There are some typical communities of the “pastizal pampeano” ant the “paranaense” jungle.

The spinal eco-region is characterized by a plain landscape, with variable lands, and has a changeable weather. The climate is warm and wet in the north, and mild and dry in the southwest.

Originally, the “yatay” palm tree concentration had a big distribution: it was located in Santa Fe, Corrientes and Entre Ríos provinces. Due the farm installation and the excessive shepherding, the “yatay” palm tree concentration was declined.

source: Argentina Discovery

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Litoral, region of large rivers, humid tropics, red earth, magnificent forest

This is a region of large rivers, humid tropics, red earth, magnificent forest, a virgin forest full of huge trees and extraordinary flora and fauna. Great Waters – “Iguazú” in the Guaraní language – overflowing into one of the world’s wonders: the Iguazú Falls.

A scenery of exuberant beauty spreading along the Iguazú National Park, Saltos del Moconá (Moconá Falls), Río Pilcomayo National Park, El Palmar National Park, Esteros del Iberá (Iberá Swamps) or the Chaco plains.

Apotheosis of Nature, where the Jesuit ruins, declared World Heritage by the UNESCO, are a vivid testimony of the Society of Jesus’ fruitful work.

Activities

Excitement

• Adventure Tourism
• Sport Fishing
• Fiestas and Carnivals

• Excursions, leisure and "mate"

• Flavours
• Lodging
• Shopping

Routes

• The rain forest of the Missions

• Posadas and Yacyretá
• Jesuit Missions

• Iguazú National Park

The river Uruguay coast

• River Holiday Resorts
• El Palmar National Park

• Moconá Falls

Off the beaten track

• The Iberá Marshlands

 

• Marshlands, swamps and savannas
• Two places in Chaco
• Corrientes and Resistencia
  Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz
• Rosario

source: Argentina Discovery

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For this reason Copo is important to National Parks effort to preserve a good sample of each of the biomes of the country.

The Copo National Park is a national park of Argentina, located in the Copo Department, province of Santiago del Estero. It has an area of 1142.5 km². It was created in 1998 in order to preserve a number of endangered species.

The Santiago quebracho is the species here present, typical of the drier areas of that huge biome which occupies all north central Argentina, western Paraguay and a bit of eastern Bolivia. Quebracho has a straight trunk of heavy and extremely hard red wood.
The "white" quebracho, also found in the park, is much sought for burning charcoal or for firewood.

The effect of cattle grazing has also been a factor in the diminution of the area occupied by these species. Of the 80% of the province's area which was once covered by these woods at the beginning of the XX century, only slightly over 20% remains today, and that has been impoverished by selective logging and grazing.

For this reason Copo is important to National Parks' effort to preserve a good sample of each of the biomes of the country. It also possesses a good population of several threatened species of wildlife such as the jaguar, the giant anteater, the giant armadillo and the chacoan peccary, a species known till recently only from sub-fossil remains but discovered alive and kicking in the seventies.

The turquoise-fronted amazon (a parrot much sought for the pet trade for its excellent capacity to "talk"), here finds refuge and the large trees (with hollows) that it needs for nesting, as does the crowned eagle, and the rhea.

The park belongs to the Dry Chaco ecosystem. The climate is warm, with annual rainfall between 500 and 700 mm. A large part of it is made up of forest, with the Santiago red quebracho (quebracho colorado santiagueño) being its characteristic tree species. This tree has a strong wood and high content of tannin, and in the past it suffered a devastating exploitation in other parts of the country. At the beginning of the 20th century, Santiago del Estero was 80% quebracho scrubland; nowadays only 20% remain.

Endangered species that live in this park include the maned wolf yaguareté (jaguar), the Giant Anteater, the chacoan peccary, the tatú carreta (a species of armadillo) and a species of parrot.

 

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Tafi del Valle is the most important touristic centre of Tucumán.

Tafi del Valle is the most important touristic centre of Tucumán Province.

It is a village sorrounded by mountains, in the mid- west of Tucumán, 107 km away from the capital city.

The name of the village comes from the diaguita word "Taktillakta", that means " Town with a splendid entrance" and the village is an excellent combination of mountains, rivers and climate inviting the tourist in any season of the year. The average temperature in Summer rates 26º C and in Winter rates 16ºC.

It is situated in a deep depression and borders on Calchaquí mountains to the east ( Mala Mala and Tafí Mountains at 3,500 m above the sea level) , on Muñoz Hill ( 4,440 m ) to the west and to the south on Nuñorco Grande at 3,500 m above sea level.

Tafí provides an excellent alternative to enjoy interesting sightseeings and excursions to the high mountains, fresh valleys and springs among fields of fruit-trees.

Van excursions to Los Sasos River , hiking to Pelao Hill , horse- riding to Quilmes ruins or rides by truck in the valley are some of the chosen activities by tourists.

The visitors will find outstanding sites like Nuestra Señora del Carmen Church , la Quebradita narrow pass and La Angostura dam which is an ideal place to fish pejerrey or practice water sports. Apart from that, there are a few archaeological reservations, some of which are almost unexplored.

Thousands of tourists choose Tafí del Valle as a place to spend the Holy Week in order to bring Easter celebration back to life. There is a play called “ The Passion of Tafí del Valle ” which commemorates Christ´s Passion.

Tafí is a charming place to visit, being evidence of its culture and its people´s hospitality.

 

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