10 Amazing National Parks in Argentina

Jaramillo Petrified Forest National Park

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High on the Patagonian steppe lies a forest of stone older than the Andes themselves: the Petrified Forest of Jaramillo. Now extinct, these petrified trees, ancient evergreens called “Araucaria mirabilis,” dot the arid, windy landscape. Large, flightless birds (both rheas and ostriches), guanacos, and foxes scurry among shrubs along with scientists who consider this one of the most important fossil sites in the country. Take a guided tour with the park rangers or visit the onsite museum where you can learn how volcanic activity began turning these trees to rocks around 150 million years ago. The nearby Estancia La Paloma offers food, fire pits, overnight camping, and two of the largest petrified trees in the world. Located in Santa Cruz province, the closest village is Jaramillo.

Golfo San Jorge National Park

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The largest colony of Magellanic penguins in South America roost here each year, half a million from September to March. Find the penguins waddling and nesting in the Punta Tombo Provincial Reserve, part of the larger Golfo San Jorge National Park. Bird enthusiast also try to spot kelp gulls, dolphin gulls, skuas, king cormorant, snowy sheathbills, and many other varieties of birds. Whales and dolphins can bee seen swimming in the gulf as well. Located, in Chubut province, it can be easily reached from the cities of Puerto Madryn (a famous whale-watching spot in its own right) or Trelew.