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THE PROVINCES 

BUENOS AIRES. See this site Buenos Aires Introduction and also http://www.sectur.gov.ar  and http://www.gba.gov.ar

 

CATAMARCA is 1.150 kms from Buenos Aires.  The city of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca is a colonial capital (Government House, Basilica Nuestra Señora del Valle ,  the church and  convent of San Francisco).  In Andalgalá there is an archeological Museum. The Pucará del Aconquija are the ruins of a native fort with enormous "pircas", dry stone walls,  and the remains of numerous dwellings.  Adventure tourism, hunting and fishing.  Thermal waters in Tinogasta and Fiambalá.  Tinogasta is  surrounded by vineyards,  altiplanos and high mountains. The adobe walls church of Fiambalá houses a collection of paintings of the Cuzqueño school.  The rodocrosita or "Rose of the Inca" the national gem of Argentina, is mined form the old site called Capillitas (Andalgalá).  La Alumbrera (Belén) is Argentina´s most important mine of gold, silver and copper. http://www.catamarca.gov.ar. Also http://www.sectur.gov.ar

 

CHACO, capital  Resistencia, 1020 kms from Buenos Aires.   Adventure tourism. Fuerte Esperanza and Nueva Pompeya are two villages set in the heart of the "Impenetrable" photographic safaris, trekking,  canoeing and birding. The Parque Nacional Chaco is rich in plant and animal life with an abundance of red quebrachos, carob trees, guayacanes and dense caranday palm groves and toucans, herons, storks, bandurias, parrots, carpenter birds, monkeys, foxes, snakes, otters, carpinchos and yacaré alligators.  Campo de Cielo is  a meteorite area covered with meteorite fragments dating back 6.000 years.  The largest to have fallen 33.4 tons was baptized El Chaco.    Other places of interest are the Reserva Natural Estricta Colonia Benitez, only 15 kms form the capital with examples of flora and fauna of the eastern region of Chaco,  and the reserve Parque Provincial Pampa del Indio with tacurúes and termites nests  reaching a height of 1.5m   http://www.chaco.gov.ar  and http://www.sectur.gov.ar 

 

CHUBUT, Puerto Madryn is 1382 kms from Buenos Aires, Esquel  (on the Andes) 2,050 and Comodoro Rivadavia (limiting with Santa Cruz province) 1.850. Puerto Madryn and Peninsula Valdes are  the places for watching nature everywhere,  with whales (annual gathering of right whale species from May through mid-December - best months October November - penguins (over 1.500.000 penguins at Punta Tombo) orcas, birds, seals and sea elephants. Gaiman and Trevellin are typical Welsh communities,  where you can enjoy Welsh tea with traditional sweets offered by descendants of the first Welsh settlers. There are huge millennial larches (some over 60 mts height and up to 3000 years old) in Los Alerces National Parks.  Trekking and rafting is  possible in both National Parks Puelo and Los Alerces,  diving in Puerto Madryn and skiing  in La Hoya.  Bosque Petrificado Sarmiento is a geological reserve of about  65 million years old fossilized forests.

 

CORDOBA. Distance form Buenos Aires 710 km. The city of  Cordoba, with Argentine first university  also called  "la docta" has  several  buildings of interest : the Cathedral, Cabildo (The Townhall), the College of Monserrat, the Jesuit churches  San Francisco and San Roque.  Other Jesuit relics in the province  are : Capilla de Candonga, the oratory of the Jesuit estancia of Santa Gertrudis,  the Jesuit estancias of Santa Catalina, Jesus Maria, Caroya, Alta Gracia and Candelaria.  The Sierras (hills) de Cordoba belong to the sierras of the Pampa with several tourist towns like Villa Carlos Paz, La Falda, La Cumbre, Cosquin, Alta Gracia, Villa general Belgrano, Santa Rosa de Calamuchita, La Cumbrecita and Mina Clavero.  There are Casinos in La Falda, Mina Clavero and Villa Carlos Paz.  Cave paintings at the Parque Natural y Arqueológico Cerro Colorado. Other places to visit are Parque Nacional Quebrada del Condorito and the beautiful Pampa de Achala.  http://www.cba.gov.ar and http://www.sectur.gov.ar 

 

CORRIENTES.  Distance from Buenos Aires 1074 kms. The capital of the province is situated on the banks of the Paraná river. Ancient monuments are the churches of La Santísima Cruz de los Milagros, the convents of San Francisco and La Merced. There are remains of the Jesuit stay in La Cruz, San Carlos and Yapeyú. The jewel of the province are the Esteros del Iberá, a complex eco system which includes 700.000 hectares of swamps, 31.500 hectares of lagoons and 52.000 hectares of marshes, inhabited by  turtles, yacaré alligators, monkeys, swamp deers, carpinchos and 368 different species of birds.  Corrientes is a paradise of fishing (dorado, which can weigh up to 25 kgs,  pacu and  surubí. In August the Fiesta Nacional del Dorado is celebrated in Paso de la Patria.   It is possible to stay at the "estancias" such as San Gará,  Atalaya and San Juan Poriahú, as a base for trekking,   horse riding and observation of native flora and fauna.  Corrientes is the land of the chamamé dance.  http://www.corrientes.com.ar

 

ENTRE RIOS.  495 kms from Buenos Aires connected to the province of Buenos Aires by the Complejo Zarate Brazo Largo bridges.  Excellent fishing area along the Paraná and the Uruguay  rivers. El Palmar National Park, near the Uruguay border,  is a large forest of yatay palms and can be reached from Colón. The park is home to three venomous snake species, visitors should  wear boots.   The city of  Concordia is joined to Salto (Uruguay) via the hydro electric dam of Salto Grande,  : http://www.entrerios.com.ar and http://www.sectur.gov.ar 

 

FORMOSA.  1.181 kms form Buenos Aires. Excellent fishing for dorado, pacú and surubi.   A land for true adventurers.  The National Park of Rio Pilcomayo with its 47.000 ha includes marshes and swampland, savannahs and flooded areas with large varieties of birds, two species of yacarés,  the swamp deer and the  carpincho or capibara, the largest rodent.   Other nature reserve places are the Reserva Natural Formosa, a typical semi deserted area of  western Chaco  eco system, and Bañado La Estrella, with hundreds of thousands of hectares of nature reserve, which can only be explored on board of canoes.  http://www.sectur.gov.ar 

 

JUJUY.  San Salvador de Jujuy is the capital.  Distance from Buenos Aires 1643 kms. Relaxing spa at Termas de Reyes. Popular festivities are the colorful carnivals of La Quiaca and the Quebrada de Humahuaca,  Holy week in Yavi (with beautiful gold finishing  church) and Tilcara.  Festivities in homage to the Patron Virgin in Humahuaca and Casabindo with religiousness mixed with pagan rites.     Conforming the vividly  colored landscape of the Quebrada de Humahuaca the most beautiful and outstanding is Purmamarca, an indigenous village set against the Cerro de Siete Colores (the mountain of the seven colours) the strata illustrating the various geological ages extending across the mountains known as La Paleta del Pintor in Maimará.  One of outstanding attractions  is the Pucará de Tilcara, a fortified town built by the Omaguaca natives of pre Colombian time. Tilcara is  the cultural center of the Quebrada.  La Quiaca is one of the most important towns in the vast plain.  The Laguna de los Pozuelos Natural Reserve with 50.000 birds is the Puna´s largest water reserve.  http://www.sectur.gov.ar      

 

LA PAMPA: Santa Rosa, its capital is 607 kms from Buenos Aires. La Pampa is the special province to stay and enjoy a true estancia, rest,  go fishing and hunting and really live their tradicional "fiestas" or watch some of the best polo.  Parque Luro is one of the world´s largest parks with red deer bred in a semi wild state and a mini zoo. Parque Nacional Lilhué Calel is an ancient sierra with pumas, guanacos, foxes vizcachas and several species of birds.  The calden is the provincial tree

 

LA RIOJA. 1167 kms from Buenos Aires. Adventure tourism mountaneering, trekking, excursions on horseback. Hunt and fishing.  the convent of Santo Domingo is one of the country´s oldest centers of worship.  The Archeology Museum has a collection of the Diaguita civilization.  Places to visit are Nonogasta with vineyards and wine cellars and the Cuesta de Miranda.   The National Park of Talampaya is one of the most spectacular natural wonders of Argentina with strange rock formations  with walls of nearly 150 ms height. In the cordillera the hidden ecosystem Laguna Brava preserves species of vicuña, flamingo and duck.     http://www.larioja.gov.ar   and http://www.sectur.gov.ar 

 

MENDOZA is 1037 kms from Buenos Aires. Mendoza is a neat and clean city with tree lined streets and 400 kms of irrigation canals.  One of the country´s best known winter  sports center is the resort of Valle de Las Leñas,  with 40 slopes totalling 63 kms for alpine, nordic and extreme skiing.  The base of the station is at 2.256 ms and its maximum height is 3430 mt. There are other ski areas at beautiful Los Penitentes and Vallecitos. Adventure tourism : hang gliding in the mountains, canoeing and windsurfing in the reservoirs and lagoons and rafting in Mendoza, Diamante and Atuel rivers.  Famous wine cellars. Grape harvest is held towards the end of February or beginning of March.   Thermal spas in Cacheuta, El Challao and Los Molles.   Aconcagua (6959) is the highest mountain in the Americas and the western hemisphere.  Very popular with mountain climbers, due to several recent accidents, there is now stricter control.   The statue of Cristo Redentor marks the frontier between Argentina and Chile and there is a   tunnel linking with neighboring Chile.  Other places of interest are  the Cueva de las Brujas, the Laguna de Llancanelo and the volcanic region of Payún Matrú, Uspallata and Puente del Inca.  http://www.sectur.gov.ar

 

MISIONES  The capital of the province is Posadas.  Puerto Iguazu is 1615 kms from Buenos Aires.   The outstanding  place of the province are the falls, the "big waters" of the guaranies,  275 waterfalls in the shape of a half moon  with the fascinating Garganta del Diablo (Devil´s Throat) as top attraction,   bordering with  Brazil.  The Iguazú Falls in the  Parque Nacional de Iguazu (Iguazu National Park) are one of the most beautiful nature monuments of Argentina, declared a Natural Heritage of Humanity by the Unesco. The ruins of the Jesuit missions in the south are remains of indigenous culture. The most important are San Ignacio Mini, others are Candelaria, Loreto, Santa Ana and Santa Maria.    Places of interest are Montecarlo site of the National Festival of the Orchid,  Oberá seat of the National Festival of the Immigrant.    http://misiones.gov.ar and also http://www.sectur.gov.ar 

 

NEUQUEN: Distance to the city of Neuquén from Buenos Aires is 1.156 kms and to Bariloche 436 kms.  You can go skiing in Cerro Chapelco from June to September (lately from May to October)  Adventure tourism is possible trekking in mountains and forest surroundings, rafting and canoeing in rivers, horse riding, hiking or mountain biking along footpaths.   Photographic safaris and camping. Bird watching in the Laguna Blanca National  Park and sailing on the lakes Lacar and Nonthúe.  Places to see are   Lanin, "the extinguished volcano of the mapuches", with its  magnificent and imposing presence and the lake Paimún at its foot,   San Martin de los Andes, an active alpine town and the starting point of sailing excursions, Junin de los Andes and walking tours to the lake Huechulafquen, Villa La Angostura beautiful and exclusive resorts and the arrayanes forest nearby, the enchanted valley (Valle Encantado), Villa Traful on the coast of the lake Traful and Copahue with thermal waters on the spurs of the volcano.  http://www.sectur.gov.ar/G/mapas.neu.htm  and  http://www.neuquen.gov.ar

 

RIO NEGRO: Viedma,  the capital of the province,  (on the Atlantic coast) is 970 kms from Buenos Aires,  San Carlos de Bariloche (on the Andes) 1719km.  Other important places are  Cipolletti, General Roca and Villa Regina in the Valley of Rio Negro,   San Antonio Oeste on the coast,  and  Sierra Grande.   San Carlos de Bariloche is the  the gateway to the Nahuel Huapi National Park and to adventure tourism,  with fascinating excursions to surrounding hills Otto, Lopez,  Catedral,   Tronador and Capilla, and multiple other outings,  including hunting in estancias and fishing in lakes, rivers and streams. There is an internationally important golf course in Llao Llao and a Casino in town.   http://www.sectur.gov.ar and  

 

SALTA is 1605 kms from Buenos Aires. Rich in adventure tourism, climbing, canoeing, windsurfing and trekking in the national parks.   Salta is called "the beautiful" .  The city´s most significant buildings are  the Cathedral, the Cabildo, the Casa de Uriburu and the museum of Fine Arts. The church of San Francisco has one of the tallest church towers in America (53 m)  The train to the clouds (Tren a las nubes) reaching  4.182 mt above sea level is one of Salta´s top excursions.  National parks in Salta are Los Cardones, El Rey and Baritú.   There are beautiful landscapes and colourful mountains with historical villages in Cafayate, San Carlos, Angastaco, Molinos and Cachi in the Valles Calchaquies.  http://www.salta.gov.ar and http://www.sectur.gov.ar 

 

SAN JUAN  is 1.119 kms from Buenos Aires. San Juan is the capital of the province. This city was founded in 1562 and rebuilt after the earthquake in 1944.   78 kms from the city of San Agustin del Valle Fertil lies the Valle de la Luna (Moon valley)  Ischigualasto, a large valley with fantastic formations and fossils of plants, animals and ancient dinosaurs  where millions of years ago there was a lake.  Adventure tourism : mountain sports, hang gliding, canoeing and windsurfing and rafting on the San Juan river.  There are thermal spas in Pismanta, 181 km north of the city of San Juan. Calingasta is famous for its cider. Other places of interest are the Ullum dam and  Quebrada del Zonda. http://www.sectur.gov.ar  and  : http://www.sanjuan.gov.ar

 

SAN LUIS  San Luis is 820 kms from Buenos Aires The capital is a typical Argentine city of the 19th century, old colonial houses,  shady courtyards and a peaceful atmosphere.  The Gruta de Inti Huasi was an ancient indigenous settlement. The  Sierra Las Quijadas Parque Nacional National Park is a semi arid region of reddish coloured landscape.  Places of interest are  Sierra del Morro,  and Merlo  http://www.sectur.gov.ar and  http://www.sanluis.gov.ar

 

SANTA CRUZ :  Rio Gallegos,  its capital city is 2.640 kms from Buenos Aires.  Santa Cruz is a unique province with the beautiful Los Glaciares National Park and Perito Moreno glacier,  and twelve other glaciers making up the biggest sliding masses of ice and snow of Los Glaciares National Park.   The Perito Moreno Glacier is 4 km wide and 60 mts high and can be reached from Calafate (there is a new airport and direct flights Buenos Aires-Calafate) Sailing across the Argentino lake among white and blue icebergs is the spectacular Uppsala glacier of 60 kms length. Also  Onelli and Agassiz at a 1.5 km walk from Onelli bay. Other  special attractions of the province are:  the Bosques Petrificados natural monument of fossilized trees (up to 35 m length and 3 m diameter,   the Pinturas River, an amazing canyon with cave drawings with the Cueva de las Manos (Cave of the Hands), the Laguna Azul, located inside the crater of an extinguished volcano, Cabo Virgenes and Isla Deseada. Puerto Deseado and Puerto San Julian are places to observe sea birds and mammals in their natural habitat.  http://www.sectur.gov.ar and    http://www.scruz.gov.ar

 

SANTA FE:  475 kms from Buenos Aires. Here Argentine Constitution was declared in 1853  (latest reform took place in 1994) the city is  linked to Paraná, the capital of the province of Entre Rios, via a tunnel of 2397 m under the Parana river.  In the church of La Merced  there is a painting of the Virgen de los Milagros, thought to be the oldest  painted in the country.   In the Museo Provincial there are exhibits related to the Jesuit missions. Rosario in Santa Fe is one of Argentine industrial centers. The Argentine national flag was first raised here, on the banks of the river Parana.   Other places of interest are the Convento de San Carlos de Borromeo in San Lorenzo, a national monument and the town of Rufino,  an important agricultural and cattle raising center. http://www.sectur.gov.ar and  http://www.santafe.gov.ar

 

SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO  is 1150 kms from Buenos Aires and is the oldest city in Argentina. Founded in 1553, its cathedral was the first built in Argentina.  Interesting places are the church of La Merced with the image of nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, the Convento de San Francisco, the church of Santo Domingo. Also the Provincial History Museum and the Athropological Museum. Outstanding festivals are the Fiesta Nacional de la Chacarera (a national dance) and the Festival de la Salamanca in La Banda.

 

TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ANTARTIDA e ISLAS DEL ATLANTICO SUR: Distance from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia is 3.171 kms.  Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world and from there you can take a cruise to the Antartic, go on a catamaran trip along the fascinating Beagle Channel and in summer also visit the estancia Harberton (first white settlers of Tierra del Fuego) and  sail around Cape Horn and the Isla de los Estados. You can go skiing (either nordic or alpine) or opt for excursions with sledges pulled by Siberian huskies,  or  fishing in rivers and lakes.  The Beagle Channel and the area of Tierra del Fuego National Park are examples of sub antartic forest, the home of the red fox, guanaco, beaver, condor and duck. From the park there is a beautiful view over the Beagle Channel and  the bay of Lapataia.  The estancia Maria Behety has one of the largest world´s sheep shearing sheds, with a capacity for 5.000 sheep.  http://www.sectur.gov.ar and   http://tierradelfuego.org.ar

 

TUCUMAN The province of Tucuman is called "the garden" of Argentina.  Its capital San Miguel de Tucuman is 1.310 kms from Buenos Aires and is the commercial, cultural and industrial center of north western Argentina.  Remarkable buildings are the Historic House of Independence (Casa de Ttucuman),  the Cathedral,  the Casa de Gobierno (Government House) the churches of La Merced and San Francisco, the House of Parliament and the Casa del Obispo Colombres.    The Fiesta de la Pachamama, dedicated to Mother Earth, is a popular tradition. There are casinos in San Miguel de Tucuman and San Javier.   The Provincial Park El Cochuna at 1700 m has a large variety of sub tropical vegetation. The Laguna del Tesoro,  surrounded by high mountains is a beautiful place and so are  Tafi del Valle at the foot of the Sierra del Aconquija and Villa Nouguès,  a summer resort.  Other attractions are the 130 monoliths (menhires) of stone carved by the Tafi Indians and the Ruinas de Quilmes, ruins of a fortified citadel built by the Quilmes Indians.   http://www.tucuman.com.ar    http://www.sectur.gov.ar 

 

 

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