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LOCATION  |
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Patagonia
is located in the south of Argentina, from the 42th
south paralel to the Cap Horn |
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PATAGONIA: THE LAND ENDING THE WORLD
 Patagonia
is this land ending the world in the American continent which
is shared by Chile and Argentina. No having official borders,
it is usually considered that the territory is localized between
the 42° parallel south (Río Negro) and the Horn Cape.
The Andes constitute a natural border.
In the western Patagonia, lies the forest, 100 Km wide until
the fjords of the Pacific...
...The eastern lands are constituted by a steppe until the Atlantic
cost.
We will focus as following on some amazing lands.
PENINSULA VALDES
Shaped like an ax, the Valdes peninsula is marked by its vibrant
coastline, a stunning array of tall cliffs, rocky reefs, and
exotic marine mammals. Considered one of the most valuable wildlife
areas in the world, Peninsula Valdes is home to the southern
elephant seal, sea lion, and right whale.
Gulfs San Jose and Nuevo -- more like sheltered maritime lagoons
than gulfs -- lie to the north and south of the peninsula. Year
after year, animals return to these calm, protected waters to
mate and raise their young. Large colonies of sea lions and
elephant seals line miles of coastal beaches, while southern
right whales harbor in the gulfs.
 Conservation
Efforts
Conservation efforts to protect the rare and endangered species
that gather at Valdes peninsula are ongoing. The Punta Pyramids
section of Valdes peninsula is now a protected provincial reserve,
and tourists to the area are restricted to observation areas.
Why Peninsula Valdes, with its abundance of natural treasures,
continues to be excluded as a whole from the Argentine National
Park system remains a mystery.
"LOS GLACIARES" NATIONAL
PARK
Part of the Patagonian snow fields, Los Glaciares National Park
lies some 20 miles north of Torres del Paine. The park is covered
by a portion of the Patagonian continental ice sheet and contains
thirteen glaciers that flow into the sea.
The enormous Perito Moreno glacier rests here, rising nearly
200 feet above the Iceberg Channel, spanning three miles across,
and reaching back 22 miles through the Andes to Lago Argentino.
Regarded as one of the world's natural wonders, the Perito Moreno
advances and collapses in a constant cycle that repeats every
four years. Throughout the day, huge blocks of ice break away
from the glacier and crash into the lake with a resounding thunder,
creating icebergs that float downstream.
The area was declared a World Heritage Site in 1981 by the United
Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
 "TORRES
DEL PAINE" NATIONAL PARK
"The Paine massif is unrivaled...In its colors and form
it is without doubt one of the most fantastic and spectacular
sights that human imagination can conceive."
- Silesian missionary Padre Agostini -
From the wind-bent grasses of the plains to the sheer,
frozen cliffs of the Andes, the 935 square miles of Torres del
Paine National Park rank among South America's most stunning
and diverse. Not only does Torres Del Paine boast several distinct
ecozystems; each ecozystem contains a wealth of landscapes,
flora, and fauna found nowhere else in world. More than 40 mammals
make their home in the park, including the guanaco, puma, and
Patagonian gray fox. Some of the world's rarest bird species
(the Andean condor, crested cara cara, and black vulture among
them) are found in Torres as well.
The Legend of the Mountains
In particular, the mountains of Torres Del Paine (jagged granite
ridges and spires capped with shale) have held significance
for the region's native inhabitants. According to local myth,
an evil serpent called Cai Cai caused a massive flood to kill
the warrior tribe that lived in Torres Del Paine. When the flood
waters receded, Cai Cai took the bodies of the two largest warriors
and turned them to stone -- thereby creating the twin horns
that crown the mountain top of Cuernos Del Paine
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Argentina
