Wondermondo 🢖 World 🢖 Wonders of South America 🢖 Wonders of Argentina

Territory

Wonders of Argentina

Iguazu Falls
Iguazu Falls. / Nico Kaiser, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

WorldBlue  Highlights

Argentina is one of the most diverse countries in the world – it has tropical rainforest and southernmost forest (after Chile), deserts, and glaciers, some of the highest mountains in the world and immense flatlands of pampas.

Similar is the diversity of natural and man-made wonders of Argentina. Here are located natural landmarks of world-class (Iguazu Falls, Petito Moreno Glacier, Puente del Inca) and immense scientific importance. Argentina has been one of the most prosperous countries in the world and this is well expressed in the magnificent buildings from the late 19th – early 20th century.

Map with the described wonders

Travelers' Map is loading...
If you see this after your page is loaded completely, leafletJS files are missing.

WorldViolet Top 25 wonders of Argentina

Geological wonders

Iguazu Falls (Salto de Iguaçu)

Misiones (also in Brazil)

One of the most enormous and impressive waterfalls in the world, they are “only” 82 meters tall, but 2,700 meters wide.

Sunset at Iguazu Falls, from Brazil
Sunset at Iguazu Falls, from Brazil SF Brit / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Puente del Inca

Mendoza

Highly unusual natural wonder – a natural arch over Vacas River with hot springs and large travertine formations next to it. The natural bridge is 48 m long, 28 m wide, and 8 m thick, and the river flows 27 m below it.

Puente del Inca, Argentina
Puente del Inca, Argentina / Ricardo Moraleida, Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Campo del Cielo

Santiago del Estero and Chaco

A strewn field of iron meteorites. These meteorites fell some 4 – 5 thousand years ago. The largest meteorite fragment weighs 37 tonnes and is the second heaviest after the Hoba meteorite, the total weight of meteorites – more than 60 tonnes. 26 impact craters, the largest is 115 by 91 m large.

Ojos del Salado

Catamarca

The highest volcano in the world, 6,891 m tall. It contains also a crater lake at 6,390 m in height – possibly the highest lake in the world.

Glaciar Viedma, Glaciar Upsala, Glaciar Spegazzini, Glaciar Perito Moreno, and smaller glaciers

Santa Cruz (Argentina)

These glaciers end in large lakes and form impressive ice walls. As a result, in Lake Viedma and Lake Argentino are floating unusual, blue icebergs. Impressive is Bahia Onelli – a lake with three glaciers ending in it – this lake is filled with countless icebergs.

Perito Moreno glacier, Argentina
Perito Moreno glacier / Hector Garcia, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Mocona Falls (Yucumã Falls)

Misiones

Unusual, very impressive waterfall on the Uruguay River. This approximately 2 km long and up to 12 m tall waterfall is located parallel to the flow direction of the river and ends in the middle of the stream.

Moconá Falls - approximately 2 km wide waterfall
Moconá Falls – approximately 2 km wide waterfall / Leandro Kibisz, Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5
Talampaya Gorge

La Rioja (Argentina)

Magnificent, dry gorge with red sandstone walls up to 143 m high, and up to 80 m narrow. Area of special, very original natural beauty. Rich finds of Triassic fossils. Petroglyphs.

Pozo de las Animas – Well of Souls

Mendoza

Two closely located sinkholes with small lakes at the bottom. The largest is 101 m deep, including the 21 m deep, blue lake. Wind creates eerie, whistling sounds in the sinkholes.

Pozo de las Ánimas, northern sinkhole
Pozo de las Ánimas, northern sinkhole / Luis Adrian Crescentino Memoli, Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Salto del Agrio

Neuquén

Approximately 60 m tall waterfall with a single plunge over an overhang. Agrio River here contains sulfuric acid and as a result, the stream has created colorful deposits in brown and orange color, contrasting with the green water.

Cerro de los Siete Colores

Jujuy

A deserted, eroded hill with rocks in unusual, gaudy colors.

Cerro de los Siete Colores, Argentina
Cerro de los Siete Colores / Jeffrey Tanenhaus, Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Monte Fitz Roy (Cerro Chaltén)

Santa Cruz

One of the world’s most challenging mountains to climb. The height of the granite cliff face is 1,200 m.

Landscape in Patagonia with Monte Fitz Roy, Argentina
Landscape in Patagonia with Monte Fitz Roy / Nestor Galina, Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Ventisquero Negro (Glaciar Río Manso)

Río Negro

An unusual glacier in a dark, nearly black color. This glacier contains a large amount of particles and inclusions.

Lake with The Eye

Buenos Aires

Very unusual lake with a large island. Lake has a circular form and the island also is round. This floating island is moving around the lake.

Biological wonders

Ischigualasto fossil find

La Rioja (Argentina)

An outstanding find of fossils from the Triassic period, including some of the oldest known remnants of dinosaurs. The site is important for the research on the origin of mammals. Interesting rock formations. Sites of rock art.

Nahuel Huapi Lake Monster

Río Negro

A purported lake monster living in the enormous Nahual Huapi Lake. Stories tell that this animal is similar to a plesiosaur, 4.5 – 6 m long. The first stories about the animal have been recorded in the late 19th century.

Purported image of Nahuelito - a monster of Nahual Huapi Lake, Argentina
Purported image of Nahuelito – a monster of Nahual Huapi Lake, Argentina / Mapazf, Wikimedia Commons / public domain

Archaeological wonders

Inca Cueva

Jujuy

An area with numerous prehistoric rock paintings in black, white, and red colors. Most paintings show circles. Most interesting is a cave entirely covered with prehistoric paintings.

Shrine of Llullaillaco summit

Salta

The highest archaeological monument in the world, located on the summit of a 6 739 m tall volcano. In the late 15th – early 16th century there were sacrificed three Inca children. One of the mummies was struck by lightning.

Tastil

Salta

Amazing Pre-Inca settlement, built around 1500 AD. Nowadays remain interesting remnants – the base part of rounded, interconnected structures, resembling an enormous labyrinth.

Ruins of Tastil, Argentina
Ruins of Tastil / Alicia Nijdam, Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Ruinas de Ciudacita

Tucumán

Interesting, prehistoric ruins high in the mountainous jungle, at 4 300 m in height. Consists of a group of stone enclosures and are considered to be a sacred site with an astronomical orientation of details, including Puerta Del Sun which marks the summer solstice.

Piedra Museo

Santa Cruz (Argentina)

Some of the oldest known archaeological remains in the Americas, from around 11 000 BC. Spearheads, which were found here, contain traces of now-extinct animals – mylodons and hippidions.

Architecture wonders

La Mundial de Córdoba

Córdoba

One of the narrowest buildings in the world, just 6 m wide. This 7-floor structure was built in 1920.

Santa Catalina Estancia

Córdoba

Large historical ranch of Jesuits, established in 1622 and built in Baroque style. An interesting complex of buildings around three patios. Especially impressive is the church.

Floralis Genérica

Buenos Aires

A robotic monument, built in 2002. It represents a 23 m high flower made of stainless steel. The flower moves – opens and closes its petals during the day and has a spectacular lighting.

Floralis Genérica in Buenos Aires
Floralis Genérica in Buenos Aires / Beatrice Murch, Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Barolo Tower (Palacio Barolo)

Buenos Aires

Unique highrise building in Eclectic and Art Nouveau style, built in 1923. This building has 22 floors (110 m tall) and it was built according to the cosmology of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Ornate facade and interiors.

Barolo Tower, Buenos Aires
Barolo Tower / Luis Argerich, Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Quinta de Olivos

Buenos Aires Province

A large mansion in Neo-Gothic and Neo-Baroque style, built in 1854. Residence of the President of Argentina.

WorldYellow Recommended books

Fodor’s Argentina: with the Wine Country, Uruguay & Chilean Patagonia


Written by locals, Fodor’s travel guides have been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for 80 years.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Argentina


With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Argentina truly shows you this country as no one else can.


2.5 2 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments