The Great Outdoors

Nature in Latin America

Argentina
Argentina can be divided up into three distinct geographic areas: the central plains of the Pampas; the flat southern region of Patagonia, which extends down to Tierra del Fuego; and the Andes mountain range along the country’s western border.

Argentina is home to an astonishing variety of plant and animal life, with rainforests, rivers, wetlands and glaciers in climates that range from sub-tropical to sub-Antarctic. The must-see nature sites include the Parque Nacional Los Cardones (Glaciers National Park) and the spectacular Iguazu Falls. Don’t miss the colonies of penguins that line the southern coastline of the country in Patagonia.

Brazil
Brazil’s land is dominated by the Amazon Rainforest in the north, though the country also encompasses a region of rolling hills to the south and several mountain ranges along the Atlantic coast.

Brazil is heaven for ecotourists. The Amazon River, Iguazu Falls, a national park of enormous canyons (Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra) and the largest freshwater wetland in the world (Pantanal) provide opportunities for observing some of the most diverse flora and fauna in the world.

Costa Rica
Costa Rica has an extensive national park system and protects more of its land from development than any other country in the world. Its National Conservation Areas System protects nearly 200 areas, more than 25 percent of the country’s land, making Costa Rica a major destination for nature lovers. It is also home to many varieties of flora and fauna. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve alone contains some 2,000 plant species including numerous orchids, 800 types of bird and 100 species of mammal.

The protected national parks include beaches, rainforests, wetlands, mountains and volcanoes. Active volcanoes are a must-see in Costa Rica. Hike around them for beautiful constrasting scenery, and soak in the hot springs for a relaxing diversion.

El Salvador
El Salvador is Central America’s smallest and most densely populated country. Despite the fact that modern developments cover most of the country, there is a growing concern for ecological awareness.

You can find a number of beautiful and secluded beaches and forests throughout the country, in addition to the well-maintained Bosque El Imposible national park and the Montecristo Cloud Forest. The country also has several active and more than 25 extinct volcanoes, as well as mountains, rivers, ravines, marshes and beaches.

Guatemala
Guatemala’s government has embraced ecotourism as a means of sustaining its natural environment. Sometimes called “the land of eternal spring,” this country encompasses many different ecosystems including mangrove forests, pine forests and cloud forests. Apart from Panama, it has more plant species than any other country in the world.

Ecotours in Guatemala can take you through the Tikal National Park, the colonial city of Antigua, the hot springs of Lake Atitlan and a number of volcanoes.

Uruguay
The Uruguayan landscape consists mainly of low-lying grasslands, but the country definitely has areas of interesting nature. The Santa Teresa national park is part of a protected biosphere and has many exotic species of plants and animals. The country’s many beaches also display a variety of natural environments.