Las Yungas

In complete contrast to the

puna

and the Quebradas, the Yungas (pronounced shungas) are areas of cloudforest jungle lying along the eastern edges of the Salta and Jujuy

provinces. Receiving heavy rainfall, these forests support an incredible wealth of wildlife and vegetation,

together with fragile indigenous communities. Hence three national parks were created to protect them: Baritú and El Rey in Salta, and Calilegua in Jujuy. All three are very much worth visiting, but you'll need to be determined. Access is limited, and planning is required as infrastructure is still limited. If you don't have a 4WD vehicle, contact one of the few adventure tourism agencies who are allowed to operate in the parks. For more information, see www.redyaguarete.org.ar/yungas, and www.welcome argentina.com/parques.

There is no accommodation inside the parks themselves, except for very basic campsites with few facilities. However, there are places to stay nearby that can also arrange trips into the parks.