Parque Nacional Baritú

Baritú is Argentina's only tropical park, lying north of the Tropic of Capricorn. It protects several species close to extinction, such as the yaguarete which lives only in a few eco-regions of this kind, and whose only rival carnivore is the puma. There is rich bird life, and there are also rare plant and tree species here, making the park a great destination for serious nature lovers. Although the park lies entirely within Salta province, to reach it

you'll have to go into Bolivia first (check if you need a visa), on Route 50 via Aguas Blancas . The climate here is wet and hot, with summer rains bringing between 900 and 1300 mm, making roads completely impassable in January and February.

This makes Baritú one of the most inaccessible parks in the country, and you'll have to be

determined to make a visit. But it's spectacularly beautiful, covering 72,439 ha of the eastern slopes of

the Andean foothills and with peaks rising to around 2000 m, mostly covered by cloudforest.

You'll see many of the same birds and animals as in Calilegua.

Fauna is also abundant and varied. There are no facilities apart from ranger posts, campsites

at the entrances and rustic

It's the hottest of the three parks, with average temperatures in summer of 21°C in winter and 30°C in summer.

There are many walks in the northeast area of the park, allowing you could close contact with the many species of birds in the park. A recommended walk is to

, two hours' walk from the

office in El Lipeo. Another is to the settlement of

, where you can meet local indigenous peoples living in the park, and get a glimpse of their rich culture. From here, you could also walk the seven hours to

.