Argentina
The Pampas
Pampa is a word of Quechua origin that means "a plain without trees". Honoring its name, most of its surface is represented by a vast region of fertile land where the figure of the gaucho is still present in the mores inherited by countrymen.

The unrelentingly flat Pampas is Argentina's agricultural heartland and the home of that symbol of romantic nationalism, the gaucho. Comprising the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa and major parts of Santa Fe and Córdoba, its varied environments include forested hills, extensive grasslands and flamingo-coated salt lakes. 

The Parque National Lihué Calel is a popular detour, with wildlife including some puma and many guanaco, rhea, native hares and a variety of wild chinchilla called a vizcacha. 

The cities of La Plata, Luján (whose basilica to La Virgen de Luján receives 4 million pilgrims a year), Rosario and Santa Fe are worth seeing for their many museums, churches and faded colonial buildings.

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La Pampa
An immense plain called Pampa covers the central area that surrounds the city of Buenos Aires across almost 1000 km. It is probably the most famous territory of Argentina: the fertile humid Pampa where gauchos used to live and where the productive terrain often reaches a depth of 5 meters. Its smooth landscape exhibits a monotonous vegetation of small bushes, grass and gramineous, the only tree original from these plains, the Ombu, is in fact a big bush. Traditionally, its only use was to provide shade for the tired gauchos that drank mate at sunset. 

Home of the legendary gaucho, all the romantic fantasies about Argentina are concentrated here. An immense land fit for dreams and for man to rediscover himself. Extensive fields of alfalfa, sorghum, wheat, maize or sunflowers under an endless blue sky. Prairies reaching out of sight dotted with thousands of head of cattle which are the basis of the asados (roasts) of the best meat in the world. And presiding over these plains, fine ranch houses, horses hitched to a rail and the gauchos taking mate beneath the shade of an ombú tree. 

Comprising the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa and major parts of Santa Fe and Córdoba, its environments include forested hills, extensive grasslands and flamingo-coated salt lakes. The Parque National Liahué Calel has dense wildlife including puma, guanaco, rhea, native hares and a variety of wild chinchilla called "vizcacha". The cities of La Plata, Luján (whose basilica to La Virgen de Luján receives four million pilgrims a year), Rosario and Santa Fe are worth seeing for their many museums, churches and faded colonial buildings

The capital of Buenos Aires province is La Plata, 50 km from Buenos Aires city. Here stands the Natural Science Museum, founded at the end of the XIX century, with the most interesting paleontological, botanical and zoological collections of South America.  Other interesting places are the National Observatory, the Wild Animals Breeding Station and the Ciudad de los Ninos (Children's City), where there are miniature replicas of the most important public buildings of Argentina.

One of the numerous small towns in the province of Buenos Aires is San Antonio de Areco. It has preserved the image of the gaucho, even though it is located only 2 hours from the Capital City. In 1725, it set the limit with the Indians' territory and it was a compulsory stop on the road from Buenos Aires to Peru. One of the pulperias (typical mixture of grocery store, bar and gambling house) where the gauchos used to meet is still kept today as part of the Museo Gauchesco Ricardo Guiraldes (Gaucho Museum Ricardo Guiraldes). The building of the museum is a replica of an estancia and its exhibits paintings and elements of the everyday life of the gaucho. It is also possible to visit the atelier of some of the numerous artists that produce leather and silver articrafts or drawings about the gaucho life.

70 km to the west of Buenos Aires city, Lujan is better known as the Holy City.  This city developed around the imposing Sanctuary of the Virgen de Lujan, saint of the argentine people, with gothic-style features. The History Museum is one of the most complete museums of the country regarding not only the local history of the Virgin, the Indians, the gauchos and the estancias but also the Argentine history in general, from the colonial period to recent years. 

The most important activity of the Pampa is, undoubtedly, the production of cereals. The main area is the triangle limited by Pergamino, Venado Tuerto and Rosario, devoted specially to the production of corn, wheat, soy and sorghum.  Another town dedicated to agricultural and cattle-raising activities is Balcarce, where the experimental station of the INTA (National Institute for Agriculture and Cattle-raising Technology) is located.  Within short distance of Balcarce is the town of Tandil, where the Veterinary School is located as well as some dairy farms and cheese factories. The Sierras de Tandil together with the Sierras de la Ventana are the oldest geological stratum of the continent. In the area, the Provincial Park Ernesto Tornquist is worth a visit, it is a natural reserve created to appreciate and value the flora and fauna of the sierras.  The towns around this area keep the physiognomy of the southern towns with flowery boulevards and big squares, where time seems to go by very slowly.  Their old houses keep the same fences, the elegant gratings and the old aljibes (wells) that date as back as when the carts drawn by oxen started to run.

100 km from Sierras de la Ventana is Bahia Blanca. The name "Bahia Blanca" originated in the numerous salt-pits that there are in the surroundings of this city. Near Bahia Blanca are the traditional thermal waters of Guamini and Carhue, located within short distance of two salt-water lagoons with therapeutic properties. To the North of the Province is located the town of Belen de Escobar, known as "the national capital of the flowers". In October, an important flowers' exhibition is held, gathering the flowers' producers of the area.  On the way out of the city, the Parana River flows into the Rio de la Plata. This river can be sailed by boats of up to 6 m. of depth to Santa Fe, capital city of the province of the same name (600 km away approximately). 

Buenos Aires province is linked with Entre Rios province by the complex Zarate Brazo Largo, consisting of two huge bridges for vehicles and trains. A little further to the north is San Pedro, probably the most beautiful village of Buenos Aires province: Rosario is the third most important city of the country after Buenos Aires and Cordoba.  It was founded in 1730 when some families of Santa Fe city moved to the south due to the numerous Indian attacks. It is one of the main commercial, industrial and export centers of the Pampa. The city has a beautiful view of the Parana River whose coast is bordered by bushy palos borrachos.  On the banks of the river stands the Monumento a la Bandera (Monument to the Flag), a majestic work designed by Argentine artists. It was in Rosario de la Vera Cruz where General Belgrano created the Argentine flag in 1812.

The Sierras Pampeanas extend over the central region of Argentina. Its mountain ranges hide numerous valleys, where streams and small water courses allow the cultivation and agricultural exploitation.  The mountain ranges, often reaching 3000 m. above sea level, extend to the Cuyo region and from there, to the northwest.

For more regional information on the Pampas, go to: