Calilegua National Park
Encyclopedia
The Calilegua National Park is a national park
of Argentina
, located at the southeast of the province
of Jujuy
(Argentine Northwest
), at the Ledesma Department, on the eastern slopes of the Calilegua hills.
The park was created in 1979 to preserve a representative part of the Southern Andean Yungas
ecoregion
, one of the environments with the greatest amount of biodiversity
in Argentina), and to protect the mouths of the rivers of the Calileguas. With an area of 295 m², it is the largest national park of this region of the country.
This area was occupied a long time ago by native groups. Their settlements were located in the lower knoll, near the farming grassland
s. The archaeological pieces and sites found in the park, such as pottery and polished stone axes, are related to the communities that inhabited the Yungas region. From the 15th century on, this territory was occupied by the Incas. At present, this region is inhabited by Kolla
communities.
The park has a beautiful landscape, which you can see when transiting the Provincial Route 83 that runs through it. Along the route, you see three different environments: the jungle foothills, mountain forest and mountain woods, each with their own characteristic vegetation. It is also possible to see certain species of birds and mammals in particular, which makes this site an ideal place to observe wildlife, especially birds, about 270 species were identified and its estimated that 230 more could inhabit the area, which makes Calilegua the home of 50% of all bird species in the country and a paradise for birdwatching.
Regarding mammals, the presence of the largest predator of America, the jaguar, also known as “Tiger” along with other cats like the jaguarundi, ocelot, puma and cat of grasslands inhabit these forests. The tapir or “anta” is the largest of all mammals in the Yungas and you could see their footprints in the mud of the riverbanks and lakes.
Calilegua National Park and nearby towns offer a wide range of activities, with varying degrees of difficulty. The tours relate to ecotourism and active tourism, but the area offers a strong cultural imprint and you may visit several towns where the local contact is a highly valued experience for those interested in ethnic diversity and the discovery of local cultures
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, located at the southeast of the province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Jujuy
Jujuy Province
Jujuy is a province of Argentina, located in the extreme northwest of the country, at the borders with Chile and Bolivia. The only neighboring Argentine province is Salta to the east and south.-History:...
(Argentine Northwest
Argentine Northwest
The Argentine Northwest is a region of Argentina composed by the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.-Geography:The region had 5 different biomes:* Sub-Andean humid Sierras of the east...
), at the Ledesma Department, on the eastern slopes of the Calilegua hills.
The park was created in 1979 to preserve a representative part of the Southern Andean Yungas
Southern Andean Yungas
The Southern Andean Yungas is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Yungas of southwestern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina.-Climate:This ecoregion has a subtropical highland climate...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
, one of the environments with the greatest amount of biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
in Argentina), and to protect the mouths of the rivers of the Calileguas. With an area of 295 m², it is the largest national park of this region of the country.
This area was occupied a long time ago by native groups. Their settlements were located in the lower knoll, near the farming grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s. The archaeological pieces and sites found in the park, such as pottery and polished stone axes, are related to the communities that inhabited the Yungas region. From the 15th century on, this territory was occupied by the Incas. At present, this region is inhabited by Kolla
Kolla people
The Kolla are an indigenous people of Western Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, living in Jujuy and Salta Provinces. The 2004 Complementary Indigenous Survey reported 53,019 Kolla households living in Argentina. They moved freely between the borders of Argentina and Bolivia...
communities.
The park has a beautiful landscape, which you can see when transiting the Provincial Route 83 that runs through it. Along the route, you see three different environments: the jungle foothills, mountain forest and mountain woods, each with their own characteristic vegetation. It is also possible to see certain species of birds and mammals in particular, which makes this site an ideal place to observe wildlife, especially birds, about 270 species were identified and its estimated that 230 more could inhabit the area, which makes Calilegua the home of 50% of all bird species in the country and a paradise for birdwatching.
Regarding mammals, the presence of the largest predator of America, the jaguar, also known as “Tiger” along with other cats like the jaguarundi, ocelot, puma and cat of grasslands inhabit these forests. The tapir or “anta” is the largest of all mammals in the Yungas and you could see their footprints in the mud of the riverbanks and lakes.
Calilegua National Park and nearby towns offer a wide range of activities, with varying degrees of difficulty. The tours relate to ecotourism and active tourism, but the area offers a strong cultural imprint and you may visit several towns where the local contact is a highly valued experience for those interested in ethnic diversity and the discovery of local cultures
Source
- Administración de Parques Nacionales (Argentine National Parks Administration, in Spanish and English)
External links
- Calilegua.com (Tourism information about Calilegua area in Spanish and English)