Patagonia, Argentina
Patagonia is an adventure traveler's paradise. And depending on the age and interest of the kids, the adventure can be soft or extreme. Travel on or off the beaten path. Watch sea life on the Atlantic coast. Scuba dive, cold water mind you, in Puerto Madryn. Dig for fossils in Neuquen. Scale mountains in El Chaltén. Visit one or more national park. Ski and snowboard in Bariloche, San Martin de los Andes, El Calafate and Ushuaia. Enjoy sport fishing just about everywhere. Extending from the Rio Colorado south to the Straights of Magellan, Patagonia covers one-third of Argentina. See sparkling l... Read Moreakes, deep blue seas, jagged peaks, thorny plains, looming glaciers and ever-changing skies. Spend the night at an estancia. Sleep in cozy inns and quaint hotels. A family vacation in Patagonia may be remote but it is hardly a trip to the edge of the world.
Perito Moreno Glacier
Robert Wright courtesy Recoleta Cemetery Blog
Punta Tombo
Southern Right Whale
Penguins
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History & Culture
Patagonia may one of the most sparsely populated regions of the world but it is hardly a cultural wasteland. The Mapuche have farmed the central valleys of Argentina since the time of the Incas. Tehuelche Indians have inhabited the place called sharpening stone for more than 12,000 years. Welsh immigrants founded the towns of Puerto Madryn, Gaiman, Trelew and Rawson. They arrived aboard the ship Mimosa on July 28, 1865 and were soon followed by Spanish and Italian settlers. Some of the largest extinct reptiles including Giganotosaurus Carolinii, Argentinosaurus Huinculensis and Andresaurus Delgadoi roamed Patagonia long before the above. Evidence of their existence has been uncovered in the provinces of Neuquen, Chubut, Rio Negro, Santa Cruz and Torres del Paine.
Mapuche
Mapuche Nation Wikipedia Welsh in Patagonia BBC Tehuelche Indians Museo de la Patagonia Argentine Dinosaurs Inter Patagonia Maps
Maps are a great way to get the kids involved in family vacation planning. Use online maps of Argentina to locate a city, street or attraction, plot a route to a desired destination or study the country's political geography in detail.
Books
Jorge Luis Borges may be Argentina's best known author but he's not the only Argentine writer of note. Get recommended reading lists for travel to Argentina and, in addition to introducing younger children to your travel destination, get teens and tweens ready for a family trip.
Music & Sound
Music is a great way to introduce children to a local culture and embark on a journey through sound. Learn about Argentine folk music. Listen to Mapuche song. Neither have dance steps to rival the tango yet both celebrate life in Patagonia.
News
Local newspapers are a great way to find out what's happening today. Read Argentina news online in English and Spanish and brush up on Argentine current events from politics to economics and sports to entertainment. Discover what Argentinians are reading and find out what's happening from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.
Kids' Stuff
Online resources make learning lots of fun. Learn about southern sea lions, southern elephant seals, southern right whales and Magellanic penguins. All four of these marine mammals frequent the cold waters off the coast of Patagonia. Get fun facts about dinosaurs big and small and, in addition to finding out why these reptiles once roamed here, reconstruct the landscape. Who knows what you might learn?
Animal Facts
PBS SIEC Dinosaurs Big & Small American Museum of Natural History Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Organizations
Associations and non-profit organizations can be a valuable resource as well as means to get involved. Find out more about a few of the local organizations working to protect Patagonia's flora and fauna.
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Recommended Reads for Family Travel to Argentina