El Impenetrable National Park

El Impenetrable takes its name from the region itself, a stretch of the Gran Chaco so dense with thorn scrub, cactus and hardwood that it resisted settlement for centuries. The park, created in 2014 on a former cattle estate of some 128,000 hectares, protects the largest remaining block of this forest in Argentina, running along the Bermejo river with lagoons, forest islands and open savanna. It shelters tapir, giant anteater, peccary, maned wolf and, most significantly, jaguars: a reintroduction programme has released animals here after the species had effectively vanished from the Chaco, and camera traps now record cubs born in the wild. Visitor infrastructure is minimal and deliberately so, with river camps, ranger-led walks and boat trips on the Bermejo.

What you actually see

• The thorn forest - dense quebracho and cactus woodland with almost no roads.
• The Bermejo river - forest-lined banks, sandbars and boat trips.
• The wildlife - tapir, anteater, peccary and the reintroduced jaguars.
• The lagoons - seasonal wetlands drawing waterbirds and caimans.

When to go

May to September, the dry, cooler season; summer brings extreme heat above forty degrees and rain that makes the tracks impassable. Visits need arranging in advance with the park administration, and the last stretch is slow going in any season.

Honest expectations

This is remote wilderness with no services, no fuel and no phone signal for long distances, and vehicles must be capable and self-sufficient. Jaguars are effectively never seen. Heat, thorns and biting insects are constant companions.

Nearby

Juan José Castelli is the gateway town; Chaco National Park lies far to the southeast.