Laguna Blanca National Park

Laguna Blanca fills a basin on the Neuquén steppe that lava flows blocked long ago, leaving a shallow lake with no outlet, ringed by treeless plateau and volcanic cones. It was made a national park in 1940, one of Argentina's earliest, specifically to protect its waterbirds, and the lagoon holds one of the most important breeding colonies of black-necked swans in the country along with grebes, coots, flamingos and ducks, with more than a hundred species recorded. Islands in the lake serve as nesting sites and are off limits. Short trails lead from the visitor centre to hides and viewpoints, and the surrounding steppe holds guanacos, foxes and the small, well-camouflaged rock-dwelling life of the plateau.

What you actually see

• The black-necked swans - the colony that gave the park its purpose.
• The shallow lagoon - a closed basin of pale water on open steppe.
• The bird hides - viewpoints over nesting islands and shoreline.
• The steppe wildlife - guanacos, foxes and raptors on the plateau.

When to go

October to April for nesting birds and the fullest lagoon; spring is best for swans. Water levels fall sharply in dry years and the lake has shrunk substantially at times. Winter is bitterly cold and windy.

Honest expectations

The landscape is austere and treeless, and visitors expecting Andean scenery will not find it. There is very little infrastructure, no shop and no shade. Wind blows almost constantly, and binoculars are essential to get anything from the birdlife.

Nearby

Zapala is the nearest town; the road continues west toward Aluminé and the mountains.