Argentina Araucaria in Lanín National Park

Araucaria, also called Andean fir, are usually associated with Chile. But they can also be found in the southwest of Argentina. The Parque Nacional Lanín among other things protects some small forests of these fascinating trees.. Their normal habitat is the southern Andes at altitudes between 900 and 1800 metres. hey are conifers, with dark green, hard triangular, pointed leaves that are arranged around branches and twigs like dandruffs, in young trees also around the trunk. Older trees have very thick, coarse, brown bark that vaguely resembles cork oaks. Apart from elongated, brown male cones, there are spherical female ones that produce pine-like seeds. At the age of about 100 years, araucarias throw their lower branches, then they look a bit like umbrellas. They grow to be well over 1000 years old.

The road from Junín de los Andes to the entrance of the National Park (65 km) is asphalt.