El Palmar National Park Argentina: Spot Capybaras
About a three-hour drive from the capital Buenos Aires you’ll find El Palmar National Park. Chances are you’ve never heard of it and neither had we before we decided to go. The park is famous for its trees, but we came for one specific animal. El Palmar National Park in Argentina is home to a large population of wild capybaras! The capybara is the largest rodent in the world and a close (and much bigger) cousin of the guinea pig. Below you’ll find everything you need to know for a visit to the relatively unknown El Palmar National Park in Argentina.
How to Get to El Palmar National Park in Argentina
The easiest way to get there is by renting a car and driving to the national park yourself. Long-distance buses do run to the area, but they don’t give you much flexibility when it comes to choosing where to stay overnight. You’ll also run into problems inside the park, as having a car is really essential. We rented our car through Sunnycars, with the option to pick it up either in downtown Buenos Aires or at the international airport.
What Is There to See in El Palmar?
There’s plenty to see in El Palmar, including various bird species. Many visitors also come specifically for the famous Yatay palm trees. For us, however, the park will forever be associated with the capybaras (or carpinchos, as they’re called in Spanish). You’ll spot them strolling along the roadside, rolling around in the mud, or swimming in small lakes. They’re not particularly shy, but it’s still important to keep a respectful distance. Bringing a zoom lens is a great idea if you want to take close-up photos like we made.
There are also several short walking trails throughout the park. If you want to, you could easily do all of them in a single day visit. We didn’t see many capybaras while hiking, and to be honest, the trails themselves aren’t especially scenic. You really go to El Palmar National Park in Argentina for the capybaras, or for the Yatay palms, which you’ll find everywhere anyway.
How Much Does El Palmar National Park Cost?
The entrance fee is 22,500 Argentine pesos (December 2025). Always check the official Argentine government website to see if there have been any changes, as prices may increase due to the country’s economic situation.
Where to Stay Near the Park?
There are several small towns both north and south of the park entrance. We simply checked Airbnb for the cheapest options and chose a village about 40 kilometers to the south. The road from the village to the park entrance is easy to drive, so you won’t spend much time on the road.
