El Palmar National Park

El Palmar National Park is a nature reserve in Entre Ríos Province covering around 8,200 hectares, with dense groves of Yatay palms set among grasslands, small forests, and riverside areas along the Uruguay River. The palms grow here mixed with different vegetation types adapted to the river landscape.

The reserve was established in 1966 to protect one of the last major concentrations of Yatay palms after British settlers had greatly reduced the palm forests through agriculture. The park arose from the need to save this threatened palm species from complete disappearance.

The Calera de Barquín ruins show the remains of an old limestone kiln with furnaces and a dock, where you can still see traces of 19th-century industrial work today. The place tells of a time when people burned limestone here for trade along the Uruguay River.

The park is accessible via main routes connecting the cities of Colón and Concordia, with a central office providing maps and information about walking trails. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear since the paths lead through different types of terrain.

The protected Yatay palms reach heights of about 20 meters and can live up to 400 years, growing here at their southernmost natural limit. This southern edge of their range makes the park a place where you can observe a plant species at its extreme geographic boundaries.

Location: Entre Ríos Province

Inception: 1966

Elevation above the sea: 36 m

Operator: Administración de Parques Nacionales

Website: http://colonentrerios.com.ar/elpalmar

GPS coordinates: -31.85306,-58.32250

Latest update: December 12, 2025 18:22