The door of the Baritú is in the heart of the jungle of the Yungas, in the drainage basin of the Bermejo river. The fundamental premise of Baritú is the preservation of the environment for the future generations so that they may be able to admire the magic and biodiversity of this wild and virgin area.
Previously this area was in danger of being overun by cultivations such as coffee, zapallos and vineyards and unrestricted hunting. Fortunately the awareness of the importance of the balance of animals, land and vegetation in order to preserve a vital ecosystem stopped the 'march of progress' and allowed the area to maintain or return to its natural form. Each ecosystem interacts together with the climate and the soil in order to assist the survival of its inhabitants by forming chains of alimentation. The Yungas jungle is one of the areas richest in mammalians of this tropical region. It is estimated that there are 100 species of mammals in the 600km extension of the northeast of Argentina and 35% of them are encountered in the ecosystem of the jungles and Yungas.
It is possible to observe mammals such as the jaguar, tapirs, great anteaters, cai monkeys, great ferrets, porcupines, coloured squirrels, bats, armadillos etc. and birds such as Toucan parrots, humming birds, eagles, partridges, orioles and many more, also amphibians such as different frogs and toads including the red stomached toad and many types of fish.
The mountain jungles are on the slopes between 500 and 1000 metres where the vegetation is dense and humid. The highest treetops of over 30 metres are those of the cedars, laurels and walnuts whilst those at the 20 metre level consist of oaks, chalchal, palo luz and tala. There are other stratas such as that of shrubs and herbs, plants that spread over the surface and there is an important number of vines and epiphytes. In the Calilegua National Park there are different forests of mountain pines, alders and queñoa that are on the slopes up to 3000 metres.
