ARGENTINA
About Argentina
Argentina is the second-largest country in South America and the eighth-largest country in the world, stretching 4,000 km from its sub-tropical north to the sub-antarctic south.
Located between the Andes mountain range in the west and the souther Atlantic Ocean in the east and south, Argentina is bordered by Paraguay and Bolivia in the north, Brazil and Uruguay in the northeast, and Chile in the west and south.
Argentina also claims the British overseas territories of the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
Why visit Argentina?
Tourism in Argentina is favored because of its stunning natural wonders, an elegant capital with a European-flavoured sophistication and because of its high exchange rate to foreign currencies.
Tropical forests to Antarctic regions, Argentina has it all. No matter where you go, you'll find spectacular scenery!
Best time to visit
Buenos Aires - any time
Iguazu Falls - March to December
Patagonia - November-April
Andes for skiing - winter
High season is January and February
Places to see
Buenos Aires
Argentina's capital is cosmopolitan and diverse. More European than South American in flavour, Buenos Aires' heart boasts bustling streets, grand avenues, old-time cafes and stylish restaurants.
The people of Buenos Aires relish their ties to Europe, flaunt their creative energy, delight in culture, fashion and food and share a traditional melancholy for things past.
The charm of Buenos Aires for many visitors lies in the neighborhoods known as barrios. The most famous ones surround the center of the city and have their roots in the city's history.
La Boca
This working class area, originally populated by Italian dock workers, has bloomed into a colorful center of art, restaurants and the colorful metal houses.
San Telmo
This section of the city retains some of the colonial flavor of past years and is steeped in the city's history.
It has cobblestoned streets, low buildings, antique shops and the famed Sunday antique market in the main square of the barrio.
San Telmo's tango bars are an excellent place to learn and dance the tango.
Recoleta
A contrast to La Boca, this upscale expensive neighborhood is where the city's wealthy congregate. Elegant and refined, this barrio is built around the huge Recoleta cemetery where Eva Peron is buried amidst those who disdained her.
Palermo
The open spaces of this barrio made possible the Jardín Botánico Carlos Thays, the Jardín Zoológico, the Rosedal or rose garden, the Hipódromo and the Planetarium.
If you're in Buenos Aires during October and November you might catch a game of polo here.
You can also enjoy a day trip to the Tigre delta of the Parana river at any time. Wooden ferries will take you further into the tree-lined delta.
Iguazu Falls
Taller than Niagara Falls, twice as wide with 275 cascades spread in a horse-shoe shape, Iguazú Falls lie on the Argentina - Brazil border and are a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.
During the rainy season of November - March, the rate of flow of water going over the falls may reach 450,000 cubic feet (12,750 cubic m) per second.
Iguazu Falls are divided by various islands into separate waterfalls. One of the best known is Devil's Throat where fourteen falls drop 350 feet with such force that there is always a 100 foot cloud of spray overhead.
From the Argentine side you can take a series of catwalks over the water rushing into Devil's Gorge. Protective rain suits are provided.
The view from the Brazilian side is the most panoramic and there are helicopter rides out over the falls from Foz do Iguaçu. You can also take boat rides out to the falls.
It is possible to see the falls and surrounding area in a lightning trip but it is recommended to plan at least two days.
The Pampas
Beneath seemingly endless horizons, the grassy plains of the pampas were the original gaucho country, now occupied by sprawling cattle ranches that often open their doors to paying guests.
In the south, low mountain ranges diversify the landscape before giving way to an inviting Atlantic coastline that’s the prime vacation destination for Argentines themselves.
The country’s most densely populated region, the pampas are also the most productive in terms of agriculture and industry.
More than a third of Argentina’s population lives in Gran Buenos Aires (Greater Buenos Aires, including the federal capital); together, the capital and Buenos Aires Province hold nearly half the country’s inhabitants.
Museo de Ciencias Naturales
In Buenos Aires Province’s capital city of La Plata, this is Argentina’s premier natural history museum and a great day trip from Buenos Aires.
Complejo Museográfico
In the pilgrimage city of Luján, this exceptional complex of historical museums is among the best in the country.
Fiesta de la Tradición
In the placid pampas west of Luján, Argentina’s “gaucho capital,” San Antonio de Areco, celebrates its gaucho heritage during this November festival.
Tandil
The most attractive city in southern Buenos Aires Province’s interior is the location of a granite mountain range that’s ideal for mountain biking, rock climbing, and other outdoor activities.
Sierra de la Ventana
In this sleepy town, Buenos Aires Province’s most mountainous terrain offers its best hiking. As elsewhere in the province, there are outstanding estancias, such as Cerro de la Cruz.
Mar del Plata
Argentina’s top traditional beach resort has also become one of its biggest tourist traps, but it still shows its elegance and sophistication in its historical neighborhoods and cultural offerings—especially outside the summer months of January and February.
Museo del Automovilismo Juan Manuel Fangio
More than just a tribute to Argentina’s legendary Formula One champion, this state-of-the-art automotive museum near Mar del Plata takes an expansive view of transportation technology.
Northern Patagoina
Centered around the city of Bariloche, this is the country’s conventional holiday destination. Activities to enjoy include hiking, climbing, rafting and kayaking, and fly-fishing.
At select locations, ski resorts take advantage of the heavy winter snowpack.
Volcán Lanín
In the northernmost sector of Argentina’s fabled lake district, this snow-capped peak is one of the region’s most recognizable summits.
Bariloche
The buildings around this square in Bariloche represent the best of Argentine Patagonia’s architecture, setting a standard for the entire lake district with their steep roofs and arched recovas.
Lago Nahuel Huapi
This glacial lake is the centerpiece of Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, one of Argentina’s most-visited national parks. From the alluring lakeshore, the parkland rises to the forests, pinnacles, and icefields of some of the Andes’ most accessible scenery.
Feria Artesanal
This thrice-weekly market surrounding Plaza Pagano in El Bolsón is the perfect place to find local crafts and sample regional food and drink.
Circuito Lacustre
The most popular excursion in Parque Nacional Los Alerces is this lake circuit, by boat and by foot, starting at Puerto Limonao, on the south end of Lago Futalaufquen, and ending at Puerto Sagrario.
Southern Patagonia
Patagonia - the land mass shared over the southern parts of Chile and Argentina, divided by the Andes. There are glaciers on both sides which form the Patagonian Ice Field, second only in size to Antartica.
On the southwestern Argentine side, there are more than 300 glaciers, some of them in the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Glacier National Park, extends for 217 miles (350 km) along the Andes.
Los Glaciares is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and includes ice fields covering about 40% of the surface, two lakes and 47 major glaciers.
The highlight is Perito Moreno Glacier and a must on every visitor's list. Perito Moreno has the distinction of being the only glacier in the world to be still growing. When visiting the glacier, one is sure to see gigantic pieces of ice break away with a thunderous crack and plunge into the water (a process called "calving").
Tierra del Fuego and Chilean Patagonia
Chile and Argentina share the scenic grandeur of the sub-Antarctic Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.
Ushuaia is the world’s southernmost city and the gateway towards the vast and mysterious Antarctica.
The region’s biggest draw is the igneous spires of Chile’s Parque Nacional Torres del Paine - The world’s most intensely beautiful mountain range.
Torres del Paine has an integrated network of hiking trails suitable for day trips and backpack treks, endangered species like the wild guanaco in a UNESCO-recognized World Biosphere Reserve, and accommodations options ranging from rustic campgrounds to cozy trail huts and five-star luxury hotels.
The park receives upwards of 70,000 visitors yearly. Some visitors prefer the shoulder seasons of Nov–Dec or Mar–Apr.
