Argentina
By Daniel Oscar Licata
7000 miles and 12 hours on a direct BA flight from London Heathrow is all that separates you from Buenos Aires, Argentina. A long flight it may be; but only a fraction of the time that it took for thousands of fellow citizens who once upon a time sailed to this promising land looking for a new life.
Unlike them, you will be greeted by a magnificent city that looks very much like Paris, Rome, London or Madrid, with huge skyscrapers and noisy traffic, vibrant nightlife and lots of restaurants and shops.
But, as you start to walk down the streets of Buenos Aires a new world will slowly appear in front of your eyes and senses, very different to the big and crowded city that greeted you upon your arrival.
Buenos Aires is the land of the mythical tango music. Few things in this world can match the beautiful sound of a bandoneon playing its ethereal melody and the grace of a tango dancer moving sensuously around his partner. This is the land where the echoes of Evita are still heard in May Square; the land of Diego Maradona and Jorge Luis Borges; of Little Italy and Boca Juniors; the land of fancy cafès on every corner and the land that Pavarotti and many others loved deeply without knowing exactly why.
Beautiful as it is, Buenos Aires is just a small portion of a very large country, fifteen times the size of the United Kingdom.
Patagonia - Vast and Overwhelmingly Beautiful
If something matches the seductive power of our capital city, it might very well be the vast emptiness and beauty of our Patagonia.
A three hour flight will take you to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, located on the Beagle Channel. Within the impressive framework made up of sea, forests, lakes and mountains, Ushuaia is a picturesque city with an important tourist services infrastructure.
Ushuaia offers unexplored untouched territories that invite visitors for adventure and discovery. Therefore, the main activities to be done in this privileged nook are related to nature. Some of them are hiking, horse riding, climbing and diving.
A short flight from Ushuaia will take you to El Calafate, where the Perito Moreno Glacier lies in middle of Lago Argentino. From there on, you will find several popular destinations in the region, such as Bariloche (the Argentine Switzerland), San Martin de los Andes and Esquel as well as many others.
On the shores of the Atlantic Ocean lies Puerto Madryn, overlooking the blue waters of the Golfo Nuevo, where wind is music and silence accompanies the language of birds.
Whales, Dolphins, Penguins and 275 Waterfalls
This place is surrounded by hills and dunes. The transparency of the calm deep waters and its varied fauna make it an ideal place for sub aquatic sports fans and lovers of scuba diving. For this reason Puerto Madryn is considered the Argentine capital of sub aquatic activities. Whale, dolphin and penguin reserves can be visited between September and April every year.
Second to Patagonia, the Iguazu Waterfalls is another destination that should not be missed. Situated in the northeast of Argentina, Puerto Iguazu City is the city that borders on Brazil and Paraguay through the concourse of Parana and Iguazu Rivers. It has the most spectacular forest and water that has ever existed on Earth - the imposing Iguazu Falls, that in Guaraní language means "Big waters". Among the most popular activities are the excursions to Iguazu National Park – Natural Heritage to Humanity by UNESCO - visiting 275 waterfalls and getting to know the exotic flora and fauna of the place.
Rainforests, Yunga Forests, Valleys, Ravines and High Plateau
A completely different story is the North region of Argentina. The provinces included in this area are Jujuy, Salta, Catamarca, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Chaco and Formosa. This corridor displays the wide diversity enveloping the North of Argentina: rainforests, yunga forests, valleys, ravines and the mythical high plateau, or puna, with the intermingled pre-Columbian cultures characteristic of the area.
Known worldwide due to its magnificent natural sceneries and the settlements where time seems to have stopped, this area gives travelers the possibility to travel back to the times of Hispanic colonization. Buildings from those days can still be seen in cities like Salta or San Miguel de Tucuman.
Excursions such as the Train to the Clouds present the Puna with a strong contrast against the eternal snow on the Andes Mountain Range. The Humahuaca Ravine, surrounded by multicolored mounts and slopes covered in cardons, offers tourists unforgettable moments of beholding.
Tapestries, textiles made with fine threads, sheep, llama or alpaca wool ponchos, gold and silver works and baskets made of vegetal fiber are some of the typical crafts visitors can purchase in the area.
Another attraction of singular beauty and color are the popular festivals, during which Pagan rituals are held to honour Pacha Mama - "mother earth" - and you can sample delicious regional dishes.
For the European traveler a place of particular interest is the Cuyo Region, an area comparable to the lower Californian Valley. There, situated at the foot of The Andes Mountain Range lies Mendoza, the capital city of the Homonymous Province.
Mendoza and Tunuyán Rivers
This incredible oasis grows fruits and vegetables due to the presence of the Mendoza and Tunuyán Rivers. The climate of the region is mild though the mountains provide a certain degree of aridity. In the city, there is the beautiful sight of streets flanked by trees, squares and parks linked by a web of irrigation ditches which are 500 km long that waters the whole area allowing city planning even in arid zones.
This is a starting point to enjoy adventure travel and high mountain sports like andinism, skiing or rafting.
In the surroundings of Mendoza City, interesting places and towns can be visited: Ruins of San Francisco Church, Maipú, El Challao, Villavicencio Thermal Resort, Cacheuta, Potrerillos and Vallecitos.
The very well known "Ruta de los Vinos" (Route of the Wines) deserves a special mention. Tourists can visit ancient cellars and taste excellent wines which are product of carefully chosen grapes. It is said that Argentine red wines together with Chilean white wines are amongst the best in the world. Perhaps this might be the opportunity for you to find out.
There is much more to discover in our country than we can possibly mention in a brief article like this, but if you ever decide to give Argentina an opportunity, we are sure that you will come back.
Trips and Tours is a tour operator offering services in all of Argentina. We provide highly personalised attention to our visitors from all around the world.
If you are looking for a friendly local contact to help you decide your itinerary, guide you in every aspect of your trip and to personally meet you upon your arrival in Buenos Aires, then you are looking for us.
Please let us know how can we help you by sending enquires to info@tripsandtours.com.ar 7 days a week from 0900 to 1800 local time.
Daniel Oscar Licata
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