| Three weeks in Argentina | |
  Argentina is a country of contrasts | |
who in three weeks Argentina want to travel, can already get to know a lot about this huge country. The round trip suggested here covers many main travel destinations, but also some less known and nevertheless very attractive areas.
background
As long as you really want to get to know all of Argentina (or at least all of the big attractions), three weeks are the bare minimum. Less is only worthwhile if you come here for a specific destination or a specific region. The long distances and the rather thin flight connections hardly allow traveling “spontaneously and quickly through the country”.
Argentina offers almost all climatic zones of the earth with the exception of the polar regions and the tropical rainforest on an area which corresponds roughly to that of Western Europe. In many areas, the country, with an average population density of only 14 inhabitants per square kilometer, is largely deserted. In contrast, there are the few large cities, above all the capital Buenos Aires with its metropolitan area, in which more than 12 million people - around a third of the total population - live. The route presented here takes cities and natural attractions equally into account and can be expanded in many corners if you have more time.
The route described here begins in the capital Buenos Aires and will mostly end there as well, as the largest international airport is located there and probably all travelers will visit the city. However, if you want to get to know the city's cultural scene, you should make sure to visit the city on a weekend, because, as in many places in Latin America, the cultural offerings are concentrated almost exclusively on Thursday through Sunday. It is also possible in the middle of the trip (between central Argentina and Patagonia) to take a closer look at Buenos Aires if the timing is otherwise unfavorable.
preparation
Special preparations are not necessary due to the country's extra-tropical location. Depending on the season, you should bring weatherproof clothing for your stay in Patagonia (especially those who want to hike in Tierra del Fuego and Los Glaciares need sturdy, waterproof shoes) and swimwear for the summer.
It is advisable to determine in advance which means of transport will be used. If you want to go through the whole route, the best way to do it is by plane. The distances between the individual destinations are very long, with the exception of the northwest (which is best traveled by bus or rental car). The airfares are expensive compared to the European low-cost airlines (especially since the state company Aerolíneas Argentinas the cheapest tariff class only sold to residents), but also the buses are no longer real bargains and are only worthwhile for medium distances. On the other hand, hotel prices are significantly cheaper than in Europe, even if the gap has narrowed here, especially since 2008.
getting there
Almost all travelers will come across the Argentina Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport (also called Ministro Pistarini). It is used by all major airports in Europe and also by Frankfurt and Munich flown to directly. Bargains can be found if you go over Madrid, Milan, Rome or Paris flies because the frequencies are denser from these cities.
Another option is to get over Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo with connection after Foz do Iguaçu to arrive if you want to get to know Brazil and start the tour in Iguazú. There are also flights to via Madrid Cordoba. However, these possibilities will not be discussed further here.
Here we go
Buenos Aires
- Duration: 2-4 days
The capital Buenos Aires is considered one of the most important cultural centers in Latin America. It was a lively, glamorous metropolis, especially in the early 20th century, and was known as the Paris of the South, and the city's most important buildings also date from this period. Even if its importance in the global scene has decreased somewhat since then, the museums, theaters and tango bars are timelessly worth a visit.
Sights of Buenos Aires are the government district in center with the Presidential Palace, the Cabildo, the Cathedral and the Plaza de Mayo, the old working-class neighborhood La Boca and San Telmo, in which the tango culture is deeply rooted, the hip districts of Barrio Norte (Recoleta and Palermo) with its rich cultural offer and its luxurious residences, the famous opera house Colon Theater, the theater converted into a bookstore El Ateneo, the obelisk and the San Martín Cultural Center, the place of the avant-garde. The old port is nicely prepared, but very European and quite expensive Puerto Madero, the gastronomic mile of modern Buenos Aires.
Trips:
- La Plata with an important natural science museum
- Tigre and Paraná Delta, a popular local recreation area on hot summer days with an almost tropical flair and bathing facilities.
Iguazu Falls
- Duration: 2 days
- getting there: Preferably by plane, numerous airlines. Bus from Buenos Aires takes over 12 hours.
The Iguazu Falls on the border to Brazil in the province Misiones are not only the most abundant in water in the world, they also impress with their attractive location in the middle of a subtropical jungle region. The region is very well developed for tourism and offers several alternatives. So you should visit the waterfalls from both the Brazilian and the Argentine side: from Brazil there are breathtaking panoramic views, from Argentina, on the other hand, you can get within a few meters of the falls and explore the landscape better.
If you have time, you can still do that around Iguazú Wanda gem mines (30 km south) and the Ruins of the Jesuit Mission of San Ignacio visit, which are however 220 km away. Also a trip to Paraguay (Ciudad del Este, especially the ItaipúDam is worth seeing) and Brazil (Foz do Iguaçu) is possible, but the cities are modern commercial centers without major attractions, but with plenty of shopping opportunities.
Salta, Jujuy and Quebrada de Humahuaca
- Duration: 4-5 days
- getting there: By plane from Iguazú (only with Andes Líneas Aéreas), bus over Resistencia also possible, but long drive.
The north-west of Argentina was the most densely populated region in the colonial times, and therefore it is not surprising that it is now considered a particularly attractive cultural landscape with many architectural monuments. The starting point is the city Salta with half a million inhabitants, in which the colonial baroque style was also promoted by the state in the 20th century. In contrast to the European baroque style, the colonial style is simple and characterized by clear forms. More scenic is about 100 km to the north San Salvador de Jujuy (300,000 inhabitants) in a branching, subtropical-looking gorge, but here the monuments are mixed with modern buildings.
From Jujuy you should definitely do the Quebrada de Humahuaca visit. This approximately 120 km long valley swings up to over 3,000 m and offers visitors many small towns with old colonial centers. The popular holiday resort stands out Tilcara and the carnival metropolis Humahuaca as well as the one located in a side valley Purmamarca with its mountain of seven colors, one of the most popular photo motifs in Argentina. A detour to the high steppe Puna with its salt lakes and red colored mountain ranges is possible.
As an alternative to Quebrada you can either take the tourist train Tren a las Nubes or by bus or rental car the very similar landscape, but hardly populated Quebrada del Toro visit, the route extends to the Polvorilla viaduct at 4,000 m above sea level. One should pay attention to the altitude sickness; A tea made from the (tolerated) coca leaves can help. The only bigger place on the route is San Antonio de los Cobres, the ancient capital of the Andean National Territory at an altitude of more than 3,300 m.
Valle Calchaquí - Tucumán
- Duration: 2-4 days
- Getting there: By bus via Cachi or Cafayate, heavy traffic and many companies.
It is also a traditional cultural landscape Valle Calchaquí, a valley that stretches from the highest motorable road pass in America (Abra del Acay) to the province of Catamarca. The north of the valley is sparsely populated, most of the colonial church buildings and some old fincas from this time can be found here. Villages and small towns like Cachi or Molinos live from agriculture and seem to have stood still in time.
The picture changes further to the south. Cafayate is a delightful, touristic town with a folklore festival and many wineries. The gorge of the same name stretches almost to Salta and impresses with its bizarre rock and sand formations. Santa María del Yocavil and Amaichá del Valle (a community ruled by indigenous people) at the southern end of the valley are in the midst of the most attractive archaeological sites in Argentina; especially the ruined city Quilmes shows an example of the city and fortress architecture of the Diaguita indigenous people. Amaichá del Valle is home to the largest museum dedicated to the Pachamama culture.
On the very charming road from Santa María to San Miguel de TucumanThe holiday center is located, which leads from the desert into the jungle for a few kilometers Tafí del Valle at an often cloud-covered reservoir at an altitude of 2,500 m; it is known for the stone menhirs that the natives left here and those in the neighboring village El Mollar can be visited near the dam. The road continues through a rainforest canyon and sugar cane plantations until it reaches Tucumán, the largest city in northern Argentina. In addition to a rich cultural offer, you can visit several colonial and neo-baroque buildings in the city.
Catamarca - Talampaya / Ischigualasto - Córdoba or Mendoza
- Duration: 3-5 days
- Getting there: By bus, several companies.
The province of Catamarca is a less known but very interesting area, which combines mountains, old towns and quiet country life. There are two ways:
- Once the way from Tucumán directly to the capital San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca. He leads over the Cuesta del Totoral, which offers impressive views of the subtropical jungle landscape, directly into the capital of the province. The 300,000-inhabitant city impresses with its many historical churches that populate the entire conurbation and testify to the religious traditions that are particularly lively here.
- If you want to skip the cities of Tucumán and Catamarca and prefer to explore the natural landscapes of the area, you should head straight to Santa María Belén drive (bus 3 times a week). The route leads through a deserted plateau and a bizarre rock valley to the second largest city of Catamarca, which is considered the center of weaving. Excursion destinations are the city Londres and the nearby ones Shinkal ruins.
Both Belén and Catamarca can be easily reached south by bus into the city La Rioja from where you can continue into the barren, desert rocky landscapes of Talampaya as Ischigualasto got. Here, the erosion has led to large-format formations that are reminiscent of submarines, mushrooms and castles. The starting points are the small towns Villa Unión (for Talampaya) and San Agustin de Valle Fértil (for Ischigualasto).
Either from La Rioja or from San Juan you have two alternatives for a city visit: Mendoza and Cordoba. Mendoza is located on the eastern slope of the Andes and has almost a million inhabitants, the city lives mainly from viticulture and is one of the cleanest in Argentina. Wine tasting tours through the wine region can be organized individually or organized in a tourist group, and there is a large-scale grape harvest festival with numerous events in late summer and autumn. Cordoba on the other hand is an old colonial city where history and modernity meet. The oldest church in Argentina and other Jesuit buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries are located here, and the cultural offerings are also impressive.
From Mendoza as well as from Córdoba you can travel directly to Patagonia by bus, you have to change planes in Buenos Aires.
Puerto Madryn, Valdes Peninsula, Punta Tombo
- Duration: 3 days
- Getting there: By plane via Buenos Aires. Direct buses also available.
Puerto Madryn is the starting point for most tours in the delightful Patagonian coastal area of the province of Chubut. The architecturally rather uninteresting port city, a Welsh founding from the 19th century, is today one of the most modern and touristic cities of Patagonia, the long, fine sandy beach with pleasant water temperatures in summer also contributes to this.
The area's biggest attraction, however, is that Peninsula Valdés, a nature reserve in which the coastal fauna has almost been preserved. Sea lions and elephant seals, whales, orcas, seals and penguins as well as numerous species of birds can be seen here. In the small village Puerto Piramides there are accommodation options and guided tours. If you want to drive on the peninsula with a rental car, you should consider that the roads are mostly gravel.
The largest penguin colony in South America is a bit out of the way in Punta Tombo, about 150 km south of Puerto Madryn. From Puerto Madryn as well as from Trelew (50 km. South), the largest city in the region, you can book organized tours or take a rental car. The penguin colony is remote on a peninsula where the animals find shallow water for fishing. Trelew itself is little worth seeing despite its Welsh past, but this is changing in the small towns Gaiman and Dolavon west of the city, which still exude a very British flair and of course also market this - so you can stop by for an afternoon tea and maybe visit the churches.
Los Glaciares - Tierra del Fuego
- Duration: 5 days
- getting there: Plane or bus available. Return to Buenos Aires by plane.
The glaciers of the southern Andes in Los Glaciares National Park belong to the most famous natural wonders of South America. The starting point is the town El Calafate on Lake Argentino, after all, the second largest lake in Argentina. If you travel around by plane, you can fly to Calafate directly, otherwise there is usually a detour via Río Gallegos necessary.
The most famous glacier, the Perito Moreno, owes its reputation to the fact that it divides a lake in two and bursts every 4-8 years by the pressure of the water of the upper arm and then regenerates. However, this event is very difficult to predict. Nevertheless, the glacier wall, which is up to 80 m high, is always worth seeing and large chunks of glacier break off frequently. Active people can go on an organized trekking tour on the glacier ice. Other attractions in the park are the glacier Upsala, which forms a veritable small inland ice and can be visited on a boat tour, as well as the Cerro Fitz Roy, an incredibly steep rocky mountain peak, which you can see from the north of Calafate El Chalten must visit from. A rental car is useful as the tours are quite expensive and there is no public transport other than taxis in the park itself. If you want, you can go to Calafate Chile Continue to Torres del Paine National Park, which is about 100 km to the west.
fire land is the last stop on this tour and the southernmost province of Argentina. The island is particularly captivating in the southern half with a green, mountainous landscape that, despite economic use, appears original. The town Ushuaia on the Beagle Channel with about 50,000 inhabitants describes itself as the southernmost in the world (even if this is actually the much smaller one Puerto Williams in Chile, which can be visited by boat from Ushuaia) and is the starting point for hiking, mountain bike (only with good physical condition!), and boat tours, in winter you can also go skiing - with a view of the sea. The story is not neglected when you consider the Estancia Harberton (approx. 100 km east of Ushuaia) included in the visit, an old well-preserved manor in a bay.
in the Tierra del Fuego National Park 10 km east of Ushuaia it can get a bit crowded in the season, but the trip there is still worthwhile because of the great variety of landscapes that can be hiked on trails of different degrees of difficulty and lead past deep blue lakes, wild moors and snow-capped mountain peaks. Thanks to a humid microclimate, the vegetation is so lush that real primeval forests have formed, and that in a sub-polar climate.
If you have time, you can Tolhuin visit Lake Fagnano, the largest lake in Tierra del Fuego or the extreme south of Chile above Punta Arenas visit. Tours are also offered to Antarctica, but these must be booked well in advance.
security
Anyone who talks to Argentines about the current situation will often hear long laments about the allegedly high crime rate. But Argentina remains one of the safest countries in South America even after the 2001 economic crisis. In large cities, however, greater caution is required, there you shouldn't stroll through the area at night away from the main streets with valuables or a lot of money - even if the risk of being mugged is low, it also happens to travelers from time to time. Better to leave your valuables in the hotel safe. If you are actually attacked, you must not defend yourself and should actually give everything out, otherwise danger threatens. For large parts of this route, however, the fear is unfounded. In Iguazú you should be careful that the change is not counterfeit, especially if you pay in dollars. Foreigners often disappear on bike tours or when they walk through the streets alone at night. Especially as a woman, it is important not to be alone, especially at bus stops and narrow streets or alleys. Be careful with the following trick: If you see a child on the street alone and cry with a piece of paper and an address around your neck, always call the police . never bring the child to the address. There is a low risk of malaria in the rainforests of northern Argentina (Tucumán / Salta and Iguazú), but prophylaxis is usually not necessary. When entering the country, it should be noted that vaccination passports are sometimes checked and that it may well be that the onward journey becomes impossible due to a lack of yellow fever vaccination. Especially if you have a stamp in your passport from a country that warns of yellow fever. Yellow fever has been on the rise from the north for about ten years.
It is advisable not to drink the water from the tap without a suitable filtering as a foreigner and not to use it as cooking water. On the one hand because of the chlorine content and on the other hand because in rural areas parasites can still be detected in tap water, which are not necessarily known in Europe. You should also be careful with the Vinshuka, especially when camping and in hot areas. Unfortunately, one hears far too little about this type of bug from Europe. It transmits so-called Chagas disease, caused by thryptosoma cruzei (parasite). Chagas is a sleeping sickness and is difficult to cure. Many travel doctors are not familiar with this danger. Caution is also advised with the many street dogs.
trips
Of course you can combine a vacation in Argentina with a visit to the neighboring countries:
- in the Northeast you can travel on from Iguazú to Brazil, the bus and flight connections on the one hand in the direction of the famous seaside resort Florianópolis and on the other hand after Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are good.
- in the Northwest you can go to Bolivia travel on: From the border town Villazón there is a train to Tupiza, Uyuni and Oruro as well as buses after Potosí and La Paz.
- in the west you can continue to from Mendoza Santiago de Chile (good bus connections) and the nearby port and seaside resorts Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.
- in the south You can also take a detour to Chile, there are the Torres del Paine National Park, Puerto Williams (by boat from Ushuaia) and the Carretera Austral, an adventurous highway through the southern rainforest, interesting. Those interested in history and nature lovers can also access the Falkland Islands or Malwinen (either from Río Gallegos or from Punta Arenas / Chile).
literature
Web links
- Argentina.ar - Official Argentina portal for travelers
