Best Places to Visit in Argentina: Where to Go in Your First Visit

In this post I am going to list the Argentine attractions that I consider that nobody should miss the first (for most travellers the only) time travelling to Argentina.

Buenos Aires. With a population of 12 million Buenos Aires is an exiting and vibrant city. If you love tango, then Buenos Aires is the place to go. There are attractive offers of tango shows and tango lessons that target tourists in the city. But if you like dancing it, mixing with the local folks, the best places are not difficult to find in the Buenos Aires night. La Viruta, La Ideal, El Abrazo Tango Club are some of them that come easily to my mind. However, there are a lot more to do in Buenos Aires than dancing tango. Museums, theatres (in Spanish), fairs, polo matches, shopping or simply walking through the city are interesting ideas to try. And if you are travelling in a budgeting way, don’t worry, I have written a list of things to do in Buenos Aires for free that can help you to fully enjoy the city. I think that the minimum time devoted to Buenos Aires during a three week vacation should be 3 days, but spending an entire week probably would be better, especially if you are a city kind of girl or guy. Be aware that the rest of the attractions of Argentina are natural ones. Buenos Aires can be visited all year round.

The Perito Moreno Glacier: everyone that have read my posts know that I am crazy about the Perito Moreno. I discovered it many years ago during a bike trip and since that time I consider it to be the major landmark not only of Patagonia, but of Argentina. Spend an entire day at the walkways if you can, and complement it with a long navigation or with the big ice trek if you are fit enough. It will not disappoint you. Best time to go: from Nov to April. 2 days in Calafate are the minimum that you should spend there. Two or three additional days will be necessary if you plan to visit el Chalten too.

Iguazu Falls: the nature at its best. The falls make an impressive sight, and the surroundings permit an intense contact with nature to the adventurer within us. Best time to go is from April to Nov, in summer is a little hot but not so oppressive to miss them. 3 days minimum.

Salta: In Salta we find the old Argentina. The northwest part of the country is the one where the first Spanish settlers and the aboriginal inhabitants first mix, and keeps so far a historical flavour since that time. El tren de las nubes is a must and Cachi, Cafayate, and Quebrada de Humahuaca are worth to visit too. 3 days minimum. Best time to go is from April to October.

Peninsula Valdes: peninsula Valdes is the show of animal life. In the peninsula gather whales, sea lions, sea elephant, penguins, orcas, and a multitude of sea birds. 2 days is the minimum recommendable to spend there. Best time to go: from September to February.

These five places that I have recommended in this post are very far away one from the other. But all of them are worth visiting. I think that they can give you an almost complete picture of Argentina.

Upsala Glacier a Trip to Remember – Calafate - Argentina

Argentina Trips

Upsala Glacier with 902 sq km is the greatest glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. But also it is one of the most affected by the climate change in Patagonia. The glacier has retreated more than 40 sq km in the last 50 years, creating in its withdrawal a new group of islands in Lago Argentino (Islas de la Americas) and the Laguna Guillermo. The sailing excursion to this white giant of the Andes is one of the most rewarding trips to do in Calafate.

Puerto Bandera 50km northwest of Calafate is the starting point of the tour. From here departs the catamaran that sails for about 70km into the icy waters of the northern branch of Lago Argentino. During the navigation the traveler can see several huge icebergs scattered all over the lake. Then, it follows a sightseeing of the terminus of the Upsala glacier, to finally land in Bahia Onelli, where the Catamaran stops for 3 hours. After a walk of 800m through a lenga forest the tourist arrives to Lago Onelli. The glaciers Onelli, Bolados, Agassiz, and Heim could be seen from the lake, making up an impressive sight. The return trip enters to the Glaciar Spegazzini canal to finally end at Punta Bandera.

This trip, also known as Todo Glaciares, is as well as the Minitrekking and the Perito Moreno walkways a classic of Calafate. A must see attraction that have to be included in every travel to Patagonia in Argentina. Trips to this spectacular place are best done in summer season: from late October to early April. A final word of caution, this itinerary could be change because of the conditions of the lake to a one a lot less appealing, so check before to book.
Cost: around US$ 80
Tour Operator: Fernandez Campbell
Time: full day
Photo courtesy of féemaisq

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Punta Walichu -Calafate- Trip to Prehistoric Rock Art

Argentina: Trips

Punta Walichu lies in the coast of Lago Argentino, at only 7km north of the city of Calafate in southern Patagonia. This marvelous spot with prehistoric rock art is a commendable trip to include in every visit to Calafate.

Where the typical Patagonian landscape meets the windy shores of Lago Argentino lies Estancia 25 de Mayo, an extensive sheep farm in where stand the Cuevas del Walichu: a series of caves with prehistoric paintings made by the pre-tehuelches inhabitants of Patagonia. Once there, you can wait the next guided tour to the caves in a restaurant at the beginning of the trip. The place has ample windows in front of the coast from which the view is simply amazing. After a little while starts the trip. The first caves in the interpretative path are reproductions from other paintings in the zone that have difficult access or lie in private fields. After them, starts the Archeological sector. The paintings here were researched by the Museo de Ciencias Naturales de la Plata and dated back to 4000 years. The seven caves in this area are almost at ground level. There are depictions of human beings, hands in negative (stencilled) and geometric shapes in red, black, white and yellow. The guided trip last for about an hour.

For anyone interested in prehistoric rock art, visiting Punta Walichu, at only 7km from Calafate, could be a satisfying memory of his travel to Argentina. Trips can be done from early October to late April with the cost of only a couple of bucks.

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Trip to Bonanza in Delta, Tigre - Buenos Aires -Argentina

Argentina Trips

The first section of the Parana Delta lies to the north of the city of Buenos Aires in the Tigre district. Bonanza -Delta Adventura- is a tourist venture that offers full day trips in its 60ha settlement among the unspoilt delta environment. The idea of the tour is to discover the exuberant Delta surroundings maintaining a full contact with nature but without giving up entirely the comfort.

How to get there?

To the Boat Terminal:
By railway: from Retiro, you can get to the Tigre Station with the TBA Mitre railway (Tigre branch line)
By bus: bus number 60 from Constitución to Tigre.
By car: you should take Panamericana highway up to Marquez Avenue intersection, there take the Tigre branch line of the Panamericana highway, after that, follow boulevard Naciones Unidas as far as Boat Terminal.

To Bonanza:
The Boat Terminal lies on 305 Mitre Street. From there depart the boats to Bonanza: Passenger Boats Jilguero runs several boats daily. Passenser Boats ticket office n2, departing from boarding ramp n2. The trip lasts about one hour

The Trip

Depending of your arrival time and fitness, the trip can consist of hiking one of the several trails, from easy to difficult, that cross over the island. An asado lunch (grilled meat and salads) and after that canoeing in the easy waters of the Carapachay stream or horse riding.

I arrived to Bonanza just in time for lunch. The barbecue was served in the park of the house and was tasty with generous portions. After the meal, with two friends, we went to canoeing in the river. That was my first time in a canoe and the guide gave me the steering part. After a couple of twirls I got used to steer and began to enjoy the rowing. The stream had no rough water sections; the weather was sunny, perfect for enjoying that experience. The following activity was horse riding. The horses were tamed and the trails were surrounded by abundant vegetation. All in all, I fully enjoyed the day.

For me, the trip to Bonanza could be an excellent opportunity for the tourist to combine hiking, horse riding and canoeing in a single day. With the bonus of being able to do this in a place located at only two hours from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Trips to this unique natural environment can be done during all year but autumn and spring are the most comfortable seasons. The Cost for a full day trip to Bonanza is around US$ 70.

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