Having been to many cities throughout the world, Aleks has seen it all, but there will always be a special place in his heart for the beautiful Buenos Aires, Argentina. Aleks’s love for the city can be seen as he shares his Buenos Aires travel experience, which takes us through the city’s many neighborhoods, parks, and hotspots. He also threw in plenty of insider tips for the perfect Buenos Aires trip from must see sights to food recommendations, for a Buenos Aires travel tale that has it all!

Make a stop in the center of Buenos Aires to get view of the famous Obelisk.

During his Argentina vacation, Aleks spent most of his time in Buenos Aires experiencing the city’s culture in the many diverse neighborhoods of the city. A Buenos Aires city tour will take you through the areas, which Aleks explored, and provides you with the history behind each district.

Aleks explored San Telmo, where cobblestone streets are filled with artists and street performers and the plaza hosts a unique market. He recommends visiting this area on a Sunday because it is especially lively! Aleks also suggests spending some time in Palermo Soho, as “this awesome neighborhood has plenty of excellent shops, restaurants, bars, and designer hotels.” Palermo is also the perfect place to escape the bustling city feel, as it has over 350 acres of lakes, wooded areas and parks.

Aleks visited the Botanical Gardens, a great place to find some peace and quiet in Buenos Aires.

Another one of the reasons Aleks loves Buenos Aires is because of its excellent food, wine, and nightlife, which he describes as second to none in all of South America.  Describing the city as a “food and wine lover’s paradise,” he recommends trying the Argentinean asado(barbecue) paired with a Malbec wine from the nearby Mendoza region, and for desert eating a delicious Alfajor. By just walking the streets and popping into cafes, Aleks found some great snacks, including many varieties of empanadas and some excellent pizza slices.

Experience the art of the Tango during your Buenos Aires travel.

Buenos Aires is also famous for the Tango and Aleks was able to enjoy a few small scale Tango shows during his time in the city.  Though this dance isn’t something Aleks sees himself mastering anytime soon, he appreciates the talent of the dancers. He describes the dance as “amazing” explaining that, “The dancers carried it out to perfection! It seemed effortless for them as they moved around with ease.” A Tango show or catching one of the many Tango festivals throughout the year is the perfect way to get a feel for the culture of Buenos Aires, a “must-do” suggestion from Aleks.

From conversing and getting to know the locals to exploring the sights and streets of the city, Aleks enjoyed his time in the city. He explains, “Buenos Aires has something for everyone,” making it the perfect destination for your Argentina vacation.

Puerto Madryn is a top Argentina travel destination for spotting southern right whales.

Puerto Madryn

A Patagonia trip to Puerto Madryn is perfect at any time of year. In the summer months of December through February, this small town located on the Atlantic coast midway between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, becomes a popular, but still quiet beach resort. Tucked into the Golfo Nuevo, the waters around Puerto Madryn are calm and crystal clear, making them perfect for swimming, scuba diving, sea kayaking, and myriad other water sports. From August to October, the bay waters become the breeding and birthing grounds for migrating southern right whales, which can be spotted from land or on a Puerto Madryn tour that includes a whale watching cruise. Meanwhile, the nearby Peninsula Valdes hosts a beautiful natural reserve that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its abundant wildlife, including Magellanic penguins, elephant seals, and countless sea birds.

Bariloche characterizes the pristine forest & lake landscape of Patagonia.

Bariloche

Located directly to the east of Puerto Madryn, but at the foot of the Andes Mountain Range, Bariloche has become a top Patagonia tour destination as well as a national capital of outdoor recreation. In the spring and summer months of October through March, travelers can enjoy activities such as kayaking, fly fishing, sailing, cycling, and trekking through the endless miles of trails that extend deep into the pristine mountain landscape. In the winter, skiers and snowboarders of all levels can enjoy the nearby Cerro Catedral, which hosts a first class ski resort, one of the largest in South America. First time visitors should not miss the Circuito Chico (Small Circuit), a tour which visits Bariloche’s historic sites as well as nearby peaks for panoramic views of the surrounding lakes and mountains. Bariloche itself boasts a complete infrastructure with many fine restaurants and accommodations for travelers to choose from.

The Perito Moreno Glacier can be viewed from observation decks or on a boat ride that approaches the glacier’s face.

El Calafate

Perito Moreno Glacier, a top attraction in Patagonia, is unique in that its location on the shores of Lago Argentino and near the town of El Calafate makes it easily accessible for travelers. This land glacier descends into a branch of the largest lake in Argentina and its face rises up to 230 feet (70 meters). Building pressure causes the glacier to frequently fracture and rupture, causing chunks of ice to break off and fall into the lake. Travelers can use walkways and observation decks to obtain fantastic views of this dramatic process. As part of a Patagonia tour to El Calafate, it is also possible to sail up to the face of the glacier on a boat. The best time to visit is from late October to early April, but January and February should be avoided as they can be incredibly busy.

El Calafate is also a great jumping off point for trekking in El Chalten, or for Patagonia tours to Chile, the Beagle Channel, and Ushuaia, the city at the end of the world.

For more Argentina travel ideas, visit our Argentina For Less website or contact one of our travel advisors at Argentina For Less.

The festival will bring together 700 young musicians, including choirs, orchestras, and soloists from countries across 5 continents. The musicians, selected after an exhaustive screening process, will be performing free concerts at various venues in and around Puerto Iguazu. Gustavo Santaolalla, a reputed composer who has scored movies such as Babel and Brokeback Mountain, is a key sponsor and one of the festival’s directors.

The Setting

Iguazu Falls is formed by 275 waterfalls fed by the Iguazu River. Iguazu National Park straddles the border between Brazil and Argentina.  For its astounding natural beauty, Iguazu Falls was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

The spectacular Iguazu Falls is one of the natural wonders of the world.

If planning an Argentina vacation, the best way to see this world wonder is by taking an Iguazu Falls tour that visits both sides of the falls. On the Brazil side travelers can hike along walkways that border the Iguazu River and offers great panoramic views. The Argentina side is best for hiking along trails within the lushly forested park, getting up close views of the waterfalls, or taking boat rides under the falls and experiencing the full power of the rushing cascades.

Venues

Performances will take place in top Puerto Iguazu hotels, including Iguazu Grand Resort, Loi Suites Iguazu, and Panoramic Hotel.  The grand finale will be at the Sheraton Hotel, the only Iguazu accommodation situated within the boundaries of Iguazu National Park. This hotel is the perfect place for scenic views of the waterfalls, be it from the rooms’ balconies, luxurious lobby bar, or from the extensive gardens where the concert will be held.

La Aripuca in Puerto Iguazu, one of the venues for the youth concert. This cultural center was constructed thousand-year-old endangered tree species that were found and recovered after being illegally logged.

Iguazu Travel Tips

Two full days is enough to visit both the Argentina and Brazil sides of Iguazu, and both sides are definitely worth it. The park itself has numerous trails, some of them offer panoramic views and others take you into the heart of the falls for an intimate experience with this majestic landscape.

Devil’s Throat is one of the most spectacular sights that you can see on an Iguazu tour – this is a horseshoe-shaped series of cataracts stretching 150 m across and falling 80 m, forming an ever-present, thick cloud of mist. The best view is from the Brazil side, while the Ecological Jungle Train on the Argentina side takes travelers straight up to the falls.

Contact one of our expert travel advisors at Argentina For Less to start planning your tour to Iguazu and other Argentina travel destinations.

Southern right whale off the coast of Puerto Madryn, Argentina. The callosities (thick white callouses) on each whale’s head are unique and help to identify individuals.

Geography

The Valdes Peninsula protrudes from mainland Patagonia and forms two gulfs, Golfo Nuevo and Golfo San Jose. Both gulfs have waters that are relatively warm, calm, and crystalline – perfect for scuba diving. Northern warm water currents from Brazil and the nutrient-rich cold water Falkland Current mix around the peninsula and create excellent conditions for the flourishing of all sorts of marine life, from microscopic phytoplankton to 40-ton whales. For its richness in marine wildlife, the Valdes Peninsula was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and today functions as a natural reserve replete with seabirds, sea lions, elephant seals, dolphins, orcas, and Magellanic penguins, as well as herds of guanacos and the mara, also known as the Patagonian hare.

NASA satellite photo of Peninsula Valdes.

Puerto Madryn Attractions

Whale-watching: The best time to see the southern right whale is from August to October when they are present in larger numbers. On some days, whales can be seen from the beach and the pier as they swim through the bay. Boat trips depart from Puerto Piramides across the bay from Puerto Madryn and are a great opportunity to get a close up view of these giants of the sea on your Argentina travel experience.

Scuba diving and water sports: Informally known as the national “Capital of Scuba Diving,” Puerto Madryn is indeed an outstanding destination for diving, snorkeling, and other water sports such as kayaking, windsurfing, and kite-boarding. Divers will find a varied underwater environment that includes natural reefs, shipwrecks, man-made parks (including sunken school buses), and caves and caverns.

Beaches: Puerto Madryn has 7 beach resorts spread out along a 3-mile-long (5 km) coastline. The summer season runs from December to March and the bay is always busy with activity. During the winter months, visitors can cycle along the tranquil coastal boulevard.

A view of the Golfo Nuevo and the pier that extends into the bay of Puerto Madryn, Argentina.

For travelers interested in marine wildlife or beach relaxation, a Puerto Madryn tour makes a great addition to any Argentina vacation package and is an ideal stopover for travel between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia. Contact one of our travel experts at Argentina for Less to start planning your dream vacation.

In your position at Familia Zuccardi, what were your responsibilities?  

My position as an intern was in the wine production and wine tasting part of the bodega as it relates to tourism. I led wine tours for English speaking groups, which included welcoming them to the cava [cellar], and giving them a briefing about our different wines and the history of the bodega and the Zuccardi family.

The second part of the tour was doing a walk-through of the wine making areas to include the entire process, from the grape-picking, transportation of the grapes to the plant, the different fermentation tank rooms, to the aging room where the barricas [tanks] filled with wine are stored.

Lastly, at the wine tasting we offered three of the “varietales” wines: a white, usually Torrontes or Chardonnay; a red, usually Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon; and a late harvest, usually Chenin Dulce, all part of the Santa Julia label.

The beautiful cava at Familia Zuccardi.

What did you enjoy most about your work?

Hands down the work team at Zuccardi was the most enjoyable.  Everyone was exceptionally welcoming from the beginning. We [the interns] were even treated to a magnificent lunch at their 5-star restaurant, Casa del Visitante, hosted by Julia Zuccardi on our first day.

Before we could start to perform our duties we had to receive a training program with oenologist and sommeliers working in our area, and they were all very knowledgeable and thoroughly enjoyed their work, which made it easy for me to follow their steps and I felt challenged to do my best! It was very pleasant to walk around the different areas of the bodega and always find a friendly smile.

Explaining wines at Bodega Familia Zuccardi.

What can travelers expect on a Mendoza wine tour?

There are different ways to visit the many bodegas in the Mendoza region. For the adventurous spirits there are bike rentals available all over including the Maipu and Lujan areas, where you can follow a certain route and choose the bodegas to visit, such as the more traditional ones like Zuccardi, Rutini, Catena Zapata, Navarro Correas, Luigi Bosca, Lagarde, or boutique bodegas such as Vistandes.

There are also private tours for all budgets depending on the specific bodegas you’d like to visit and how many. These tours include transportation, wine tours, and wine tastings at the wineries of your choice. There are also bodegas that offer lunch as an option. For example, Zuccardi has their restaurant, Casa del Visitante, offering a traditional menu as well as a delicious gourmet 5-course meal.

What did you like most about Mendoza?

The wine culture that’s perceived in the region and how warm and welcoming everyone is everywhere you go. Their detail-oriented tours and fine cuisine make for a wonderful place to visit, and there’s a wide range of activities whether you’re a wine connoisseur (or amateur!) or an adventure junkie.

Sofia was quite impressed with Argentine hospitality.

Your favorite wine?

I was fortunate to be able to taste all of the wines from the 3 labels at the bodega as part of the day-to-day at Zuccardi, whether it was at work during sparkling time as a welcome treat for the tourists, the wine tastings, or even the wines brought to us at Casa Cinco, the house shared by international interns at Zuccardi.

My personal favorite has to be the iconic wine of Zuccardi, the famous Zuccardi Zeta, a blend of Tempranillo (34%) and Malbec (66%), aged 24 months in a first use French oak barrica, full bodied and with rich taste, exquisite taste; a perfect pairing for an Argentine parrilla [barbeque].

Sofia particularly loved the many possibilities for outdoor adventures in Mendoza. She adds this note:

There are other great activities to do while in Mendoza such as whitewater rafting in the Mendoza river, paragliding from the Andes, high mountain tours which include visiting the base of Aconcagua, and my personal favorite, sunset horseback riding lead by a gaucho which ends with an authentic Argentine parrilla [barbeque] – served, of course, with great wine.

Sofia says about Vendimia, ”Talk about a show! It was pretty spectacular and quite inexpensive – a must do if you're in town for it!”

Mendoza just celebrated Vendimia, the National Grape Harvest Festival which occurs annually during the first weekend in March. 

Start planning your fully customized Mendoza tour by contacting one of our expert travel advisors at Argentina For Less. The possibilities are endless, including excursions to Argentina’s north, Patagonia, or a hop across the Andes Mountains to continue your Argentina wine tour in Chile. 

The landscape of snow-capped mountains set along the shores of the beautiful blue water of the Beagle channel, provides travelers the perfect escape. With an interesting history, Ushuaia provides plenty of historical attractions along-side its more famous outdoor adventures.

Mountains of Ushuaia, Argentina

Declared a city in 1893 Ushuaia has served many purposes. Housing a prison up until the late 1940’s the city is now sustained on lumber, sheep farming, fishing, and tourism. The tourism industry is based mainly off Patagonia tours that explore the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Also Ushuaia serves as the departure point for Antarctica cruises.  

Exploring the “End of the World”

Sunset in Ushuaia, Argentina

Ushuaia offers travelers a plethora of historical attractions and nature excursions.

For history buffs, the historical center of the city has been preserved with mansions, museums, monuments, and churches in their original layout. For a ride through history, take the End of the World Train which takes passengers from the outskirts of the city and follows the Pipo River through the magnificent Patagonian landscapes. The train originally served to transport prisoners to the nearby labor camp, and traces can still be seen of where the prisoners would cut down trees to supply the community with wood.

The End of the World Museum displays the figurehead from the English ship, Duchess of Albany. This 800 kg or 1,760 lbs piece was salvaged from the ship’s wreck in 1893. Many other opportunities exist for museum explorations, however most Ushuaia travel experiences are based on the wonders of nature that can be found at the infamous Tierra del Fuego National Park.

The Tierra del Fuego National Park provides travelers with wonderful endless scenery and options for exploration. A day tour of the park allows visitors to explore the wild Patagonian forest and the Lapataia and Ensenada bays, which are home to many species of birds and a rare otter named chungungo.

Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse in Ushuaia, Argentina

Another exciting activity in Ushuaia is an expedition on the Beagle Channel, venturing on to the waters. Boat rides often display the most picturesque backdrops for the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, a perfect opportunity for a photo.

Many other outdoor activities are available to those wishing to explore more of Ushuaia. Options such as skiing, mountain-biking, trekking, horse-riding, and sport-fishing are amongst the many offerings.

Only a mere, 4.5 km outside of Ushuaia, the Martial Glacier stands, which provides drinking water for the city and also many outdoor activities for travelers. Take the chair lift to the summit to enjoy spectacular views of Ushuaia. In the summer you can take off on one of the many paths that cover the glacier. During the winter months this point provides access to many ski runs.

How to travel to Ushuaia?

With a small airport in town, Ushuaia is easily accessible from Buenos Aires and Santiago. Flights are conducted mainly by LAN Chile and Aerolineas Argentinas both of which offer non-stop flights averaging between 3 and4 hours. Although Ushuaia is accessible by bus, trips are often lengthy, taking away valuable time from your Patagonia trip.

You can learn more about Ushuaia tours or Argentina vacations on our website. For more information about traveling to Argentina, contact one of our expert travel advisors

From 1832 to 1834, the HMS Beagle embarked on a hydrographic survey of South America’s southern coasts. Captain Robert Fitz Roy was in charge of the expedition, and a young 22-year Charles Darwin was on board as a naturalist. While Fitz Roy mapped coasts and measured tides and currents, Darwin went on land to collect fossils, bones, and samples of flora and fauna. Once completed, the expedition brought renown to both men, and its findings, in particular the later publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, decisively impacted the course of scientific thinking on human evolution.

Chile and Argentina share the southern territory of Patagonia.

The names of some of Patagonia’s most iconic features remain as testaments to this historic expedition. Mount Fitz Roy, with its elegant rock spires and sheer granite faces, attracts mountain climbers and trekkers to its base, which is located next to the small town of El Chalten. The Beagle Channel in Ushuaia separates Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego from smaller islands to the south, and is a popular route for cruise ships. Finally, Mount Darwin is the highest point in the Tierra del Fuego National Park at 8,640 feet (2,580 meters) and is part of the Cordillera Darwin, the southernmost extension of the Andes Mountains.

Like Darwin, modern adventurers on Patagonia trip will find much to marvel at, and the expedition’s route provides a rough guide to some of the most spectacular destinations in this region, which include mountains, glaciers, lakes, and iceberg-studded water ways.

El Chalten, with the peaks of Mount Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chalten) rising above.

On one land expedition, Darwin and Fitz Roy attempted to find the headwaters of the Santa Cruz River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Equipped with two smaller vessels, they battled upstream for several days, at some points dragging the boats alongside the river banks. With the Andes in view, but still at a far distance, Fitz Roy decided to turn back, and the expedition members never reached their goal. Had they continued, they would have found the origin of the river at Lake Argentino, surrounded by the magnificent peaks of Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. In the present day, the towns of  El Calafate and El Chalten have become launch points for visitors interested in trekking, mountain climbing, horseback riding, or visiting the nearby Perito Moreno Glacier.

Faro Les Eclaireurs in the Beagle Channel, Argentina.

The Beagle continued south to Tierra del Fuego and the surrounding archipelago. In the 1830s, this southernmost territory was inhabited by Yahgan aborigines, a nomadic hunter-gatherer people who had devised methods to survive in the harsh conditions of this extreme environment. Today, the modern-day city of Ushuaia serves as a launching point for travelers seeking outdoor adventures at the “end of the world,” be it trekking in the Tierra del Fuego National Park, skiing the slopes of Cerro Castor, or boarding cruises to Antarctica.

A Patagonia cruise is the best way to explore the Beagle Channel and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Following the path of the HMS Beagle, cruises depart from Ushuaia and arrive in Punta Arena in Chile, but the route can also be done in reverse. Highlights of the voyage include Cape Horn, Wulaia Bay (where Yahgan communities still live), Glacier Alley, and the fabulous Marinelli Glacier. Cruises include frequent stops so that passengers can go on land and trek through pristine wilderness.

View of Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia.

Contact one of our travel experts at Latin America For Less who can help you organize a fully customized Argentina vacation package.

Difficult to access, Antarctica is a destination for adventure travelers who wish to feel like explorers discovering a new land. As the coldest, driest, and most elevated continent on earth, Antarctica is considered a desert, albeit one of ice. Largely neglected because of its harsh environment, the continent also offers unique opportunities to get away from all kind of civilization and appreciate the majesty of nature.

With only about 1,000 to 1,500 year-long residents living in research stations scattered across the region, it’s unlikely you’ll meet anyone on your Antarctica trip. The only owners –and inhabitants– of the continent are penguins, seals, whales, and various bird species that you may encounter during your travels.

How to travel to Antarctica?

The only way to visit Antarctica is through a cruise. Only a few ships are equipped to sail through the inhospitable icy waters of the continent. These are mostly research-oriented ships that offer basic accommodation but are still comfortable; most of them have been refurbished in recent years to accommodate modern needs.

Antarctica cruises can last from 1 to 3 weeks depending on the time (and money) you have at hand. Most of them depart from Ushuaia, Argentina, commonly referred to as the “city at the end of the world”. From Ushuaia, boats sail through the Drake Passage, which is a 500-mile large channel separating South America and the Antarctic Continent.

After reaching the Antarctic Peninsula, and depending on your itinerary, your cruise will take you to some of the highlights of this magical continent. These may include the South Shetland Islands, Falkland Islands, and South Georgia. In each destination, always depending on weather conditions, you’ll be able to disembark from the ship and go on land excursions across beaches of ice, kayak next to awe-inspiring glaciers, observe colonies of penguins from up close, and climb icy inclines.

If you don’t have much time or are not a seasoned sailor, you can opt for a short 1-week Antarctica cruise that will include a flight to King George Island –part of Shetland Islands– followed by a 3 or 4-day cruise. You’ll also get the chance to visit some of the island’s research stations and discover the amazing work and living conditions of the few dedicated scientists who live in Antarctica.

Cruises to Antarctica are generally pretty expensive – at least $4,500 for a 10-day itinerary in a semi-private cabin– so you’ll probably have to break the piggy bank for this one, but the experience is without any doubt worth every single penny. A trip to Antarctica is truly “the trip of a lifetime”. Nowhere else will you experience such pristine scenery and isolation, sailing through ice fields expanding into the horizon and passing giant glaciers and icebergs.

What are Antarctica cruise ships like?

There is a variety of ships traveling throughout the Antarctic continent from which travelers can choose. Adventure ships offer unique intimate exploration of the area. They are highly maneuverable and therefore able to sail through the most difficult waters. The Akademik Sergey Vavilov, built by the Russian Academy of Science in the 1980’s and recently refurbished is an excellent option with great amenities aboard including a dining room, lounge/bar, gym, and even sauna.

Expedition ships are believed to be a bit more comfortable with more modern amenities and spacious, fully-equipped cabins. Among the best ships, you’ll find the Sea Spirit, Clipper Adventurer, or Ocean Nova, all 3 extremely well appointed.

You can learn more about Antarctica cruise ships and their characteristics on our website. For more information about traveling to Antarctica, contact one of our expert travel advisors.