Argentina Highlights

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  Buenos Aires City

  Buenos Aires

  More European than South American in flavor, Buenos Aires’ heart boasts bustling streets, grand avenues, old-time cafes and stylish restaurants. The locals are renowned for their flair and cockiness, even in times of adversity. It’s a city of tragedy and elation, a vibrant, cosmopolitan capital.
  Visit our Buenos Aires related page for more information.

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  Cordoba City

  Córdoba

  Argentina’s second city, Córdoba, long rivaled Buenos Aires for political, economic and cultural supremacy; indeed, while Buenos Aires languished through neglect in the 17th century, Cordoba was the country’s architectural treasure house. Today, a fine collection of colonial buildings is concentrated in its compact centre. They include the old market, the Iglesia Catedral (featuring a Romanesque dome) and the Jesuit Iglesia de la Compañía. The Museo Histórico Provincial Marqués de Sobremonte is one of the most important historical museums in the country.

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  Iguazu Falls

  Iguazu Falls

  Situated in the Parque Nacional Iguazú near Puerto Iguazú, these spectacular falls lie just east of the confluence of the Iguazú and Paraná rivers. At least 5000 cubic m (176,570 cu ft) of water per second plunge the 70m (230ft) into the abyss below. If they look familiar, it’s because they were the supporting actors in the film The Mission; appropriately, the area has historic ruins of Jesuit missions which also draw many visitors. San Ignacio Miní, built in a style of architecture known as ‘Guaraní baroque’, is especially popular. Above the falls, the waters are suitable for canoeing, kayaking and other water sports. The surrounding park is home to 55,000ha (135,850ac) of pristine subtropical rainforest, with abundant wildlife and plant species.

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  Mar del Plata City

  Mar del Plata

  Summer means the beach to the inhabitants of Greater Buenos Aires, and Mar del Plata is most often the beach they have in mind. Situated on the northern Atlantic coast, 400km (228mi) from the capital, beaches in this area sprawl for 8km (5mi). Sophisticated mansions from the area’s heyday as an upper-class resort mingle with the newer, more modest resorts catering to middle-class porteños. Sea lions keep an eye on the fishing activities around the wharves, and a replica of the grotto of Lourdes is a kitsch paradise.

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  The Pampas

  Pampas

  The unrelentingly flat Pampas is Argentina’s agricultural heartland and the home of that symbol of romantic nationalism, the gaucho. Comprising the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa and major parts of Santa Fe and Córdoba, its varied environments include forested hills, extensive grasslands and flamingo-flecked salt lakes. The Parque National Lihué Calel is a popular detour, with wildlife including some puma and many guanaco, native hares and a variety of wild chinchilla called a vizcacha. The cities of La Plata, Luján (whose basilica to La Virgen de Luján receives 4 million pilgrims a year), Rosario and Santa Fe are worth seeing for their many museums, churches and faded colonial buildings.

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  Mountain of Seven Colors

  Andean Northwest

  Home to abundant natural attractions and atmospheric relics from the pre-Columbian and colonial past, this is the more ‘traditional’ part of Argentina. It includes the provinces of Jujuy (numerous wildlife reserves), Tucumán, La Rioja, Catamarca, Santiago del Estero and Salta (with the best preserved colonial city in the country, hundreds of archaeological sites, subtropical forests and polychrome desert canyons).

  Anyone traveling to Salta should not miss the unique opportunity to travel on the famous “Tren de las Nubes” (Train of the Clouds). Since 1932, trains have been running tirelessly on the rails between Valle de Lerma and Puna, transporting cargo such as minerals, fruits and vegetables. This is now one of Argentina’s most famous tourist attractions. The “Tren de las Nubes” winds through the high mountains rumbling through small towns where time seems to have stood still. It passes ruins of ancient civilizations that have mysteriously disappeared, as well as amazing examples of man’s will to create, such as the majestic “La Polvorilla” bridge, known as a miracle of engineering. Those who have experienced this incredible journey say that it is an exhilarating ride with views that makes one feel as though the train were flying.

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  Cuyo Region

  Cuyo

  The Cuyo region consists of the Andean provinces of Mendoza and San Juan, and adjacent San Luis. The area retains a strong regional identity, with a unique mestizo population reflecting the influence of neighbouring Chile. An important agricultural region, particularly famous for its grapes and wine, it lies in the shadow of the massive Andes and is visited for its many sporting and recreational activities, such as climbing and trekking. Wineries, hidden mountain villages and the centres of Mendoza and San Juan, are other attractions.

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  Perito Moreno Glacier

  Patagonia

  This enormous region south of Buenos Aires province features a glacier-dotted mountainous interior, unique coastal wildlife and Andean national parks.

  The city of Puerto Madryn is located in the province of Chubut, on the shores of the New Golf. The city is a “World Heritage Site” and is known as the “City of Whales”. It is famous for its whale sightings, as well as penguin and sea elephant colonies. It also has wonderful beaches and an amazing variety of fauna. For all those interested in the mysteries and beauty of sea life, Puerto Madryn is sure to capture your heart with its incredible charm.

  Bariloche is the capital of the Andean Patagonia. It is a beautiful town located near the shore of Nahuel Huapi Lake, which has glacial origins and covers 560 square kilometers. Bariloche is known for its incredible landscape, delicious chocolate and active cultural life. The city is a popular destination for visitors from all over the world, and in all seasons of the year. In the winter, Bariloche offers first class skiing and snowboarding, and during the rest of the year, activities such as: trekking, white water rafting, bird watching, fly-fishing and sailing.

  Located in Los Glaciares National Park in the southern Argentinean Patagonia, Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the most impressive sights in Argentina, if not all of Latin America. The glacier stretches 17 kms down from the Patagonia ice field to Lake Argentino, where its 4 km wide blue ice wall rises 50 to 70 meters above the lake. Located in the same park are two of the most spectacular peaks in Patagonia, Fitz-Roy and Cerro Torre.

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  Ushuaia City

  Tierra del Fuego

  Argentina shares half of this island territory in the South Atlantic Ocean with Chile. It’s a place of oil derricks, sheep, glaciers, wind and waterways. Ushuaia and Río Grande are the two main towns; awesome scenery, wild walks and fishing are the island’s main attractions. Argentina’s only coastal national park comprises rivers, lakes, forests and glaciers, with great trekking and wildlife-spotting opportunities.