Destination Argentina
Get a few people free associating on the word Argentina, and its quickly apparent why the country has long held travelers in awe: tango, Patagonia, beef, football, Tierra del Fuego, passion, the Andes. The classics alone make a formidable wanderlust cocktail.
Just wait till you get here. Arriving in Buenos Aires is like jumping aboard a moving train. Outside the taxi window, a blurred mosaic of drab apartment blocks and haphazard architecture whizzes by as you shoot along the freeway toward the center of the city. The driver probably driving way too fast while chain-smoking and talking incessantly about government corruption finally merges off the freeway. Then the people appear, the cafes, the purple jacaranda flowers draped over the sidewalks, porteos (residents of Buenos Aires) in stylish clothing walking purposefully past the newspaper stands and candy kiosks and handsome early-20th-century stone facades.
Despite the enormity of the capital city which is home to a whopping 30% of the countrys population visitors seem to find its groove with surprising ease. The real shocker, after experiencing the art, music, cafes, shopping and all-night revelry of Buenos Aires, comes when you leave it. Aside from a handful of cities such as Rosario, Crdoba, Mendoza and La Plata, Argentina is pretty darn empty. Population centers are small, and even provincial capitals can have the feel of a friendly town. While these places can be worthy destinations in themselves, their real purpose is usually to springboard people into Argentinas greatest attraction: the natural world.
From the mighty Iguaz Falls in the subtropical north, to the thunderous, crackling advance of the Perito Moreno Glacier in the south, Argentina is a vast natural wonderland. The country beholds some of the Andes highest peaks, several of which top 6000m near Mendoza and San Juan. Its home to wetlands that rival Brazils famous Pantanal, massive ice fields in Patagonia, mountains painted in rustic colors, deserts dotted with cacti, cool lichen-clad Valdivian forests, glacial lakes, Andean salt flats, a spectacular Lake District, penguins, flamingos, caimans, capybaras and more.
FAST FACTS
Area: 2.8 million sq km
Population: 40,150,000
Capital: Buenos Aires
Primary language: Spanish
Secondary languages: Quechua, Aymara, Toba (Qom) & others
Time: GMT minus 3hr (depending on daylight savings time)
GDP per capita: US$8235
Inflation: 15%, highly variable
Unemployment rate: 9-10%
Beef consumption per capita: 70kg per year
But Argentinas cosmopolitan and natural marvels are only part of a very complex equation. Visitors will also experience a country at odds with itself a potential economic powerhouse not fully in control of its destiny. Argentina dips into an economic crisis every dozen years, frustrating its citizens to no end. This has manifested in the recent low approval ratings of Cristina Kirchner, the countrys first elected female president, who took office in 2007 (following in the footsteps of her husband, Nestor Kirchner). This country, like most of the rest of the world, is currently down but not out. Argentines do have an overly healthy dose of skepticism, but its tempered by a hope their country will one day pick itself up and leave its erratic reputation behind.
Travelers who dig beneath the tourist-office version of Argentina will find a country full of passion and beauty. Theyll find amicable, seductive and engaging people fascinated with strangers who visit their land, many from countries they want Argentina to aspire to emulate. You can be one of those lucky enough to know the Argentine people, their land and their culture. This is a place people dream about visiting, and many fall in love with it once they arrive.
Getting Started
Forget everything youve heard about the challenges of travel in South America. Argentina is different. Its easy. Comfortable buses run on set schedules, petty theft is relatively rare (except perhaps in Buenos Aires), overnight buses are luxurious and the streets are safe. But the country does have its quirks, and knowing a few particulars before you go will make your journey all the more enjoyable.
This section will help you know when to visit (wait, August is ski season?), how much you might spend (prices have skyrocketed) and where to go for more information. Argentina is still a remarkable deal, and you can do it on a budget or live it luxuriously. It all depends on what you want out of your trip.
WHEN TO GO
Argentinas seasons are the reverse of those of the northern hemisphere. The best time to visit Buenos Aires is in spring (September through November), when the jacarandas are in bloom and temperatures are blissfully cool, and in fall (March through May). Summer (December through February) in the capital is hot and humid. Mendoza, Crdoba and the Lakes District are all spectacular during fall: the leaves put on an epic display, temperatures are comfortable and the crowds are thin.
See for more information.
Summer is the best time to hit Patagonia, when the weathers milder and more services are available. In other seasons, public transportation becomes trickier as services thin out. Northern Argentina can be brutally hot in summer and is best visited in spring. Winter (June through August) and fall in this region are also pleasant.
Ski season runs mid-June through mid-October, and the resorts are most expensive and most crowded in July and August when every porteo (person from Buenos Aires) seems to be on the slopes.
The most expensive times to travel are the Argentine vacation months of January, February and July.
COSTS & MONEY
After the economic collapse of 2001/02 Argentina devalued the peso and the country became instantly affordable. Travel was cheap. In the following years the economy stabilized, inflation reared its head and the world became hip to the Argentine bargain. Prices rose. Although Argentina has become pricier, its still good value, especially if youre traveling on the euro or the UK pound.
DONT LEAVE HOME WITHOUT
- Checking the visa situation ()
- Tampons tough to find in smaller towns
- Ziplock bags to waterproof your gizmos
- Duct tape make a mini-roll around a pencil stub or lighter
- Handy wipes great for overnight bus rides
- Swiss Army knife must contain a corkscrew!
- Ear plugs
- Universal sink plug a must for hand-washing clothes
RATES ON THE RISE
Lonely Planet aims to give its readers as precise an idea as possible of what things cost. Rather than slapping hotels or restaurants into vague budget categories (which can still leave you guessing), we publish the actual rates and prices that businesses quote to us during research. The problem is that prices change, especially somewhere such as Argentina, where inflation runs rampant. But weve found that readers prefer to have real numbers in their hands so they can make the calculations once theyre on the road and then apply them across the board. This is still more precise than price ranges.
Argentina is no longer the rock-bottom bargain it was before 2005, but it remains good value. Where else can you enjoy a steak dinner with a good bottle of wine for under US$20? Or an amazing scoop of ice cream for under US$3? Certainly not in Europe or the USA. Although we anticipate prices will continue to rise, weve still opted to provide the prices given to us at the time of research. Our advice: call or check a few hotel or tour-operator websites before budgeting your trip, just to make sure youre savvy about going rates.