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Argentina

Buenos Aires     Iguazu Water Falls     Puerto Madryn     San Martin de Los Andes     Bariloche     El Calafate     Ushuaia    

To see an itinerary that starts from, or includes, one of the places mentioned above, just click on the name.

What follows below is a brief introduction to Argentina and the places we offer itineraries to. Scroll down or Click on the section below to get directly to the information.

Argentina in Brief

In its "hey day" of the early 1900's Argentina was one of the world's most affluent nations, ranked among the top five economic powers, but more recently the country has endured severe economic hardship resulting in an increase in poverty among its people and a massive devaluation of its currency making it a relatively "cheap" place for visitors with hard currency to visit.

This vast country that lies the "other side" of the Andes mountains and runs adjacent to most of the length of Chile is an amazing place to visit and offers the best beef in the world. Its capital, Buenos Aires (meaning "good air") offers the visitor the chance to see a major Latin American city with a distinct European character. Elsewhere among its turistic "jewels" are the amazing  Igauzu Falls - bordered by Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay; the southern lake region with the towns of San Martin de Los Andes (just over the border from Pucon in Chile) and Bariloche (just over the border from Puerto Varas in Chile); the famous marine wild life and whale-watching base of Puerto Madryn (on the eastern Atlantic coast); El Calafate (just over the border from Torres del Paine National Park in Chile) in Patagonia - the base from which to see the incredible spectacle of "Perito Moreno Glacier", and Ushuaia, a modern, developed city on the far southern island of Tierra del Fuego (meaning land of fire).

Buenos Aires

Climate
Summers (Dec / Jan / Feb) are often humid and sticky.
Winters (Jun / Jul / Aug) are often wet and cold.

Location and History
A busy cosmopolitan city that is home to over 12 million people, Buenos Aires is a large, sprawling city sitting on the southern bank of the "Rio de la Plata" (or River Plate) estuary, which is why it is humid in the summer.

Since the beginning of the 20th century it has been continually re-developed resulting in the loss of many historically beautiful buildings of importance. However, there are some elegant examples of architecture from the early 1900s particularly from the affluent period of the 1920's and 30's. Like Santiago, the city centre has maintained its original lay out since its foundation.

We offer itineraries to Buenos Aires so our clients have an opportunity to sample some of that typical Argentine culture - Tango! And to get a flavour of one of the great South American countries. There are many museums, cafe's, and fine restaurants to experience.

Please see these itineraries: Buenos Aires

Iguazu Water Falls

One of the most magnificent waterfall sights in the world (the film "The Mission" was filmed here). The spectacle of billions of litres of river water gushing over massive water falls, some 74 m high, is a real "jaw dropper". The river that leads to the falls is created 19 km upstream where the River Alto merges into the River Iguazu. The "Rio Iguazu" (meaning big) is then swelled by some 30 other rivers as it flows across a plateau. This mass of water then flows around a number of islands before it opens to a width of 4 km. Continuing its downward journey it moves fast and furious over rapids for 3.5 km until speed and gravity bring it thundering over a 74 m high precipice that divides it into 270 water falls spanning 2,430 m. A permanent mist hovers of the area and on both sides of the falls are national parks full of beautiful flora and fauna.

Please see these itineraries: Iguazu Water Falls

Puerto Madryn 

Flight Time from Buenos Aires: 2 hrs.
Located on the Peninsula Valdes - a Mecca for marine life and declared World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO - 1,130 km south of Buenos Aires on the Atlantic coast. Puerto Madryn has become the base from which to travel out to see the amazing variety of marine wildlife that lives in and around the bay of "Golfo Nuevo" (site of the first Welsh landing in 1865). In this area it is possible to see elephant seals, sea lion colonies (the Punta Loma sea lion reserve is km southeast of Puerto Madryn) and the beautiful sight of southern Right whales that come into the bay during breeding season between June to mid December and with their young around September / October time. The sea lion breeding season runs from late December to late January, but visiting is usually good until late April. Bull elephant seals start to claim their territory in the first half of August and the breeding season is in late September until early October. Orca whales can be seen attacking seals at "Punta Norte" during February  and March. The land is also a wild life haven for guanacos, rheas, Patagonian hares and armadillos.

Please see these itineraries: Pucon - Puerto Madryn

San Martin de Los Andes 

A picturesque and rather quaint Alpine-style town with wooden chalets, boutique-style hotels, cosy restaurants, gift and chocolate shops. Located at the eastern end of lake Lacar on the valley floor which is walled either side by steep hills. San Martin serves as a stop-off point en route from Pucon (in Chile) to Bariloche or to Termas de Puyuhue (in Chile) or as a place to visit for a few days (ideally from Pucon, Chile) in order to get some of that "Argentine flavour" .  The route south from San Martin to Bariloche can be self drive either via the unpaved road (best to try this route in summer) that passes through the high-elevation but beautiful Nahuel Huapi National Park (750,000 ha) which is known for its wildlife and spectacular geographic scenery of lakes, mountains, hanging glaciers, waterfalls, rapids and snow-covered peaks or via the lower, paved route passing through the "seven lakes" - beautiful but less dramatic. We can also arrange an itinerary that involves bus transport.

Please see these itineraries: Pucon - San Martin de Los Andes / Pucon - San Martin de Los Andes - Bariloche

Bariloche  

Called the "Switzerland" of South America by the Argentines, Bariloche is located on the southern shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi. It is a well known and popular summer destination and ski centre during the winter season. It is a rather large, lake-side development with Alpine-style buildings in wooden and stone constructions that serves as a principal base from which to explore the wilderness of the Nahuel Huapi National Park. It is also the end or start (whichever way you do it) of our "Cruce de Lagos" boat cruise that crosses the lakes between Argentina and Chile. The cruise takes a full day, with an option to overnight in Chile en route, and passes through outstanding beautiful scenery. A visit to Bariloche is also an option from Termas de Puyehue, in Chile as it is close to the Argentine border. As with San Martin de Los Andes, a visit to Bariloche is a great way to sample a piece of Argentina for a few days whilst enjoying your stay in Chile.

Please see these itineraries: Lake Crossing Chile - Argentina / Pucon / Termas de Puyuhue

El Calafate   

Flight Time from Buenos Aires: 3 hrs 10 mins.
Located in the far south of Argentina beside Lake Argentino in the Patagonian region, El Calafate is an unattractive tourist town that has developed specifically as a base from which visitors can enter the spectacular ice field "Los Glaciares National Park" (UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site) 50 km away. The park is the second-largest in Argentina covering 600,000 ha of which 40% is covered by ice fields. Over 13 glaciers descend into two large lakes: Lake Argentino and Lake Viedma linked by the river La Leona that flows  from Lake Viedma to Lake Argentino. About 80 km west of El Calafate is "Ventisquero Perito Moreno" glacier - the "big one" that everyone comes to see. It has a 5 km wall of ice rising to heights of around 60 m. The spectacle of seeing the ice wall split off into icebergs that crash into the lake is over powering. Until recently it was one of the few glaciers in the world that was not receding.

Please see these itineraries: El Calafate

Ushuaia

Flight Time from Buenos Aires: 3 hrs 40 mins.
Ushuaia, is the southernmost city in the world and principal city on Tierra del Fuego - an island cut off from main land South America by the Beagle Channel (named after the ship upon which Charles Darwin sailed on in 1832). It was called Tierra del Fuego, meaning land of fire in English, due to the numerous fires that swept through the forests as newly-arriving settlers cleared areas for farming. Today it is divided between Argentina on the east and Chile on the west. This is the "tail end" of the continent, where the mighty Andes mountain range (the cordillera) is subdued into moderately high mountain tops and hills with flooded inlets that create a mix of dramatic and serene scenery of islands, fiords, lakes and forested hills.

Ushuaia is a picturesque city and serves as a base from which to further explore the wilderness of Tierra del Fuego or embark (or end) a cruise around the zone aboard the Australis cruise ship.

Please see these itineraries: Crucero Australis