TOP 5 PLACES TO VISIT IN ARGENTINA
TOP 5 PLACES TO VISIT IN ARGENTINA
1. Iguazú Falls
The stunning Iguazú Falls lie along Argentina's border with Brazil, with Iguazu National Park on the Argentinian side and Iguaçu National Park on the Brazilian side. Protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these huge waterfalls are undoubtedly one of the most spectacular sights in South America.
Visitors can get quite close to these thundering falls thanks to a network of easily accessible walkways and viewing platforms designed to provide the best possible views, including some at the bottom of the falls, an area known as the Devil's Throat.
Iguazu is, in fact, made up of between 150 to 300 individual falls along its nearly three-kilometer edge, a number that changes depending on the season, varying in height between 60 to 82 meters and each as spectacular as the next. Served by an international airport in Argentina (and one in neighboring Brazil), it's relatively easy to visit, particularly if flying from Buenos Aires.
Accommodation: Where to Stay in Iguazu National Park
2. Perito Moreno Glacier
The main hub for tourists visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Patagonia's Los Glaciares National Park, the small town of El Calafate offers plenty of accommodation options and other amenities for visitors.
It's here that most visitors join excursions to see the park's popular glaciers, most notably the stunning Perito Moreno Glacier, a massive 30-kilometer-long ice formation (and the world's third largest freshwater reserve) just 78 kilometers from the town center.
Named after a 19th-century explorer, it's just a two-hour trip from El Calafate to the glacier's large visitor center, and from here just a short walk to the glacier. For those wanting to climb the glacier, ice trekking tours are available that range from an hour's walk over the ice formation to longer five-hour excursions.
Another important feature of Los Glaciares National Park is the 3,359-meter-tall Monte Fitz Roy, a stunningly beautiful mountain straddling the border with Chile that is reputably harder to climb than Everest.
Official site: www.losglaciares.com/en/index.html
Accommodation: Where to Stay in El Calafate
3. Recoleta, La Boca, and Tango in Buenos Aires
One of South America's most attractive cities (also one of the largest), Buenos Aires is often the first glimpse of Argentina most visitors will have before heading off to popular tourist destinations such as Patagonia.
But the smart ones will linger here and take in the many delightful museums and art galleries housed in the splendid old colonial buildings spread across the city's districts or barrios.
Be sure to visit La Boca, Buenos Aires' most colorful neighborhood and home to the quirky Caminito Street Museum, a splendid pedestrian zone and open-air museum popular for its brightly painted houses, amusing sculptures, cafés, music, and tango dancers in the streets.
Fashionable Recoleta is another must and is where you'll find the Recoleta Cemetery, with its elaborate mausoleums containing the remains of such famous Argentinians as Eva (Evita) Perón, along with numerous public gardens, museums, art galleries, cafés, and boutique shops.
Other districts to explore if time permits are Palermo and Belgrano with their wide boulevards and palatial mansions, and, in the downtown core, the delightful Plaza de Mayo.
Accommodation: Where to Stay in Buenos Aires
4. Tierra del Fuego National Park
The 156,000-acre Tierra del Fuego National Park extends all the way from Beagle Channel to the Chilean Border and northwards to Lago Kami. It's a paradise for hikers, with trails for all experience levels.
Using the town of Ushuaia as a base, adventurers head out onto the park's hiking trails or along the coastline to explore its dramatic scenery, which includes everything from tall waterfalls, dense forests, and mountains, to beautiful glacier-fed lakes such as Roca and Fagnano.
One of the most popular routes is Senda Costera, a coastal path to Lake Roca from Ensenada Bay that offers a chance to see a rich diversity of wildlife including Andean condors.
Those who prefer to see the sights in comfort can take a ride on the superb Southern Fuegian Railway, an elegant antique steam train through the park to Canadon de Toro.
Accommodation: Where to Stay in Ushuaia
5. Puerto Madryn and the Valdés Peninsula
The city of Puerto Madryn lies on the shores of Golfo Nuevo in one of the most sheltered places on the Patagonian coast. Founded by Welsh settlers in 1886, the city's deep-water port and abundant nature reserves make it one of the most popular cruise destinations in Argentina.
Its rugged coastline attracts water sports enthusiasts, particularly windsurfers who enjoy defying the strong Patagonian winds. Nature lovers find plenty of things to do on the Valdez Peninsula, an important nature reserve listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its diverse wildlife.
Guided tours of the reserve are a must, and visitors normally leave having seen everything from right whales (here to mate and calve), along with elephant seals, sea lions, and orcas. It's also an important breeding ground for migratory shorebirds, in particular Magellanic penguins.
Learn more about the environment of this beautiful coast at the Natural Science and Oceanographic Museum, set in a beautiful heritage building overlooking the harbor. The museum features displays of Patagonian flora and fauna, including a whale skeleton and a fascinating exhibit about giant squids.
Comments
Post a Comment