Argentina
South America
Buenos Aires - The Capital of Argentina.
- Buenos Aires Zoo - Over 350 species and century-old buildings
- Buquebus - The ferry between Argentina and Uruguay
- Claustros del Pilar - The cloisters with its museum next to Recoleta Cemetery
- Free Tours of Buenos Aires - Free tours of downtown and the Recoleta area
- La Boca - The area famous for its multi-coloured houses and tango dancing on the street.
- Parque Tres de Febrero - Large Park with lakes, rose gardens, beautiful bridges and a planetarium
- Plaza Italia - The center of the Palermo Neighbourhood
- Recoleta Cemetery - This cemetery contains elaborate mausoleums and is the last resting place of Evita
- Steel Flower (Floralis Generica) - The iconic sculpture of Buenos Aires
Bariloche - Ski Town and gateway to Patagonia
El Calafate - Gateway to the Patagonian Glaciers
Mendoza - Wine, Chocolate and Border Crossing
Perito Moreno Glacier - One of the top tourist attractions of Argentina
Puerto Iguazú - The Gateway to the Iguazú Falls on the Argentinean Side
Food Guide - Typical Drinks of Argentina including Dulce de Leche
Drink Guide - Typical Drinks of Argentina including the famous 'Mate'.
National Anthem - With its translation in English.
Newspapers from Argentina - Including links to their online versions.
As the 8th largest country in the world, and 2nd largest in South America. Argentina offers tourists a wide variety of destinations from harsh salt lakes, the lush grasslands of the pampas, beautiful warm water beaches and the snow covered mountains and forests of Patagonia. There are 12.4 million people living in Greater Buenos Aires, the highly urbanized capital. Here, surrounded by beautiful architecture you will notice the European influence. 97% of the people have a European background which is readily reflected as the Paris of South America, but it is the Italian culture that has most heavily influenced Argentina. (The pasta is fantastic)!
However, Argentina has maintained some of its own unique traditions, such as the gaucho (or local 'cowboy') way of life. Families today maintain this self sufficient lifestyle working on estancias (large farms) and raising cattle, the high quality of which is reflected in the beef throughout the nation and the reasonably priced beautiful leather goods.
You will even find that the Argentinean accent has a very pronounced Italian influence. The people of Argentina take pride in their strong ties to the European continent and generally consider themselves distinguished from the rest of South America for this strong connection. It is reflected throughout all aspects of the culture. In general the people spend their free time with family and friends, out of the house, sitting and talking in cafes, playing in parks, and taking in the museums along with the tourists. In art they are most esteemed for their cinema and theatre.
Tango
The tango in Argentina is different from ballroom tango that you might have seen, namely in the way the partners hold each other, with the head of the girl resting closely on the chest or shoulder of the male in a strong embrace, (just another touch of romanticism that can be found here). Amanda can tell you from personal experience that there is no comparison between dancing with an Argentinean and an American stumbling over the newly learned steps. Try taking a class while you visit... and always ask the instructor for extra help!
Economy
Argentina recently suffered from a major economic crisis. The government was in major struggles with the IMF, unable to replay its international debts and dealing with inflation after removing the Argentinean peso from its pegged position to the American dollar. From 1999 to 2002 the economic problems caused instability in the government and a loss of foreign confidence in investment, however, Argentina has made a stunning return to recovery, unemployment numbers are dropping and the nation has paid off its previous debts, (partially with the aid of Venezuela). Statistics still show prices are beginning to rise once again to what they once were. While generally you can still find many bargain deals on products made in Argentina (namely leather goods, meat, and wine), prices are not as cheap.
Be careful with fake bill/notes since there are many of them and tourists are easy to target.
Football / Soccer
If possible, take in a football match while visiting. Argentineans are fanatic about their football and still give homage to the Maradona and Messi as well as the current national team and local teams (River Plate and La Boca are some of the most favored teams).
To and From Argentina
The main international airport of the capital, Buenos Aires is the Ezeiza International Airport.
If you are interested in going to Uruguay across the river (more like the sea), then you should check out our Buquebus ferry page (with photos) about getting from Buenos Aires to Uruguay (Colonia del Sacramento or Montevideo).
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