Argentina has many sites that could claim the title of natural
wonders of the world: the majestic waterfalls of Iguazú , the
spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier , whose towering sixty-metre walls
calve icebergs into the lake below, fascinating whale colonies off the
Península Valdés , or the quintessential Argentine mountain
holiday-resort of Bariloche - indeed Patagonia and the south in general.
Yet many of the country's most noteworthy sights are also its least
known, such as the Esteros del Iberà , a huge reserve of swamps and
floating islands offering unforgettably close-up encounters with cayman,
monkeys, capybara and hundreds of brightly plumed birds; or Antofagasta
de la Sierra , an amazingly remote village close to the biggest crater
on the Earth's surface, set amid frozen lagoons mottled pink with
flamingos; or Laguna Diamante , a high-altitude lake reflecting a
wondrous volcano straight out of a Japanese woodcut. In any case,
weather conditions and the sheer size of the country will rule out any
attempt to see every corner or even all the main destinations. If you do
want to see each region, air travel will be the only way of fitting them
in, unless time is no object. But climatic restraints make it far more
sensible and rewarding to concentrate on a particular section of the
country, and that's where the excellent network of long-distance buses
comes into its own.
Other than if you're visiting Argentina as part of a South American
tour, Buenos Aires is likely to be your point of entry, as it has the
country's only bona fide international airport. Only inveterate
city-haters will resist the capital's charm. Not a place for museum fans
- though several of the city's art collections are certainly worth a
visit - BA is one of the world's greatest urban experiences, with its
intriguing blend of French-style architecture and a vernacular style
that includes houses painted in the colours of a legendary football
team. From the city, also Argentina's unrivalled transport hub, the
various regions fan out to the north, west and south.
Due north stretches El Litoral , a region of subtropical riverine
landscapes sharing borders with Brazil and Paraguay. Here are the
photogenic Iguazú waterfalls, and the much-visited Jesuit Missions whose
once noble ruins are crumbling into the tangled jungle, with the notable
exception of well-preserved San Ignacio Miní set among manicured
parkland. Immediately to the west of El Litoral stretches the Chaco ,
one of Argentina's most infrequently visited regions, a place for those
with a dogged interest in wildlife , especially birdlife and endangered
species of mammals; but be prepared for often fiercely hot conditions, a
poor tourist infrastructure and a long wait if you want to see some of
its rarer denizens. Tucked away in the country's landlocked Northwest ,
the historic cradle of present-day Argentina, bordering on Bolivia and
northern Chile, is the polychrome Quebrada del Toro which can be viewed
in comfort from the Tren a los Nubes , one of the world's highest
railways. Even more colourful is the much photographed Quebrada de
Humahuaca , a fabulous gorge winding up to the oxygen-starved Altiplano,
where llamas and their wild relatives graze on straw-like pastures. In
the Valles Calchaqúes , a series of stunningly beautiful valleys,
high-altitude vineyards produce the delightfully flowery torrontés wine.
West and immediately south of Buenos Aires is pampa, pampa and more
pampa. This is where you'll still glimpse signs of the traditional
gaucho culture , most famously celebrated in the charming town of San
Antonio de Areco . Here, too, you'll find some of the classiest
estancias , offering a combination of understated luxury and horseback
adventure activities. On the Atlantic coast are a string of fun beach
resorts, including long-standing favourite Mar del Plata . While the
farther west you go, the larger the Central Sierras loom on the horizon:
the mild climate and bucolic woodlands of these ancient mountains have
attracted Argentine tourists since the late nineteenth century, and
within reach of Córdoba , the country's vibrant second city, are some of
the oldest resorts on the continent. Both the city and its hinterland
contain some wonderful colonial architecture , including the
well-preserved Jesuit estancias of Alta Gracia and Santa Catalina . In
the Cuyo , farther west still, with the highest Andean peaks as a
splendid backdrop, you can discover one of Argentina's most enjoyable
cities, the regional capital of Mendoza , also the country's wine
capital . From here, the scenic Alta Montaña route climbs steeply to the
Chilean border, passing Cerro Aconcagua , now well-established as a
dream challenge for mountaineers from around the world. Just to the
south, Las Leñas is a winter resort where a lot of skiers end up on the
pages of the continent's glamour magazines, but the nearby black-and-red
lava-wastes of La Payunia , one of the country's hidden jewels, are all
but overlooked. Likewise, San Juan and La Rioja provinces are relatively
uncharted territory, but their marvellous mountain-and-valley landscapes
will reward exploration, along with their less known but often
outstanding wineries. Their star attractions are a brace of parks:
Parque Nacional Talampaya , with its giant red cliffs seen on many a
poster, and the nearby Parque Provincial Ischigualasto , usually known
the Valle de la Luna on account of its intriguing moonscapes.
Whereas neighbouring Chile takes up a mere sliver of the continent's
Southern Cone, Argentina, like a greedy bedfellow hogging the blankets,
has the lion's share of the wild, sparsely populated expanses of
Patagonia and the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego . These are lands of
seemingly endless arid steppe hemmed in for the most part by the
southern leg of the Andes, a series of volcanoes, craggy peaks and deep
glacial lakes. An almost unbroken chain of national parks along these
Patagonian and Fuegian cordilleras make for some of the best trekking
anywhere on the planet. Certainly include the savage granite peaks of
the Fitz Roy sector of the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares in your
itinerary but also the less frequently visited monkey-puzzle forests of
Parque Nacional Lanín or the trail network of Parque Nacional Nahuel
Huapi . These regions exert an irresistible lure on many visitors, and
in addition to the fabulous scenery, they offer excellent opportunities
for fly-fishing and adventurous horse-riding, with the famous sheep
estancias as a base. For wildlife enthusiasts the Peninsula Valdés is a
must-see: famous above all else as a breeding ground for southern right
whales, it and the nearby coast also sustain enormous colonies of
elephant seals, penguins and sea-lions. If you have a historical bent,
you may like to trace the region's associations with early seafarers
such as Magellan and Drake in the Bahía San Juliàn or Fitzroy and Darwin
in the beautiful Beagle Channel off Ushuaia. Ancestors of the Tehuelche,
one of the many remarkable indigenous cultures wiped out after the
Europeans arrived, painted the wonderful collage of handprints and
animal scenes that adorn the walls of the Cueva de las Manos Pintadas in
Santa Cruz Province. Finally, you might like to track down the legacy of
outlaws like Butch Cassidy who lived near Cholila, or of the Welsh
settlers whose influence can still be felt in communities like Gaiman
and Trevelin |
