About 4 years ago, I traveled the world for six months. If people asked me which country I liked most, that was a tough question to answer, but I always mentioned Argentina because this is such a diverse country. Argentina is so much more than Buenos Aires; the city of the tango. Especially for nature and wine lovers, Argentina is the place to go. Here are some of my favorite sights.
Ushuaia
El fin del mundo: Ushuaia is the most southern city in the world. A lot of people come here for a trip to Antarctica. The close-by national park Tierra del Fuego, is beautiful. You can walk a various number of routes, and if you’re lucky you can see beavers, a fox, or even a whale.
Perito Moreno
Perito Moreno is probably the most famous glacier of Argentina. You can do several tours here; one at which you will walk on the glacier itself, or you can jump on a boat and sail along Perito Moreno and a few other glaciers. This might be a bit confronting, as the trip also shows the effect of climate change since you can very clearly see how much the ice has melted over the years.
Perito Moreno Glacier
El Chaltén
El Chaltén is a very small and cozy village from where you can hike in the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. This is one of the few national parks in Patagonia that doesn’t have an entrance fee. In the village, you can rent all the equipment you need for a 2-day (or more) hike; a tent, sleeping bags, a map, etc. There are different routes to take but the most famous one takes you to Mount Fitz Roy. If you sleep at the camping of the national park and head off to the viewpoint early morning, you might be lucky enough to see what is supposed to be an amazing sunrise at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy.
Stunning Mount Fitz Roy
Bariloche
Bariloche is the heart of the lake district of Argentina. Although nature here is quite different from the more southern Patagonia, it is also very beautiful. You can rent a car (of bike if you’re very sporty) to ride along the seven lakes. You can also take the cable car to Cerro Campanario, from which you have a great view over the surroundings. Bariloche is also home to a lot of outdoor activities. You can for example go rafting or canyoning. I can highly recommend the latter, because here you will have the opportunity to descend a waterfall and that is just a great experience.
View from Cerro Campanario
Mendoza
Mendoza is most famous for its wines. Almost all Argentinian wines come from the Mendoza valley. A very good way to try a variety of wines here is to rent a bike and cycle along different wineries. Almost all of them offer a free tour and tastings for a very reasonable price.
I think all these sights together show what a diverse country Argentina really is. I know that there are many more places to discover here, so I will definitely go back again sometime. What about you? Is Argentina already on your bucket list?
Love,
Dionne
