Argentina
The first things that come to mind when I think of Argentina are; Football, Steak and Wine.. & oh did we enjoy all three of those! (Well I did anyway, Harriet maybe just enjoyed two of those..)
Argentina is an unbelievable country to explore, the land of the gauchos has an array of variety to offer, from sipping the finest Malbec's in some of the worlds best vineyards, trekking through the magnificent mountains and glaciers of Patagonia, coming up close and personal with whales just off the coast of Puerto Madryn, exploring European-esque cities and tasting the best steak around, or be it trailing through the impressive landscapes of the north. Argentina really has something for everyone, and every Argentinian that you meet will tell you that their country is better than any other, and to be honest, its hard to argue that with them!
Oh and the football! The beautiful game! If you are any sort of a fan of football, you don't need me to tell you that Argentina is home to two of the biggest teams in world football, and you need to witness one of these matches for yourself! If you are unlucky enough not to get to a Boca or River Plate game or cannot stump up the inflated tourist prices, then make sure you get to a local match. You have to experience the South American passion, it is like no other! As you can see below, I was pretty made up to be able to see the SUPERCLASICO!
Planning a trip to Argentina?
Our first stop in Argentina after the crossing over the Andes from Chile, was the famously renowned capital of red wine, Mendoza! We absolutely loved our time here, spending our days cycling around the vineyards tasting some of the best wines in the world, with a dramatic backdrop of the Andes standing tall in the distance.
For the days that are not spent drooling over the world class wines here, (Yeah, there will not be many of these days!) you can explore the small city of Mendoza on foot, take a picnic to the many gardens dotted around the city and sit back and relax in one of many plazas.
17 hours after regrettably leaving Mendoza, we arrived in the capital, Buenos Aires!
This city quickly became one of my favourite cities in the world, although not blessed with too many tourist attractions, Buenos Aires has the charm to seduce anyone, a mix of European beauty and Latin American passion! Like many major cities, Buenos Aires is divided into countless different neighborhoods (or Barrios, if you want to get started on your Spanish), each having their own special touch. This is a city that needs exploring, walk the grandeur streets gazing at its evident beauty, watch the world go by in many of the leafy plazas. Explore San Telmo's Sunday market, where you can find anything from antiques, pottery, freshly barbecued Choripan, new/old football memorabilia and just grab a beer to enjoy the tango dancers in Plaza Dorrego or enjoy the live music that fills the many streets of San Telmo!
Next on your Buenos Aires must do list (and for all you vegetarians/vegans out there this may not be yours..), has to be to eat that perfect steak! Argentina is famous for its meats, and you will find it hard to miss them walking the streets of this magnificent city. From barbecues on the street to high end restaurants, from steaks the size of your arm to street stall Choripan's, the food here is the gift that just keeps on giving! The steaks that I indulged in here have been some of the best that I have ever tasted, and to accompany that with the incredible local red wine is just to die for! (my mouth is watering now, just thinking about it!).
Now for the football.. Ever since I was young, like many others, I have been obsessed with big football derbies, The Manchester derby, Merseyside derby, Old Firm derby, Milan derby, but one derby I have always wanted to see was the Superclasico! A derby like no other, more than football, more than a game, this match was the be all and end all for football fans in this passionate city. I was lucky enough to be a part of this match between two goliath's of Argentinian football, River Plate v Boca Juniors! I have never, and I will never experience an atmosphere like that again. With only the home fans being able to go to the games due to insane violence in the past, I wasn't expecting to witness the electric atmosphere of the stories I heard growing up. However, due to this, the home fans take it upon themselves to try and outdo each other as best that they can, which means El Monumental was literally SHAKING!
I will be writing more about Buenos Aires in blog posts to follow, so keep your eyes out for it! Anyway, after spending plenty of time exploring the city, we decided to take the short train ride to the town of Tigre. A small town made up of canals and rivers, more like a South American Venice. This is the perfect place to sit back and relax, take in this picturesque town from one of the many boats, that travel up and dpwn the canals that branch off throughout the town.
We really do wish that we had more time to explore the whole of Argentina! This incredible country is a monster to travel, you need time and money, and unfortunately coming towards the end of our trip, we didn't have much of either. However, if you do, then you need to add these places to your list:
- Salta
- Quebrada de humahuaca
- Jujuy
- Tilcara
- Cordoba
- Rosario
- Bariloche
- El Chalten
- Puerto Madryn
- Torres Del Paine
- Perito Moreno Glacier
- Ushuaia
Getting Around..
As with many countries in South America, Argentina is huge, meaning most journeys you take will be LONGGGG! However luckily, Argentina has some of the best bus companies around, depending what budget you have, some bus journeys can include steak, wine and a film.. OK, this is the high-end, but even the mid-range/budget buses are brilliant, forget what you think of a bus journey back in the UK, this is more like boarding a flight! You are handed a pillow, blanket and an evening meal, oh and you can watch films throughout the journey too (you'll be watching/hearing them even if you don't want to!). Again, I always say that if there is an option to take a night bus, do it! You're saving a day spent on a bus and also a nights accommodation, and to be honest, going to sleep in one place and waking up in another city, sometimes on the other side of the country is strangely satisfying. When buying bus tickets just head down to the bus station to buy them, this will always be your cheapest option and sometimes the day before is the best idea to make sure that there is room for the long journeys!
Here are some of the bus & ferry companies that we used or heard good things about;
- Andesmar (Bus)
- El Rapido (Bus)
- CATA (Bus)
- Colonia Express Ferry (Ferry to/From Uruguay)
- Buquebus (Ferry & Bus company to/From Uruguay)
A useful bus website to use is www.busbud.com!
Our Route..
Useful Info
- Capital City: Buenos Aires.
- Time Difference: GMT minus four hours.
- Language Spoken: The official language here is Spanish, but English is also well spoken amongst a lot of young people in the most touristy areas.
- Local Cuisine: Steak, steak and more STEAK! There is just no better place in the world to drool over the perfectly grilled meat! Now there is more to Argentine cuisine than its steak, so here are a few must eats; the Choripan's (A delicious chorizo sandwich), Asado (An Argentinian barbecue, serving all kinds of mouthwatering meat), Empanadas (Fried pastry filled with all kinds of meat, veg or cheese), Dulce de Leche (A perfect caramel sauce that you will find everywhere in Argentina!), Alfajores (A crumbly shortbread-like biscuit filled with, Dulce de Leche and sprinkled with coconut pieces), finally and most surprisingly, pizza! With the huge Italian influence, Argentina is a great place find cheesy pizzas!
- Local Beers & Drinks: My personal favourite beer was Quilmes & the national drink has to be WINE! In particular the Malbec's of Mendoza. You also have to try the Mate (An infused herb-like tea that is a full blown obsession in this part of the world).
- Visa: Not required for most nations for stays up to 90 days. US citizens do need a visa and some other countries may need to pay reciprocity fees, so make sure that you check!
- Entrance & Exit Fee: No fees are needed for British citizens but certain countries do need to pay
reciprocity fees.
- Proof of Onward Travel: Not required.
- Currency & Exchange rate (Aug 2018): Argentine Peso (AR$) £1 = $38 / $29.80
- Useful prices to note;
- 1 night in a hostel (Dorm Bed) = $189.79 - $683.25 AR$ / £5 - £18 / $6.36 - $22.90
- (Private Double Room) = $683.25 - $2,277 AR$ / £18 - £60 / $22.90 - $76.40
- 1 local beer = $30 - $60 AR$ / £0.80 - £1.60 / $1 - $2
- A typical meal for one = $200 - $270 AR$ / £5.25 - £7.11 / $6.70 - $9
- Average cost of a 16 hour bus journey = $750 - $1.898 AR$ / £19.75 - £50 / $25.15 - $63.70
Argentine Peso (AR$) / British Pound (£) / US Dollar (USD)
Our must visit place..
This beautiful country has so much to offer and we will be back to discover more but I am torn between two must visit places.. The 10 year old boy in me says, La Bombonera & Estadio Monumental, Boca Juniors & River Plate! If you are a football fan, there is no better atmosphere than watching these two giants go at it! Now the traveller in me says, Mendoza! Even though Buenos Aires is in my top 3 cities in the world, our wine fueled visit to Mendoza was very special. Cycling through the vineyards, sipping some of the worlds best wines with the Andes as a backdrop (Not bad eh!).
