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Published: February 12th 2012
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I had a mere 10 days to explore a country very high on my list of top travel destinations. And now, after going, I realize I need to return with more time. If you are short on days you can get a great taste of Argentina in a short amount of time by visiting Buenos Aires, exploring Patagonia, and experiencing Iguazu Falls.These are three very different but wonderful places to visit.
Buenos Aires really has a feel all to its own. If you go make sure to explore all of the various neighborhoods, particularly Palermo, Recoleta, San Telmo and Boca. They all have a different vibe. I stayed at the Che Legarto Hostel and Pub in the middle of the city. The accommodations certainly weren’t fancy but the location was great for walking the city. In Palermo you can visit the large Bosques de Palermo park. The Recoleta Cemetery is a very interesting destination to see Evita Peron’s grave and the rows and rows of other sculptured above ground graves. Experiencing tango either in the street or during a performance over dinner is essential. Boca is renowned for its tango street performances. It is also known for soccer and
the Boca Juniors. You will likely see the large futbol stadium there and also kids playing in the streets everywhere dreaming of being the next Messi. I practically existed on empanadas while in Argentina and still crave them often these days. There was a nice little place called the Santo Domingo Cafeteria that had great empanadas. Running in the Reserva Ecologica on the east side of the city is a great break from the congestion of downtown. It has nice soft surface paths and you are right on the water.
Patagonia is a rugged region of exquisite beauty. I flew from Buenos Aires to El Calafate in order to go to the Perito Moreno glacier. The glacier is approximately two hours from El Calafate and is the most stunning glacier I have ever seen. Also the views of Lago Argentina on the way there will land in your trip pics. The water is a beautiful turquoise blue. That combined with the blue skies and the rugged landscapes make for a nice scene. When you are at Perito Moreno you can take a boat out in the water to get up close views of the glacier. I then took a
bus to El Chalten (the buses here are very good by the way). The hiking around El Chalten in Los Glaciares National Park is some of the best in the world and there are enough great day hikes to keep you busy for a number of days. I was able to get in three while I was there. The first was the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado with my friend Patricia. Here we had great views of Fitz Roy. The second, Laguna Torre, I did on my own and had great views of Cerro Torre with the lagoon in the foreground. Then I met friends Pili and Vivi from Santiago, Chile and we made a day trip out of the Piedra del Fraile trail. This was a nice walk through the dense woods with some good views. Pili, Vivi, and I also really enjoyed the pizza at the Albergue restaurant in El Chalten. Also the Inlandsis was a great place to stay in El Chalten if you are planning to go.
The falls of Iguazu are so immense that you see them steaming from overhead as you fly into Puerto Iguazu. I stayed in Puerto Iguazu at a very affordable
guesthouse with friendly owners. I simply walked through town to catch a bus to get to the Falls. You can easily fill a couple days wandering around the falls taking in the magnificent views. The feeling is especially powerful looking down at the Devil’s Throat, the greatest part of the falls. Also, keep an eye out for the curious coatis running around the park and for toucan’s in the trees (look around the entrance to the park). After leaving here I felt like I had just seen one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.
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