Tucumán

Introducing Tucumán

With nigh-on three-quarters of a million souls in its greater urban area, Tucumán, the cradle of Argentine independence, is the nation’s fifth-largest city and feels like it, with a metropolitan bustle that can come as quite a shock after the more genteel provincial capitals elsewhere in the northwest. You may not like it at first, but don’t be put off. This isn’t the usual patter; Tucumán really rewards time spent getting to know it. You may find you prefer it at night, when the fumes and heat of the day have lulled, and the cafés and bars come to life.

Tucumán (San Miguel de Tucumán is its full name) is baking hot, energetic and brash, with a blue-collar feel and a down-to-earth quality. It also has a lively cultural scene, and its stylish café-bars, great bookstores, art exhibitions and traditional peñas make its serene neighbors seem a bit provincial. Less advanced is the courtship behavior of the average tucumano (inhabitant of Tucumán) – women can expect higher-than-usual numbers of piropos (flirtatious remarks) here.

Last updated: Sep 23, 2008