I'm a first-time solo traveler leaving for Buenos Aires from the States in 3 days (May 17th). I have a very vague idea of the places I'd like to see while I'm in Argentina, mainly in the central/north of the country, because I understand much of Patagonia will be too cold/snowy in May and June. Is this correct? I had initially planned on spending 1-2 weeks in the south, but read the weather is not ideal this time of year.
As a result, I was thinking of sticking mainly to a rough circle of the northwest: Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Salta, Iguazu, Rosario, Buenos Aires. Or something along these lines. Is Rosario worth seeing? I want to spend 2 solid weeks in BA, maybe a week to start and a week to finish.
The information on this message board has been invaluable to me, thus far.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
-Adam
Is Rosario worth seeing?
Rosario is not an important destination for foreign travellers, just another city. There are better places where to spend your time and money.
Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.
Patagonia in winter.
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* Patagonia in winter is a seriously awesome thing. Logistically it can be challenging to get out to some places, especially the mountain roads which completely lack public transport in the winter. However, having been all the way to Ushuaia in August ( Mid-winter ) I know just how possible and rewarding it is.
First thing is the weather will be cold. Not actually as cold as Bolivia's altiplano, but it will be wet as well and snowy in the highlands. That is great for scenery etc. but it can mean places such as Bariloche getting snowed in. When I went I was going the opposite way. I travelled from Chile into Bariloche - unless you ski your options there are limited and if you do not ski you will be annoyed by the Brazilian ski bunnies who over-run it. That does mean all the usual hostels etc. are open, but Brazilians are culturally, well, a noisy bunch of people so you had better hope you are in it for the skiing! The landscape there looks beautiful in the snow though, and it is a nice little town to be in. There is a great steakhouse at El Boliche de Alberto though that is worth going to Bariloche just to eat in. Oh, and the chocolate of course. The pass from Chile ( Osorno ) into Argentina was hairy - we had to put snow chains on and I think they shut it after I crossed it, and Bariloche was cut off from the rest of Argentina for a few days because of the snow. Fun! I left on the last possible day ( It got snowed in afterwards ) and headed across to the Atlantic Coast ( Loads of buses, most empty! ) to Trelew and from there to Gaiman, a bizarre Welsh village. I actually stayed the night there in a B&B ( Not necessary, but I am a Cymruphile! ) but there were very few tourists around. The tea-shops are all open though ( After 3 as per tradition ) so it is worth a day trip if you like cake or Welsh things, or just want a proper cup of tea and do not want a funny look when you ask for it "with milk" "Con leche." After Gaiman I got the bus to Puerto Madryn ( Again, there are loads of these ) to see the Whales and the Valdes Peninsula. June, July time is just coming into whale season but I would strongly recommend giving the peninsula a miss then because most of the other marine wildlife ( Elephant seals, orcas, penguins etc.) will not be around. The year-round wildlife will be but I have a far better recommendation coming up if you want to see Guanacos, Rhea and Mara etc. Best thing is to head to Puerto Piramides and take a boat trip into the gulf to see the whales, but I could not tell you how active they would be at this time of year ( I went in August, a month after you are planning ). The YHA in town is a great hostel and will be fairly quiet so, again, no troubles with accommodation. I then went down the Atlantic coast to Río Gallegos ( Which I went through three times without stopping! ), an easy if long journey of 18 hours. Because it is coastal there are not often delays on the route and plenty of buses take it, just less than at other times of the year. From Gallegos I did a quick change and caught the first bus I could over to El Calafate ( That was a long journey: from Puerto Madryn to El Calafate was around 23 hours in total ). Perito Moreno is now a year-round destination so there are no problems getting buses, tours, accommodation and food. I then headed down to Ushuaia, via Río Gallegos - yet another killer journey ( I recommend spending a long time in each place ). Ushuaia is another ski place and has other winter sports ( Like dog-sledding! ) so you will have no difficulty finding a place to stay. You can also get a bus to the national park, and it is a wonderful place to be in its element in the winter. From Ushuaia I took buses to Punta Arenas in Chile and then on to Puerto Natales ( My butt hurt after all this incidentally ). Puerto Natales in absolutely dead in winter - a real ghost town but this is the best time of year to see wildlife in Torres del Paine National Park. It can be hard finding somewhere to stay and to get a tour but we saw herds of guanaco, huémel ( very rare Patagonian deer ), condors, rhea, foxes and all sorts! Forget hiking there in winter though. And be careful if you get a bus over the border to Río Turbio - I nearly got stuck there, so I would recommend heading on to El Calafate if you go to Torres del Paine, or if you are feeling flush and have good sealegs you could always get the Navimag. As for the Fitzroy Range - that is the one thing I did not see. I believe it is open and there are sporadic buses up there in the winter but we are talking about three a week, if that. All I can say ( After that huge exposition ) is that if you want to see Patagonia in winter then go. People will think you are mad but they have no idea what they are missing because it is a phenomenal place. Forget Peru and Bolivia - Patagonia is South America at it is most breath-taking and seeing it in winter only adds to its appeal ( Although admittedly I have not been there in the summer).
Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.
Colonia del Sacramento.
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Colonia is a one-off. One of my favourite places on Earth.
Colonia del Sacramento is a town in Uruguay 60 kms across the River Plate estuary from Buenos Aires. The one-way boat trip takes 3 hours. The old part of this town is actually a Unesco world heritage site. We spent a couple of days wandering around the cobble stone streets, drinking cappucinos and eating good food. It was perfect after the crazy days of travelling; a slow pace was just what we needed. Would you believe that you can rent golf carts to cruise around town?. This place is quaint, definitely with a European flair, very laid-back and beautiful.
* If you are in Buenos Aires for a while and feel the need to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city just for one day, you might consider taking the ferry across the River Plate to Colonia, Uruguay. Not only will it get you another stamp in your passport. You will also have the opportunity to explore a totally charming town that is a Unesco World Heritage site. The historic barrio of the former Portuguese colony is excellently well-preserved. Its cobble-stoned streets, secluded courtyards, and many cafés, restaurants, and shops make Colonia a delightful surprise just 60 kms across the river from Buenos Aires. Give yourself an entire day, take the slow boat, and unwind in Colonia. This one-day return trip costs 32.00 US$.
www.coloniaexpress.com</a><BR><a href="http://www.buquebus.com">www.buquebus.com</a><BR><BR>Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.
I spent almost one year in Argentina and thought Rosario was one of the better cities that I have seen in Argentina. My favorite was Salta and San Juan but Rosario is special in the sense that there are hardly any foreigners and the architecture in the city is Amazing, comparable to Buenos Aires in some respects. It has the Monumento Nacional a la Bandera, a wonderful place next to the Rio Parana which is nice. There is also a river tour you can take on the weekends to the nearby islands. What I treasured about it, is the solitude it offered away from "touristy" places like BS AS, Salta, Mendoza etc... but if you dont go there, again no big deal, but it does jazz up your itinerary a little. And the fact that the "most beautiful women are from Rosario" is a plus aswell, ask any Argentinian, they all say the same thing haha.
Cheers, Jesse.
I have never heard any Argentine saying that "the most beautiful women are from Rosario". There are beautiful women all over Argentina.
Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.
ReallY? Every Argentine guy told me that jaja, im not joking! Anyways I thought it to be true.
women are beautiful all over argentina, but people in rosario claim the most beautiful. it s not worth seeing though, as they are just as beautiful as all over the country. nothing else to see.
NB jesse is right about no tourists there - indeed can be worthwhile if you are looking for that. but I think there are also very few tourists in cordoba and even mendoza. It s a big country.
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<hr>I have never heard any Argentine saying that "the most beautiful women are from Rosario". <hr></blockquote>
I have, a million times... from every single rosarino i've met. It's unbelievable actually. It's as if they had something to proove or something.
About the OP, considering you gonna spend 2 weeks in BA, and you wanna see a lot in the other two, it's gonna be tricky.
Salta - Mendoza- south (stick to Bariloche and suroundings) Rosario and iguazu will be a strech. I'd skip rosario, specially if you're gonna spend there only 2-3 days.
It depends also on wether you like outdoors and landscapes, or architecture and nightlife. If I had to pick, between 3-5 days in Bariloche or 3-5 days in Rosario, i'd pick Bariloche, but the catch is you have a 24 hs drive.
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