Argentina

All Destinations

Africa

Arabia

Australasia

Central America

India & Beyond

Indian Ocean

Polar Regions

South America

South East Asia

Argentina

Argentina is a country of extreme contrasts and a holiday here can combine snow-capped mountains tumbling into glacial waters with scorched deserts and tropical rainforest.

Reflecting this contrast of landscape is a patchwork of cultures that turn and twist together like a tango dance. The bustling streets of Buenos Aires are alive with impossibly chic shops, cafes and restaurants in Recoleta, moody bars and quirky stalls in San Telmo and the latest in boutique fashion and cuisine in Palermo.

In the north of the country lush rainforest surrounds the spectacular Iguazu Falls and, for those who love wildlife, riding or fishing a visit to the Ibera Wetlands will not disappoint. These vast wetlands spread to the horizon as far as the eye can see and they are teaming with flora and fauna. Salta, the northwest frontier is a desert wilderness peppered by boutique vineyards quietly creating exceptional wine that is yet to be widely discovered.

Central Argentina is best known for the winelands in Mendoza that blanket the foothills of the Andes Mountains. We work with fantastic sommeliers in the region to help our guests access some of the country’s most exclusive vineyards. Northeast of Mendoza lie the grassy, rolling hills of Cordoba, famous for world-class polo ranches and dove shooting.

Moving further south takes you to the indigo lakes of Bariloche and San Martin that lie in the shadows of the Andes. Some of Exceptional Travel’s favourite lakeside hotels are tucked into the pine forests here and it is a wonderful place to rest and unwind or fish in crystal clear trout streams.

It is worth taking on the sometimes unforgiving weather to visit Patagonia, which straddles the southern tip of Argentina and Chile. This wild and dramatic land is breathtakingly beautiful where the Andes Mountains meet timeless glaciers and lakes the colour of cornflowers. One of our favourite ways of accessing Chile from here is to sail through the fjords by boat with incredible wildlife sightings along the way.

Read Less

Quick Facts

Capital City
Buenos Aires

Population
44 million

Area
2.8m sq km (1.1m sq miles)

Major language
Spanish

Major religion
Christianity

Currency
Peso

Flight time from London
13h 55m to Buenos Aires

Time Difference
GMT -3

When to go

The seasons in Argentina vary as dramatically from north to south as the landscape does. The tropical climate of the north means that it is warm year round but tends to be drier between April and October.

The central regions and Patagonia get very cold and snowy from May to September. In fact much of Patagonia is closed off during the peak of its winter though in the Lake District ski resorts in Bariloche open its pistes for local skiers.

Read Less

High Season
Mid Season
Shoulder Season

Highlights

Buenos Aires

If you allow this moody and enticing city to get under your skin, it may never leave. A sultry tango dance in a low-lit bar; the way the streets constantly evolve from faded Parisian elegance to stark, contemporary design to shabby cobbled walkways lined with market stalls – you are constantly on your toes and it makes you feel alive.

Between November and December the Argentine Open Polo Championship takes place and even those who have no interest in horses will enjoy the electric atmosphere of the crowd – more akin to a rowdy football match than a sedate county tournament.

Some of South America’s most innovative chefs have launched restaurants in the city. But nothing can beat a hunk of beef slapped onto your plate and washed down with a glass of the finest Malbec.

The city is now known to be rivalling Sao Paulo for its art galleries and we can arrange viewings not only of the top galleries but also of private collections, for those with a serious passion for fine art.

However you choose to see Argentina, no visit is complete without a visit to its majestic capital city.

Iguazu Falls

These spectacular waterfalls straddle Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. This is the largest water system in the world and the sound of 275 waterfalls spewing up to 450,000 cubic feet of water into the churning river below is unforgettable.

A full day here will give you plenty of time to explore from the Brazilian and Argentine sides of the waterfalls as well as take a boat trip to the base of the ‘Devil’s Throat’ waterfall, the tallest in Iguazu. On land, excellent walkways are easy to navigate with plenty of viewpoints from which to take in varying aspects of this truly awesome spectacle.

For nature lovers and, in particular, bird lovers, a longer stay will allow time to explore the rainforests beyond, which are teaming with birds and over 2000 species of plant life. Exceptional Travel can arrange a private guide with well-trained eyes that will open up a world of habitats amid the dense foliage.

There are a handful of excellent places to stay on both the Argentine and Brazilian sides of the waterfalls. At dusk, rest in the luxury of a private veranda, gin and tonic in hand, listening to the sound of the night coming alive and the distant thunder of these mighty falls.

The Lake District

A quick and easy flight from Buenos Aires takes you to Bariloche or San Martin de Los Andes where your guide and driver will be waiting to whisk you to your lakeside lodge or estancia. The region is well protected by a string of nature reserves and the first breaths of this pristine air are immediately rejuvenating. Pine forests, indigo lakes and open meadows make this a fantastic destination for walking, riding and birdwatching.

Trout fishing in the region is among the best in the world and we are always happy to arrange a private fishing guide to help locate the best spots on the river. For those craving to be in the saddle, some of the country’s best working estancias are located here with hardy, thoroughbred horses trained to near perfection by local gauchos who could ride long before they could walk.

Mendoza

Mendoza

A bustling city of wide, leafy avenues, atmospheric plazas and cosmopolitan cafes, Mendoza is a trap. Even if you’ve (foolishly) only given it a day or two on your itinerary, you’re likely to be captivated by the laid-back pace. Ostensibly it’s a desert town, though you wouldn’t know it – acequias (irrigation ditches) run beside the roads and glorious fountains adorn the plazas. Lively during the day, the city really comes into its own at night, when the bars and restaurants along Av Arístides overflow onto the sidewalks.

The name Mendoza is synonymous with wine, and this is the place to base yourself if you’re up for touring the vineyards, taking a few dozen bottles home or just looking for a good vintage to accompany the evening’s pizza. The city’s wide range of tour operators also makes it a great place to organise rafting, skiing and other adventures in the nearby Andes.

Salta & the Andean Northwest

Salta & the Andean Northwest

Argentina’s hardscrabble northwest sits beneath the mighty snowcapped Andes, where a confluence of wind, water, ice and time has conjured weird, wonderful rockscapes, streaked with minerals and glowing red in the sun. Nature speaks powerfully here, lending the region a certain mystery.

Argentina is known worldwide for its European influence, but there’s an Andean feel in the northwest. This is thanks to the creativity and endurance of indigenous communities who continue to make handicrafts, tend llamas and stir nourishing stews. Descendants of long-gone empires, they are people of the puna (Andean highlands), which stretch into Chile and Bolivia.

This is where a country was born. Its cities were Argentina‘s first colonial settlements, and it’s here where independence was claimed. There’s much to discover: period architecture, national parks aplenty, and century-old, high-altitude vineyards producing some of Argentina’s finest wine.