My husband and I went to Argentina, for a big retirement/40th anniversary trip, for 17 days in February.(Got back the day of the earthquake in Chile...good timing) Isabel, from Buenos-Aires Tours, coordinated the whole trip with precision. I will take you through the whole trip.
First of all, if there is any way you can travel business class , DO IT! You don't even know you are traveling! Fabulous.
BUENOS AIRES is a wonderful city but be sure you wear good walking shoes. The streets are often crumbling and irregular. Taking a taxi is the way to go...and don't even watch how they navigate the cross streets and some of them do not have lights or stop signs. The taxi drivers are appreciative of the tips no matter how small as many people do not even tip at all. We were warned NOT to walk in the line of traffic as there are so many motorbikes that some of the drivers can CUT off your purse from your shoulder. Walk in opposite direction please!
We stayed in Recoleta, at the Hyatt. It was a wonderful hotel. Even better as we used points!!!!!! Wandering around that area was fun. Not far from the Cemetery and restaurants. We spent time walking through Palermo Soho. For lunch we had one bad experience. AVOID little outdoor restaurant, Utopia. Food mediocre but the worst part were the pigeons who attacked the food and the patrons!
Had wonderful empanadas and pizza at restaurant which locals frequent(as our friend took us) called AMERICAN . Be sure you understand their pizza is not quite what Americans are used to. Unless you order the ones specifically with tomatoes(I mean one thin slice) , you will get basically melted cheese on a crust!
Visited LA BOCA via cab but bravely took local bus back. Touristy but that is where tango began so important to see. Not so safe but daytime it is fine.
I can't say we toured much as we concentrated on learning the tango on this trip. We took a few private lessons and a group lesson, visited 2 different milongas and took in a local tango show (for $45 PESOS each-no dinner) , called Tramatango. Done in a small theater. Better than paying $150 for a tacky show and a mediocre dinner elsewhere. IN addition, my friend who lives in BA hired a "taxi dancer" for me who danced with me for 3 hours at the milongas . My husband danced with me too, but this gave me the "real" experience. I read Tango, an Argentine Love Story by Camille Cusumano, flying down there so I was prepared!!
We did meet Isabel who took us by taxi to see other areas by the park and the consulates as well as some places with beautiful architecture. The local merchants do have booths set up outside the cemetery and they sell fun knick knacks. Be sure to have heldo, ice cream on your trip to BA. IT is refreshing.
LA CABRERA is a must for parilla(steak). There are two of them near one another.We went to the one NOT on the corner. MUST have a reservation and it is not surprising to see a line outside at 11pm. Food is plentiful and you need only order one portion for two people. The waiter will even tell you that.(Dinner was $57 American incl tip and wine)
FRANCIS MALLMAN, is a famous chef who has a restaurant called 1884. In Godoy Cruz, you can find this out of the way place. In Argentina, it is considered very $$$$. It was the most expensive meal we had on our trip. ($127America) Included the best wine and fabulous steak. Beautiful ambiance. A special place is all I can say but pricey.
MENDOZA was next. Took local airline from BA, squished into coach,and arrived to Malbec central. Most of the grapes that make this fabulous wine is grown there. My husband is a wine person so this was a MUST on our trip. Stayed at a less than stellar hotel, the Executive Hotel downtown. Not particularly accommodating frankly, but good location. Found AZAFRAN, a great outdoor restaurant in town. Excellent fish and steak. Complete wine cellar which they encourage you to visit and sommelier will help you choose your wine for the meal.Just a note to remember, if you sit outside (small inside seating), people wander up to you and beg.I could do without that.
Winery tours were great. Always had an English speaker assist us. I recommend Norton as it is extensive and the tour was great. Ruca Malen was lovely and we had reservations for a magnificent lunch with all sorts of pairs.Ate outdoors amongst the grapes BUT in a windowed room. Food was one of the best parillas we have had.
The last night in Mendoza we stayed outside city. We stayed at FINCA ADALGISA, more like an American Bed & Breakfast. No TV or usual hotel amenities but clean and fun. People were very friendly including guests. It is right in the middle of their own winery so there are vineyards all over the place.If you want to cut the vines or work at the grapes you care welcome. Excellent breakfast included. In the evening they give you a bottle of wine and cheese which is complimentary and there is a gorgeous setting outside to enjoy it. Having been used to all the usual amenities this was refreshing. They did have WIFI (intermittently) The last day we hit one more winery and stayed for lunch. Familia Zuccardi . It seemed more Napa-ish as the focus was a bit more on the gift shop but it was huge. Good tour as they were actually harvesting the grapes, both white and red. Across the street are miles of vineyards which they encourage you to walk through! Fun photo op!Enjoyed a good lunch outdoors. Above our heads were grapes growing on trellises and they are not the ones used for wine but for eating. SO when you felt like it ,you could just stand up and pull down a few grapes! It became too buggy so we, in our poor Spanish, asked to have dessert indoors. It was great sitting quietly, and were bug free enjoying the rest of our meal.
TRIP TO ACONCAGUA was memorable. Took a full day trip from Mendoza to the second tallest mountain in the world.We had an English guide for the whole day. On a minibus there was a Spanish guide and our English guide. She was excellent and never left us.Lots of beautiful mountain scenery, stops along the way for snacks and coffee, as well as bano! We did go up very high and the latitude was a bit much. My husband took a photo on the chile border which was fun. It was a worthwhile FULL day trip.
Trip Report B.A., Mendoza, Iguazu,Salta,El Calafate
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To continue...We fly back to BA from Mendoza and hopped at plane to IGUAZA. Smart to stay at the SOviet-tyle Sheraton merely for its location. Yes, it is very pricey $500, American BUT worth it. Pool is good too. The boat ride we took was the short version as we arrived late and the long one was booked. It still was such fun. We even got suckered into purchasing the CD! (ALL in SPANISH) I do have a suggestion. Wear a bathing suit BUT wear sneakers. The walking is extensive and flip flops are dangerous. They give you a waterproof bag for your camera etc. SO before you put on your life preserver, take off you shorts and sneakers and put it all into the bag. It will all stay dry but this way upon your return, you can put your dry clothes on over your bathing suit! And have dry sneakers too for the walk back. No one warned us about this. Hotel has several computers for internet too by the way.Also, bring bug spray!
We did not want to eat in the hotel so we had a taxi take us into the town. It was busy. We went to a wonderful place with live music no less. Our taxi waited outside til we were done. The place has a long name but it is something like El Quincho. It was about $150 pesos round trip on very dark roads. Well worth it. We did the Upper level the second day and were about to take the Jungle Train but we had to leave.They do have a place to buy a drink etc so if you want bring a few pesos. We did not but had remembered a bottle of water.
Off to SALTA directly without having to go through BA. Hooray BUT they weighed both our regular luggage and our hand held and we had to PAY for the weight!!!!!!!130 pesos!!!ANDES airlines. Not recommended but no other choice. My husband is tall and his knees were in his mouth as seats were so close and small.But we did avoid another trip to BA. We were off to SALTA, a lovely place. AND quite an experience.Stayed at Bordo de la Lanza.
We were picked up by the owner , about an hour outside the city. He and his wife are 8th generation owners of the ranch, the estancia. It is a working ranch, tobacco, sugar cane, horses, etc. Fantastic experience but... NO AIR CONDITIONING!ONly drawback. We were only guests the first night.They prepared a romantic , intimate dinner for us int eh courtyard after `serving drinks etc before. Our room was minimal with no tv, air, etc. Just quaint. HUGE bed! Great shower. The key was so large we could not carry it around. We left our room unlocked the whole stay. We felt so safe. We had a house boy who spoke good English. The staff not only took care of us, but the family who lived there. We were invited by the couple to join them for dinner one night along with the other guests. It was like being at someone's home for dinner, discussing politics, economy etc. Another day his mother invited us to join the family for a traditional lunch outside. It was very local dining and formal.
After having not gone horseback riding for 30 years it was time. Their resident gaucho took care of us. We wore helmets and chaps. Our English houseboy assisted. They had a useable pool but it was old. The grounds were gorgeous and we read one day and relaxed outside as they brought us fresh squeezed orange juice which you must drink all over the country!! (NOT like Tropicana!!) That day we also had a cooking lesson from the chef. We learned how to make empanadas. Not anything I will ever prepare but fun to see how it is done.
We took a full day tour with our English guide in a private car to the mountains. Saw Inca ruins and had a lunch in a small town. My husband ate llama, which was chewy and I had a salad. Our guide told us all about the towns we visited and he made the trip worthwhile. We cancelled a trip the next day which would have been 3 1/2 hrs each way and chose to go into the city of SALTA instead which was a good choice. Our English driver, once again told us about the city and where to have lunch. Empanadas and humitas as well as tamales with beer tasted great at Dona Salta. For dinner, we took a cab to a well known restaurant but it was closed so the hotel sent us to La Lenita. It was on the main strip along with many other restaurants. It did not look like anything special; they had a small salad bar which we attacked as we were hungry for a more typical salad compared to the usual Argentinian salad. There was no visual parilla grilling but we ordered steak anyway. It turned out to be the best steak we had on this whole trip. We stayed at a small boutique hotel, Legado Mitico, in Salta. They were so accommodating, had a workable computer with Internet access, delicious included breakfast and welcoming drink. Beautiful ambiance and great security, centrally located. Room was air conditioned which we appreciated at this point! We had a safe and the room had beautiful appointments.
CALAFAYTE was next. We had a long flight to get there though. Had to go back to BA, 5 hour layover, then almost 4 hours trip to Patagonia. With such a long layover, we decided to take a cab to BA. Looked for Bar Uriate but it was closed for lunch. Hopped back to local airport and made it to Xelena Hotel by 10 pm. Ate at hotel which was good.Our hotel was off the beaten path but turned out to be good. Compared to the more rustic ones, this was much nicer. We walked from the center of town after a great lamb dinner the next night, at Casmira Parilla and Grill,( main street in town, Avda. Del Libertador 933) the one in the center of town. Owner has 2 others but this one is pricier and has the parilla right in the restaurant. Much nicer than the others but food is good!!! Service not so great as they served us everything including the appetizers and salad at the same time as the entrees.Waitress was helpful in suggesting we only order one entree and share it, and she was right! Nice ambiance (and even has wifi) Had the lamb which is grilled on a spit right in the front of the restaurant. Even if you don't go inside, look at the window!!!
The first day in Patagonia we took the All Glaciers Tour and may I suggest you pay the extra $$$ and upgrade to VIP seats. You'll be the envy of those who do not! Cushiony seats, wine, champagne, snacks, just great. It is COLD when you go out of the cabins so be prepared. We had the right clothing and were luck that the weather was not overly cold but as you are amongst the glaciers, it is chilly! Need ear coverings and gloves. That tour was fun and gorgeous. Even bought the professional picture that was taken on board. The second day was THE best one ever. We went minitrekking. It was the scariest thing my husband and I have ever done and SURVIVED! We had an English guide and we bundled up and brought the required gloves. THey do have them if you forget. ALL I can say is workout at the gym before you go! It was not as bad going up BUT going down was nerve wracking. No poles, No ropes. No nothing but you! Crampons on your hiking shoes make it doable. A memorable experience for a lifetime! DO IT!! Makes great stories when you return and take a camera in a little pack back or in your pocket. SUggestion. DO it in the order we did, boat trip first then trekking next day.
Flew back to BA for one last night and day. Another Legado Mitico in Palermo Soho. This time we ventured to Puerto Madero,an area with a lovely group of restaurants on a waterway. Restaurant was called Cabana Las Lilas. Not cheap but great! I think they bolster the price by bringing you small appetizers right away then if you don't see it ahead of time, find out you are charged for it. Expensive by Argentine standards. Lots of business lunches and tourists but scenery on the water is wonderful and food was great.Of course a final parilla!! A wonderful way to leave this city.
Thank you for a great report, clove7524 and congratulations on your 40th anniversary!
When should we expect you and DH back?
Nice report, we stayed at the Hyatt in Recolato on points too, it's beautiful, but I like the small boutique hotels better.
We also enjoyed the Finca in Mendoza, it still remains one of my favorite memories of AR.
Glad to read your trip went well!
What a great trip report! It seems Isabel was looking after us at the same time!! I was due to come home the day of the earthquake, but was delayed.
I'm glad you had a good time.
Clove,
Great trip report, sounds like you had a wonderful trip. We are planning our own trip, and was wondering: why do you recommend, in El Calafate, to take the ‘all glaciers’ trip first, then do the mini-trekking the next day?
You mentioned having ‘the right clothes’ – other than scarf, ear muffs, gloves, hat, do you really need a winter parka? The baggage max weight requirements are a concern here, so I am wondering what we really need to carry, and what we can do without.
Can we just have sneakers, to use with the crampons on the ice? I am considering sneakers or Merrell shoes – not boots. Would these be ok?
Thanks
I am replying to xyz99 first. If you take the All Glaciers first you enjoy the wonderment of it all. Very relaxing too. The anticipation builds to the next day where "all bets are off!" You and the glacier are ONE!
It depends when you go trekking. We went in Feb . When are you going? We had unusually temperate weather but it was cold. We had North Face fleeces with Under Armour cold weather shirts plus another layer of polar material. We were perfect. I wore old leather gloves which I suggest because if you need to grip the ice, you won't hurt yourself. My husband forgot his gloves so bought fleece ones the day before and they were fine too. We both used low cut Merrill hiking boots. You cannot wear sneakers. Ours were just fine. No need for anything heavier but sneakers will not cut it. Have a great trip. Take your camera!
My reply to everyone is thanks for the compliments. I worked hard at it but enjoyed reviewing the 17 days very much.
Clove,
Thanks a lot - we are going in Nov. Now...I am hoping you will post some of the pictures you took?
These are the shoes we are considering, but they are no boots
http://www.merrell.com/US/en-us/Product.mvc.aspx/W-F-F/20464W/0/Women/Footwear/Filters/Womens/Jungle-Moc
Would they be ok? How did you manage the weight requirements?
CLOVE
Detailed report CLOVE !!! you took a long time to give all the information. and you havent forgotten anything.
You did a lot because you never stop moving while in the city and everything worked ok , even AR, a company nobody likes, behaved well with you.
There is a photograph of a couple in Rosedal park sitting on a bench going around. is it you ???
Poor KODI!!!! Spending the night at the airport was not good.but at least gave you the possibility of staying a bit longer in the city in a completely different area. Harder than waiting for some long distance buses in some destinations, i guess.
milla/Bs.As.
Clove --
If you had to choose between Salta and Mendoza, which would you pick?
Thanks!
Loved reading your trip report!
I was just there myself, and it was great reliving some of my memories through you.
To flashgirl: If you like Malbec and wine country as well as good food, I would choose Mendoza. If you want quiet, beautiful mountains, Inca ruins, and a quaint old city, choose Salta.(We dad have great parilla there though!)
to xyz99: Concerning the shoes, I would wear lace up shoes. Better support. The ones you sent me seem more like shoes I wore in MI when I went in low snow! As you need to lift your feet up for each step I would suggest lace up low hiking shoes. Ours were about the same price. Only one time we got stuck paying extra for our heavy baggage. (Andes Airlines) Others did not give us any trouble. I will suggest doing what we did...tie your heaviest shoes (hiking or sneakers) onto the outside of your back pack if worried.
I am not sure how to include photos for those that requested them.( I have iphoto)
Well, FlashGirl, Clove did not have so much chances to see the whole area. She was only in a portion of Humahuaca Gorge and most of their time in El Bordo de las Lanzas which an old and charming Estancia. Salta has a lot more. I think Clove also mixed up CALAFATE and CAFAYATE... Calafate is whwere Glaciers are. CAFAYATE is our wine country which I think Clove did not visit. AM I right, Clove?
Our wine area, CAfayate is very scenic, a mix of Sedona and Gran Canyon with a lot of varietions...
If your interest is concentrated in wines, go to Mendoza, but if you want also see the dramatic scenery and the wonderful formations... come to Salta.
Flintstones.
Yes, clove7524 mentions "CALAFAYTE", but means "CALAFATE", in our South.
I apologize for mixing up the two places(Calafate and Cafayate). It was a long trip and I wanted to get the information out as soon as I could.
We decided not to drive all the way to the wine country as we had done so much drinking in Mendoza, we chose to see the sights in Salta instead. Wise choice for us!
We did love what we saw in Salta though. With limited time, we could not see ALL of the huge country. Maybe another trip in the future?
No "maybes"!
When should we expect you back in Argentina, clove7524?
Just kidding...