eurotraveller

My boyfriend and I are travelling to Argentina in November. We have a total of 23 nights. Here is a very rough draft of our itinerary. I am posting it in order to get recommendations from all of you experts!

7 nights Buenos Aires in an apartment in Palermo (not chosen yet)

Fly to Salta

3-4 nights in Salta taking day trips to explore neighboring towns

Bus to Cafayate

2-3 nights Cafayate at Hotel Killa

Bus back up through Salta to Tilcara or Purmamarca

2-3 nights at either La Posada, Rincon del Fuego or El Regugio del Pinto

Depending on whether we stay for the short term option or long term option for each of our destinations, we will have either 6 or 9 additional nights.

Are there other towns that might be worth a few extra days around Salta?

Return to Salta for flight to BA

We don't have anything set yet and our flights are not booked.

We are both really interested in exploring the NW region. This schedule allows plenty of time to do that with several days left over.

With those days left over should we 1) split them up among our current destinations 2) head to the coast near Argentina 3) spend the extra time in Cordoba?

My boyfriend is fairly adamant about not wanting to visit Iguazu Falls and I am okay with skipping it. Although I know they are spectacular, we have both visited many falls in many places in the world, including our home state of Oregon.

The Pampas was of interest to me but not my boyfriend.

Is it really worth the time/money (for visa) to visit Colonia for a day? I am not keen on spneding the money for a visa to just spend a few hours there. Would it be worth spending a few days on Uraguay and if so, where? Monevideo possibly?

We plan of visiting The Tigre Delta for a day trip. Maybe this would be a place to spend a night or two?

If we go to the coast we would want a place of great natural beauty as opposed to hot night life.

We are mid forties, active and interested in exploring the culture of Argentina. We have a limited budget due to how often we travel so we don't want to pay for a lot of flights due to the exhorbitant prices of flights within Argentina.

Your recommendations and suggestions are greatly appreciated and respected!

Scarlett

Hi
I am really no help at all with this, as you know, we were in BsAs for 2 weeks so we know very little about anything outside of the city..but...some thoughts.
1-is there a choice of apts yet?
We were there in the end of Oct til Nov 9th..the weather is wonderful at that time of year. And the city ( and most probably the countryside) is full of flowering trees and green and wonderful.
My realtor wanted to take us to the Tigre delta for lunch and a small day trip ( not far away either), so I guess that is an option too, just spend the whole day there but go back to town at night.
I have been to the falls here in Oregon too, they are wonderful but nothing compared to Iquazu, even though I have not been to Iguazu, (have you seen photos?? omigod!) We are planning to spend a night or two there as soon as possible, once we are in Argentina.
I hear there is a new ferry service to Colonia that is less $ than the big ferry .. you might want to check that if you decide to go to Uruguay.
I have heard mixed reviews but think that if you are interested in getting out of the big city and spending a few hours in a charming Colonial town, it might be worth it.
I was not aware that you had to have a visa to go to Uruguay, don't you just take the ferry there, get your passport stamped then go back to BsAs?
Some time back, someone gave a wonderful trip report with photos and he and his fiancee spent some time at Tigre, he had great pictures..I will see if I can find them for you
Good luck, just think, I will be living there when you arrive

drdawggy

I respect your boyfriend's perspective, but I agree with Scarlett--to think you should skip Iguazu because you have seen the falls because you have visited the Columbia River Gorge is like saying because you have visited the Smokey mountains you will skip the Andes....Iguazu is a whole different experience.

But, if your boyfriend insists....there are several day trips from Buenos Aires that might interest you....Scarlett mentions one excellent choice...go to the River Delta for the day and have lunch at one of the island restaurants....other options, a day of horseback riding at an estancia (los Dos Hermanos is my favorite)....or a trip to Colonia (no visa required)...

mikemo

As you know from our experience, we thought two nights in Iguazu and a really full day at the AR Falls were great, but nada mas (we had three nights in a world class suite at the spectacular Iguazu Grand Hot).
Thought the Colonia experience was expensive and a bit of a joke compared to very many sites here in colonial Mexico.
Comida was very good at Plaza de Meson.
Buen viaje.
M (SMdA, Gto.)

skatedancer

you are very lucky to have so much time in the Salta region. You should definitely check out Cachi. It is small but pristine and charming. The drive there is unbelievable -- a bit hair raising at times, but spectacular and quite varied in the terrain. The drive there takes at least four hours. We had a guide drive us! We stayed at Colome which was unbelievable but it was the most expensive place we stayed, more than our hotel in BsAs, but worth every penny! I would have loved to have had more time there, and also to have spent the night in Cachi, or at least had more time just to enjoy that area.

You should spend a few nights in the north, using either Tilcara or Purmamarca as your base for exploring that region. Purmamarca is not to be missed, but if you are spending a few nights in the region, Tilcara is a bigger town, and you can do day trip to Purmamarca. (I"m not familiar with the hotels you mentioned, so maybe you've already included this in your itinerary.)

We only had five nights total for the entire region, so we just touched on everything. I envy you having the time to really explore, enjoy and absorb!

It is a fantastic place, with a great mix of interesting culture, scenery, food and wine!

skatedancer

Just to clarify my post, I would recommend getting to Cafayate via Cachi, taking at least two days to do that trip. I saw your other post on accommodations, so Colome would not be in your price range, but I would spend a night in Cachi en route to Cafayate. Unless you are adventurous drivers, I would highly recommend hiring a guide for this part of the trip! After your stay in Cafayate, you can then take the bus back up to Salta, although again, you might want to consider doing this either with a guide or driving on your own. I say this, because it is worth making some stops along the way to see some of the rock formations, such as the amphitheater. But, maybe you can do this as as a daytrip during your stay in Cafayate. I wouldn't discount doing a tour for this, since on your own, it may not be easy to figure out where to stop.

owlwoman

I agree totally w/Skatedancer's suggestions, only one more from me...

I would fly into Jujuy, spend a few days in the Pumamarca region, Tilcara, etc., then drive to Salta, spend a few days there. Since you have so much time, after taking a bus to Cafayate (and maybe a day in Cachi), why not continue on down to Mendoza or Tucamen, then fly back to BA from there?

We had a private guide for a 10 day trip between Jujuy and Mendoza, totally worth it,but if you do not wish to go that route, I think the buses would probably work well for you.

I do highly recommend you contact one of the local travel agents recommended on this board, it will save you much time and money.

I also agree w/Scarlett and Dr. D, you should not miss Iguazu Falls, it is worth the time/money and one of the most incredible places we have ever been.

eurotraveller

Thanks for all the well thought out replies!

I wasn't aware that there was an option to fly directly into Jujuy. That sounds like a good option for us.

Mendoza is out because wine makes my boyfriend ill. amp; We will spend a few days in Cafayate to satisfy my love of wine and vineyards!

We definitely plan on spending some time in Cachi and other small towns along the way.

The whole NW region calls to me. It seems you could spend several weeks there exploring!

Can anyone verify if a visa is needed for Colonia?

Any info on the quiet, less resortish towns along the coast? I am interested in the beaches that are forested with beautiful natural scenery.

Cheers!

drdawggy

I thought I had verified that a Visa is not necessary for Colonia? What, you want a second opinion? You will have your passport stamped, just like going to Argentina....only there is a small charge (less than two dollars US as I recall) to the tourist stamp. I agree with Mike...if you have been to Colonial sites in other parts of Latin America, Colonia is not worth the trip.

Scarlett

I believe dr dawggy mentioned also that No visa is required, you take your passport, that is all.
From a travel website:
<<Visas
Argentina: Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, British, Canadians currently do not require a visa for Argentina.

Uruguay: Australians, Americans, Canadians, British and New Zealanders do not currently require a visa for Uruguay. >>

eurotraveller

I don't know how I ever managed to travel before the invention of these forums! Such helpful info!

drdawggy, no need to get your panties in a bunch. I just overlooked your info in the parenthesis. I can see that you are not immune to missing things in posts either since you missed the fact that I have already planned on visiting the Delta for at least a day trip. Had to give you a hard time for that but please know I am teasing you. ;-) I have read many of your posts and you always provide great info and advise! It is always so helpful to have someone "in the know" posting regularly!

Scarlett, I don't have any apartments picked out yet. I actually emailed bytargentina a couple of days ago but I haven't heard back. I have a feeling that getting prompt responses from Argentinian hotels, etc may be similar to responses from hotels in SE Asia. It requires patience but seems to work out in the end. I would love to see the photos of the Delta if you find them. Was it a link or do you need my email address?

I am still up in the air about Colonia but I have time to decide.

Skatedancer, the accomodations I listed under Purmamarca and Tilcara are for that area. We are definitely going to spend a couple of nights in that area as it sounds like an amazing place!

I am really leaning toward just dividing my time between Buenos Aires with day trips and the Salta Region, maybe heading down to Tucuman as well.

We will see if I end up talking my boyfriend into Igauzu Falls!

Cheers!

Scarlett

Hi
did you know that TripAdvisor now has the option for sending private emails? so if you post there, you can click on my name and send me a pm..

Meanwhile, I cannot find that post but will look more and let you know.
We had one of those days..as the hours til we leave tick away, all sorts of things keep popping up and all I want to do is Be on Buenos Aires time
(<i>Nice weather we are having, no? lol</i>

Scarlett

http://tinyurl.com/tu5n9

I should be a private investigator or something! I found it.. enjoy and enjoy the photos too

eurotraveller

Great Scarlett! Thanks for looking for it!

You must be excited about the move! What? You don't like this crazy PDX weather? ;-)

SerialTraveler

Mister &quot;drdawggy&quot; please give an un-bias reference without promotion, by the way, are you from Argentina? I think so

eurotraveller

I am working on getting my boyfriend to agree to a couple of nights at Iguazu, especially since I just found a cool place to stay! Has anyone stayed at Secret Garden B&amp;B? It looks fabulous!

Scarlett

serial traveler, dr dawggy does not live in Argentina, he lives in the US..he just happens to be a real Traveler who is often in Argentina.
I realize you have only posted on Fodors twice so you might be unaware of the histories of some posters, but many many people post on these forums giving great advice, whether they live in these places or not is not important.
Welcome to Fodors, you might want to read the FAQs.

CollegeMom

Spent 5 days in Salta region last Sept. after flying from BA to Salta. Used Connie at Mariana Semisa as TA for hotels, car/guide and itinerary([email protected])with fantastic results. Spent two nights in Salta and one each in Cafayate, Tilcara and Punamarca. Foggy weather kept us from Cachi/Colome, but it was not recommended to be on the narrow roads in the fog plus there would have been very limited views. It is great reason to return! The Salta area has colorful small local cities with markets, beautiful mountains, friendly people, as well as good food and wine. Flinestone who also posts here is a TA for that area. We flew back to BA from JuJuy which saved travel time driving.If you like history, be sure to include Ruines de Quilmes near Cafayate and MAAM Museum in Salta which were both awesome. IF you can convince your boyfriend to go to Iguazu, the Argentine side can be done easily in two days and one night. The falls are awesome and different from any we have seen in the world. The falls are in a national park so there are tropical plants and birds to enjoy as well as the falls. Your will enjoy Argentina no matter where you visit!

flintstones

Definitelly Colome is expensive for the rates you are searching, Eurotraveller, but you can stay at ACA in Cachi, it is about U$S 80 the VIP room, and U$S 60 (double rooms) the normal one. The view is great from the Hosteria to town, it has a nice restaurant and I am confident you will really enjoy it. Killa and ACA are my favorite in the Calchaquies Valleys.
And, I know them all. The hotel I recommended in other posts for Purmamarca worths to be visited.
Flintstones

eurotraveller

Collegemom, Which places did you stay in while in Tilcara and Purmamarca? Which town did you enjoy the most?

Thank you!