lindy_lee

I've booked a trip for my husband and myself in late July--landing in B.A. We want to stay in an estancia in Mendoza close to vineyards, maybe go to Uruguay, learn to tango and have some adventure. Would love suggestions of some "must do" during this time of year.

Graziella5b

Hi Lindy Lee, July is the middle of the Winter season. As in any big cosmopolitan city , Buenos Aires has the best concerts, theater etc to offer this time of the year. Best Opera too..
For museums, tango lessons, etc this is absolutely fine. Cold, yes but less than NY for instance, colder than Miami.
Mendoza will be fine, but it seems to me this is an ideal time for Winter sports in the South, like Bariloche or in the Mendoza Province in Las Lenas .
Of course you can visit the bodegas anytime, try their excellent wines and much more.
I believe It is a good time to go North East to THe Iguazu Falls. They are awsome.\
Also it is a good time to buy antiques, and anything you fancy because their prices are very good.
Uruguay is well known for its beaches not a good time to go, but Montevideo is another interesting city to visit in Winter, as is Colonia and the thermal resorts. Good luck.

lindy_lee

Thanks Graziella. We were in Chili last July and love getting out of the Atlanta summer heat! Would you think that four days in an estancia in Mendoza and then a trip to Iguazu Falls would be too much time in an airplane? We only have 8 days. Also, do you know anything about the helicopter rides over the falls?

Graziella5b

To be honest I do not know what will be offered to you in the estancia en Mendoza. It might be some kind of a ranch life? I have enjoyed visiting the wineries in Mendoza, you can enjoy lunch in one of them, the Andes in the back are imposing, and Mendoza is an active provincial town. About Estancias in that area I do not know. It will be cold for sure.Be sure they have enough heat.
Two days in Iguazu are enough in my view, the helicopter rides have been widely critized because of their noise which in turn sends the birds away.
I enjoyed the rubber boat rides.
There are many beautiful birds around the cataratas. Honestly I think that two full days is more than enough and you can certainly visit both sides.
When you say you booked a trip, did you get like a package with hotels and everything ?or you will be on your own. ?If so, I as many others have recommended the local travel agency WOW, owner Cintia and Matias. This young couple know Argentina well, I understand that they never recommend something they have not seen personally. I loved their personalized Buenos Aires city tour because it was like being with local friends.
Certainly it is not the only way to visit Argentina but they are a very good help. I go often to Artgentina and I always make hotel reservations through them because they get excelllent rates below the rack rate . So if you need to make reservations or get on a good city tour only for you, they are the best.
Good luck.
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drdawggy

Mendoza is great in July! Dyer by far than humid Buenos Aires....crisp and cool....

I,too, live in the Atlanta area, so Argentina is a great break from the dog days of summer in Georgia.

I agree with Graziella...two days is enough at Iguazu.

Tango...take in a show and try your hand at a milonga. There are many in town.

If you like history, take in the Evita Museum and don't miss Recoleta Cemetary where she is buried.

milla

if i had only 8 days in the country i am visiting for the first time, i would make it different. First of all, though i love mendoza and their ranches there, i think that 4 days is too much when you have only 8 in all. I would stay in the city for 2 nights and try to make the 3 most important excursions, to the mountain, the vineyars and the city and its outskirts.

Anyway i think that the lake district will offer you a more pleasant stay. the landscape in Mendoza city can t be as nice as the landscape offered by one of the lakes in the district.

You need one night if you can afford the Sheraton hotel in the same jungle in Iguazu. if not there are wonderful hotels a bit further and inexpensive but you need 2 nights in such case.
Personally i would spend the money on one night having my bedroom in front of the falls.

I would stay the rest in Buenos Aires cause there are many places to visit and some excursions take the whole day.
l would be the colonia tour by boat.
2 an estancia day with the possibility to connect it directly from the airport and stay overnight before coming to the city.
3 a day tour to delta tigre where you can also have a night if your likes are staying in a relaxing place near the river.
Everything is possible in ARgentina because the prices are tempting. It is inevitable to fly and that is the most expensive part of the trip. distances are long. but you compensate this with very low accommodation and food prices

Yes there are helicopter rides on the falls and also over the city of Buenos Aires. I think that that is pricey though if you like to have that experience it must be worth the money you pay.

Lots of luck in Argentina.

drdawggy

The Delta is great in February....but too chilly to enjoy in July in my opinion.

lindy_lee

Hi again--need some help. I am torn between going to Salta and doing the train trip or going to Mendoza. Cintia at WOW is afraid that I won't have enough time in B.A. Generally, I am not a fan of the big cities (could have skipped Santiago)and am curious if you think I need to spend much time there. We are also going for one night to an estancia by small plane.Anything else to do in Mendoza--don't want to just visit vineyards-- Thanks!

Nicci

We also live in Atlanta and spent 4 nights in Mendoza 2 weeks ago. We stayed at a fantastic Finca about 15kms from Mendoza city called Club Tapiz - www.tapiz.com. It is an old bodega that was converted into a 7 room boutique hotel a couple of year ago. It's surrounded by a vineyard with very old olive trees and apricot trees. There's a lovely pool, spa offering massages for only $20/hour, wine and cheese every evening at 8:30PM and an excellent restaurant with one of the areas top chefs. All for only $80/night including taxes! It's best to rent a car if you decide to stay outside of Mendoza city.

FYI: An Estancia is a ranch with animals and a Finca is a farm with fruits and veggies.

Nicci

herickim

Nicci, did you rent a car in Mendoza when you got there or did you make a reservation in advance? I normally use Priceline.com. But, it is not going to work for the Mendoza area, I assume. Eric