Planning our trip to Buenos Aires and we have 3 nights we need to fill..
 

After much research and way too many hours online, we have a plan. However, there are 3 nights that we (6 of us) need to fill. Our trip in late December and early January starts with 6 nights in BA, a bus trip to Mendoza and 3 nights there, a plane ride via BA to Iguazu and then the 3 nights in question, all ending in two last nights in BA.

Originally we wanted a beach. But at that time of year, all the beaches are packed and expensive. Hotels are really, really expensive. The beaches we narrowed down to were Mar del Plata and Punta del Este and surrounds. Just the transportation alone from Iguazu is a head scratcher. Of course every flight goes through BA and I have looked into a Lan Sounth America Pass.

So, dear Fodor friends...What should we do starting from Iguazu for 3 nights and ending in BA? Thanks!!!

Have you ever heard about the NW of Argentina? If "wines" is your reason to choose it just consider Cafayate in the South of Salta. The area let you also see the Salt Flats in our Altiplato and Purmamarca and Tilcara too. Cafayate is not only wines, and wineyads but also a huge areawith thousand of rock formations as the devil´s throat and the amphitheatre, the Tytanic, the Elephants, the Castles, and many, many others. You can also have a look to some of the pictures at http://cometosalta.spaces.live.com/
The weather is great any time of the year and the food in the area... You can eat the best empandas you have ever tasted!
Adn talking about wines, our red develope a higher concentration of alcohol due to the altitude and the wines have more personality. The white, representative of the area is torrontés... UNIQUE, you can feel the sunshine in your throat while you drink it!
And a late harvest torrontés is a fabulous liquor (sp?)
You can not miss it.
Flntstones.

You could go to Bariloche, another flight away. Stay at the Design Suites (we paid $160 U.S. incl tax and breakfast and had a magnificent mini suite, with a terrace, a tub with a view, balcony, stone shower, wonderful). Our trip was similar to yours.
In Mendoza, we stayed at the Hyatt and arranged with the concierge for a car and driver for 2 days. She made all the reservations at the wineries and mapped out the best route. Can't find the wineries on your own, some require reservations, and lunch at a winery is a wonderful experience. We paid $100 per day for 4 of us, and worth every penny. 9That was in 2006)

Another vote for Bariloche and the Lakes District. Instead of a hotel, rent a private home, IMO it is much cheaper and nicer.

Thanks.. I am leaning towards Bariloche. I respect Flintstones and the Northern areas idea, but we really aren't in Argentina for the wine. Just a few nights in Mendoza out of 17 nights.

Okay, so how would I get from Iguazu to Bariloche? Fly via Lan to BA and then on to Bariloche? Not interested in ground transportation. What website do you recommend for home rentals? VRBO? Also, I do kind of favor hotels because we would want to be right on a lake and have a pool as it will probably be quite warm. I checked the Design Suites on TA and wasn't super impressed. Aleta, were you there in '06? Any other hotel recommendations?

Mostly need to figure out all this transportation. Thanks!

I am pretty sure that you have to fly back to BA then to Bariloche.
Ground would be an awfully long drive.. my friend has a home there, it took him about 17-20 hours to drive .. all so the cats could come too lol.

Thanks Scarlett. I know you know my situation. I just think that the beach is out reach. I checked a few places out of town at my beach favorites and it's crazy what they want per night and I think the masses of people may be just more than what we want to deal with...even if we could afford it.

Confirm you need to fly through BA. Here are our houses for rent, www.BarilocheVacationRental.com. Feel free to contact me through there. Suerte!

Thanks! I didn't realize they were your houses you were writing of. I guess I just was speed reading. I'll check it out.

Well I try to be objective and not self promote. Suerte!

I think I'll give you a call next week. Are you stateside?

No, I live full time in Llao Llao, Bariloche. We have a California number so call whenever you like.

Bariloche is a great choice.
And I am sure you will really enjoy it.
Just for your information... the NW is not only Wine. For your next visit, jus look at these pictures.
No wines only...
http://cometosalta.spaces.live.com/
"www.flickr.com/nycgeo"
I assume this will not be your only visit...
Have a great time.
Flintstones

I think Bariloche is wonderful bu I guess youguys have seen enough snow in your life... if you want to see the magic of Argentina, go to Mendoza 3 days 2 nights, iguazu 2 days 1 night could be enough and Buenos Aires has plenty of things to offer also at city surroundings you can have a night in Tigre at parana's delta (most tourist go to the park and the craft market i personally think to have a weekend in one of the Delta islands is the experienc there...have a look at bsas4u website, they have all sort of activities you can book online

have a good time traveling!

I have been to Bariloche and the NW, but not to Mendoza, but if it were me and it is not on your itinerary just because of the wine, I would skip Mendoza and spend all six nights in the NW. Bariloche will give you the mountain scenery (which I gather you would get also in Mendoza) and NW will give you something of EVERYTHING -- culture, scenery, food, wine --- all unique and you will really feel like you have gone somewhere remote and different.

In Bariloche, check out Aldebaran (we didn't stay there, but it looks great) and also consider Villa La Angostura -- each of these places have pools right on the lake with the most AMAZING View: Sol Arrayan, El Faro, Hosteria La Posada, Correntoso.

OH wait, I misread your post. Sorry. I thought you had six nights in addition to Bariloche. Well, I don't know that going to the NW just for three nights is a great idea.

Thanks for the input, but I am still scratching my head over all this. If it weren't the high season when we are going, well, I would not be trying so hard so in advance of the trip.

I am good with our 3 nights in Mendoza and although we are getting to Mendoza from BA by bus, we will fly to BA and then on to Iguaza from there.

It might help all my very helpful friends there in Fodorsland to know that I live in the country, but not far from the pacific ocean. I see amazing big redwoods and lots of fabulous scenery daily. So, that's why I am perplexed about the freakin 3 night void. I would extend it, but I really think we will want those last two nights in BA, to shop and see a few sites that we didn't fit into the first six days. Does that make sense?

In a perfect world I would like the beach. Jose Ignacio or the less populated areas of Punta del Este sounds great, but WAY WAY out of our price range and the whole area sounds PACKED.

Anyway, keep those ideas coming. I will look into the NW Flintsones. Thanks again. How could I do this without all of you?

How long are you staying in Iguazu? Maybe there are other places in Misiones province that you would like to visit too.

I suppose your flights are all booked? If not, it has been suggested to me that it is easier to get to Mendoza from Santiago than from Buenos Aires. If you did it that way, you could fly into Santiago and out of Buenos Aires, and not be backtracking.

I think it's good to allow a fair number of days for BA like you've done.

Have you seen our blog, www.LivingInPatagonia.com? Me thinks the scenery here is a bit different than where you are.

seaksocean:
You dont need to come to B.A. to enjoy 3 days after Iguazu.

You will love the jungle experience 3 hours from Iguazu
or the Mocona falls also in the same province.

But you can also visit the NW of Argentina, Salta and Jujuy with a direct flight from Iguazu, and you will never regret it.

milla