A magical trip to a land of extremes. For lovers of National Park landscapes, wines and foodie experiences – this is the trip for you. Centring on the North West part of Argentina, the venture takes visitors to everything the region has to offer. A worthwhile alternative to the common trips to Patagonia, further south. Bear in mind, you are visiting the eighth largest country in the world, and as the trip notes state clearly, there are long drives necessary, to reach the areas of interest. If you don’t like long days on the road – stay at home.
We were expertly guided through the whole trip by Andreas. He quickly displayed his competence and passionate knowledge of the country; with quick and detailed answers to any questions we had. Unlike many other trip guides – he made a point of learning the names of everyone in the group, and was very attentive.
I took the Sept/Oct departure, which gave average temperatures of 26 deg C, with just one overcast day and no rain. A relaxing start in Mendoza kicks off the venture. The large independence square is pleasing, but the Plaza Espana is the prettiest, with its ceramic mosaic stonework. The first of a few wine tasting sessions kicked off in the Mendoza area. They were all well guided and informative, on the whole trip. Personally, I bought some bottles from a small, family run vineyard, further on in the tour.
Visits to National/Provincial Parks were the theme of the next few days. Where trekking was involved, the routes were on well maintained paths over mildly undulating terrain on firm ground or soft sandy tracks, and approach/trail shoes can be worn instead of heavy ankle length hiking boots. For the first walk in Aconcagna Provincial Park – a warm fleece and sound shell jacket are good inclusions, because of the chilly temperature in this high altitude visit. In short, all of the National/Provincial Parks visited were different; and the landscapes were a photographer’s paradise; taking in multicoloured rocks, snow topped mountains and cactus filled plains.
Many of the long days on the road were on ‘Ruta 40’ (Route 40), the Argentine equivalent of Route 66. An (inter)national icon, the route has many interest points along the way, along with refreshment/dining establishments. The roads were well paved, with the odd day of graded gravel surfaces, necessitating more gentle speeds. Space on the minibus is at a premium, especially with the group baggage on board; and some tedious start time was taken up with group folks bleating about where to sit; but with him knowing the road journeys well – Andreas was adept at breaking long journeys very well, with timely stops at great interest points and stopping at the pick of the refreshment cafes etc.
(On a side note, the whole Route 40, running the length of the country, is 5000km long and there are travel package companies that can organise and supply a vehicle and logistics for a 5/6 week self drive venture of the whole route, including ‘passport stamps’ along the way.)
For the urban places along the way in Argentina’s north west, Salta, Cafayate and Purmamarca are my pick of the bunch.
Salta has a great vibe with 3 stunning, large, ornately decorative churches and a sound choice of souvenir shops for wines, local clothing and other crafts.
Cafayate is a small town in a wine land region with many colourful wall murals along the town’s streets, giving the place a great patchwork of colour. The main plaza square is ringed by lovely eating places.
Purmamarca is THE go-to place for local clothing souvenirs. A lunch stop village after wandering the Humahhuaca Gorge, the village square and side streets are rammed with market stalls selling every kind of wool scarves and ponchos etc – all made from alpaca wool and other woollens. Other souvenirs such as crockery, mate cups etc are widely available.
A cautionary note about souvenirs – the internal flight to Buenos Aires is limited to 15kg hold baggage weight. So be prudent about purchasing weighty souvenirs prior to this flight. Although I took some heavy items through check-in, in my carry-on on daysack (including bottles of wine!), and everything was fine.
Buenos Aires capped off the whole venture nicely. Taking in the marina area in the late afternoon of arrival and then a separate guide led city tour the next full day, delivered by a local knowledge lady. Highlights included historic Plaza de Mayo, the main city square. We were lucky enough to be there when the guard was changed (every 2 hours), marching from the Casa Rosada to the nearby cathedral. La Boca district is a riot of colour – a photographer’s heaven, with numerous street acts, diners and souvenir shops. During the tour, viewing stops were made at historic old colonial dining buildings, and including a midday ‘lite bite’ and coffee stop, paid for by Explore. A couple of short, paid for bus rides helped speed the tour, and saved some leg work.
All the hotels on the tour were top draw and rate as good as any hotels found on an Explore Europe tour. Bizarrely – on arrival at hotels, many group members clamoured to grab the WiFi log-in codes in the lobby, ‘before dropping their baggage’; much to the bemusement of reception staff waiting to check the folks in. All of the venues had excellent WiFi, which can be calmly be logged into after the priority of checking in to rooms.
Key eating tips.
* Be aware that a lot of key restaurants don’t open until 8pm, so bringing snacks to tide you over, is a wise move after a long day.
* For eating, steak is a must for any foodie in Argentina. Several cuts are of offer on all menus in steak houses, but the common ‘bife de chorizo’ (nothing to do with sausage) is a great, recommended steak cut that will satisfy any hunger, and is good value.
* Wine is reasonably priced, but in many eating establishments, either at dinner or lunch, wine by the glass is not commonly served. Be prepared to team up with other group members to share a bottle when dining.
* If you fancy a beer, they come in standard-sized cans. If you’re really gagging on a hot day. . . ask for a ‘grande’ beer which comes in 1 litre bottles.
Key money tips
* Bring US dollars into the country. They are more favourable to exchange.
* Let the tour guide change money for you at the start of the trip. $200 - $250 is a good amount to exchange. Further money exchanges are possible in Salta & Buenos Aires at later stages.
* Allow $60 for a tip fund that will see you through the whole trip. (excluding the tip for the main guide at trip’s end).
* Do not use ATMs. The charging fees are sky high.
* In many small places, cash is king. And in the odd quality traditional clothing manufacturer’s outlet – US dollars and Euros may be accepted.
In summary – what a trip! Highly recommended!
