Argentina lures the senses with its seductive tango, aroma of grilled asado, and jammy malbecs. Every place follows its own time and rhythms. For instance, Buenos Aires is built around the night. Lunch is at two, dinner around nine, bars and clubs get hopping at two, and people stumble home at dawn. Argentina also claims natural places that scream adventure. From Ushuaia, you can explore the unknown in Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, and Antarctica.
Must Sees: Bueno Aires | Must Sees: Ushuaia | Must Sees: Tierra del Fuego | Food | Adventures
MUST SEES: BUENOS AIRES
Puente de la Mujer
Santiago Calatrava designed the Puente de la Mujer pedestrian bridge. The bridge swings open to let ships sail pass on the Río de la Plata. In addition, the bridge evokes the tango with a “leg” raised up in the air.
Casa Rosada
Casa Rosada was the pink mansion of Eva Peron. You can imagine her standing on the balcony singing “Don’t Cry for me Argentina.”
Caminito
In the Caminito neighborhood of the barrio, La Boca, there’s an alley of brightly colored houses. It’s a hodge-podge assortment of pastel aluminum siding and wooden planks at odd angles. In addition, there are staircases clinging to the sides of buildings.
El Querandí Tango Show
African rhythms and European instruments influenced the tango. Tango is an intimate dance with intertwining legs. During the “close embrace,” the partners’ bodies are in contact.
Obelisco
Check out the BA shrubs by the obelisk. They built the Obelisco in 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the city’s founding.
Recoleta
The family mausoleums at Recoleta Cemetery are masterpieces of architecture, statues, and trees. Likewise, angels and plaques honor great deeds and remembrances past.
Evita
A constant flow of visitors at Recoleta Cemetery pay their respects to Eva Perón. She was the first lady of Argentina who looked out for the working class. At the same time, President Perón was authoritarian and they spent a lot of money.
Catedral
In an alcove of the cathedral, two guards stand watch over the tomb of José de San Martín. José de San Martín was a South American revolutionary and liberator.
Feria de San Telmo
On Sundays, San Telmo holds a street fair along ten blocks. Take a ten-block stroll through cobblestone streets. Inspect the stalls selling local crafts, artwork, antiques, and food.
MUST SEES: USHUAIA
Ushuaia
The sign by the Beagle Channel says the end of the world. Above all, Ushuaia is a gateway to the intersection of dreams and adventure. The southernmost city in the world is the launch site for adventurers headed to Antarctica.
Downtown
The main street, Avenida San Martín, has restaurants, souvenir shops, and museums. There are many outdoor outfitters for last minute gear purchases. While Avenida Maipú offers great views of the Beagle Channel.
La Casa de los Mariscos
Cazuela de centolla a la Provencale is a casserole with king crab, cheese, onions, and leeks.
MUST SEES: TIERRA DEL FUEGO
The End of the World Train
At the last stop of the railway, learn about Argentina’s former penal colony. One caption reads, “it was so cold that the axe would bounce right off the ice.” And another says, “the happiest part of the day was returning back to the prison.”
Senda Costera (Coastal Path)
Hike to a rocky beach at the edge of a lenga (beech) forest. Some of the beech trees are covered with apricot-colored and edible fungus.
Andes Mountains
The Andes are part of the American Cordillera, a backbone of mountains from Alaska to Antarctica. Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago at the southern tip of the Andes Mountains and Patagonia.
Beaver Dam
Beavers are an invasive species. Here, a giant beaver dam blocks a creek. The dam has a mound where the beavers can relax. A roof adds protection. Beavers can only access the lodge by swimming underwater.
Bahia Lapataia
Finally, Bahia Lapataia is at the end of the longest road on the planet. From this spot, it is 1,892 miles to Buenos Aires. You could even travel by road all the way to Alaska.
FOOD
Bife de lomo
The scent of wood smoke, grilled beef, and sizzling sausages draws you inside the parrilla. The bife de lomo is a silky smooth and tender filet mignon. In beef crazy Argentina, you can find 1-pound cuts everywhere.
Choripan
Chorizo plus pan equals the choripan, which is a nice crusty bread roll with grilled chorizo. Spoon some or all of the garlicky chimichurri sauce onto the choripan.
Centolla (King Crab)
The icy waters surrounding Ushuaia are perfect for producing large spiky king crab legs with succulent and sweet meat. You can enjoy the crab unadorned, or as a pasta, or a casserole covered with cheese and butter.
Dulce de Leche
Move over chocolate! In South America, dulce de leche is the top flavor. This is essentially toasted sugar, milk, and vanilla. A thick gelato might be the best vehicle for its smooth caramel flavor. Or perhaps in alfajores.
Empanadas
An empanada is a handheld turnover with a flaky crust containing a filling. They are either baked or fried, preferably fried, and served with chimichurri. The most popular filling includes beef, onions, peppers, olives, and hard-boiled egg.
Morcilla (Blood Sausage)
Morcilla is a blood sausage consisting of the nasty bits of a pig, blood, garlic, onion, rice, breadcrumbs, and nuts. It works well as a spread for a crusty baguette.
Yerba Maté
What are those little brown gourds that people are sipping out of straws? The calabash gourds contain naturally caffeinated leaves of the yerba mate. Friends gather in a ritual to drink the herbal drink out of a single gourd for a boost of energy.
Fernet con Coke
Fernet-Branca is an Italian amaro, a bitter herbal liqueur. A bittersweet glass of Fernet and Coke balances Fernet’s bitter, herbal, and minty notes with Coke’s caramel and vanilla notes.
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