Flight details: Qantas Premium Economy – Sydney to Santiago to Buenos Aires
Accomodation: Hotel Sileo: a small boutique hotel in Recoleta; fantastic location, simple, clean rooms with a great balcony overlooking the cemetery.
Itinerary
Day 1: Buenos Aires – jet lag recovery day!
Days 2 – 5: Getting to know the city
First Impressions; We have been exploring Buenos Aires for the last three days and getting to know some of the neighbourhoods. Our hotel is in Recoleta, opposite the famous Recoleta Cemetery which is the resting place of many famous Argentinians. The neighbourhood is in the north of the city and a great base as it has lots of shops, bars, restaurants and many of the key attractions are within walking distance. We have been beset by the dreaded jet lag for a few days so walking endlessly seems to help get through the hours your body seems to think it really should be sleeping.
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THINGS TO DO
Recoleta Cemetery – as this is literally across the road from our hotel (Hotel Sileo) it was one of our first stops. The entrance tickets for tourists was around AUD$25 per person and while a lot more expensive than most of the others sites we’ve visited, it was worth the price to meander around looking at the incredibly elaborate crypts and mausoleums of what I assume are Argentina’s elite. There were former presidents, professors, soldiers, writers and thinkers. Most come to see Eva Peron’s site but that was pretty underwhelming as we had to queue for a 5 second glimpse whereas the rest of the place is empty and you can spend as long as you like reading the details of all who call this their final home. It does make you ponder the meaning of spending so much money and time on building these splendid structures when the occupants really don’t get to enjoy it!
Museo de Arte Decorativo – this beautiful once privately owned house and collection is worth a visit. Amazing ballroom alone conjures up what must have been the place to be seen in Buenos Aires’ 19th Century golden years.
La Boca – don’t skip this quirky area near the ports of BA. It definitely has ‘tourist trap’ written all over it but the ‘Caminito’ is a vibrant, bustling and colourful place to stroll and watch busloads disembark to buy overpriced football jerseys and tacky fridge magnets. Loved it!
Museo Evita – this wonderfully preserved tribute to the life of Eva Perón is in Palermo so it is a great place to start exploring the neighbourhood. The audio tour via your phone helps set the scene for each room and chronologically maps out her very brief but impactful life as the wife of President Perón but more importantly as the figure behind Argentina’s suffrage movement and many social justice enterprises.
The Best of Buenos Aires
Days 6 – 9: The Beauty of Bariloche
We spent four days in the beautiful Bariloche, the gateway to Patagonia. The mountain range here marks the border between Chile and Argentina. We stayed in the quaint Cacique Inacayal Hotel which was perched right on the edge of the glacial Nahuel Huapi lake. The scenery in this region was spectacular – snow topped mountain ranges, azul lakes, rugged pine forests. We did a half day tour of the area on our first day which was a good orientation to the small towns around the lake. A great chair lift ride showed us the incredible vista. A full day boat cruise took us right up towards the Chilean border to see the Arranyes Forest and Isla Victoria. The weather has been changeable every day – the westerly wind straight off the Andes means the temperature has been in the low teens but yesterday was still and warm. We knew we wouldn’t have time to go into Patagonia proper so glad we at least had a taste here for a few days.
Days 10 – 14: Mendoza
We flew direct from Bariloche to Mendoza which is located in the southwest of Argentina. It is a renowned wine region and an excellent base for exploring that part of the Andean Mountain range. We stayed in a small boutique hotel not far from the main boulevard that goes from one end of the downtown to the other. Mendoza itself was fairly underwhelming: it has plazas, parks and a couple of interesting historical sites. It was a dramatic temperature change from Bariloche – back to very high 30 degrees so any shaded park and fountain was a welcome relief.
Mendoza did have a great restaurant and bar strip on Arístides Villanueva so we enjoyed a few balmy nights for La Hora de Vermut. There was also a terrific rooftop bar called Gomez Rooftop which I would highly recommend for sunset drinks and dinner. There is not a lot to do so our visit to Mendoza was all about where it would take us to!
Andean Mountain Road Trip
We started our journey into the Andes Mountain range nice and early as we were heading toward the border with Chile about 215kms away. We quickly ascended into the foothills of the mountains and began a very windy and often treacherously narrow drive . We passed the bright turquoise Lago Potrerillos then went through the Uspallata Valley. From there the landscape became dry, dusty and barren before greening again as we made our way towards the Incas Bridge and the village of Las Cuevas. After that we began what was one of the most terrifying drives I’ve ever done in my life. There were about twelve switchbacks on a gravel one lane road and we were so close to the edge I definitely had my life flash before me. I didn’t realise I have such a full blown terror of such things but a new phobia has been discovered. By the time we got to the top to see the Chilean border and the famous Christ The Redemptor statue, I was saying quite a few prayers. Was the terror worth it? Well yes – it made me feel small and insignificant like nature often does. It also makes me wonder how do guides and drivers do that trip every day! They must have nerves of steel.
Days 12 – 14: Chacras
After a couple of days in Mendoza we moved to a small town just outside of the city called Chacras and stayed at the beautiful Lares De Chacras – this small boutique hotel was the perfect antidote to what had a been a fairly hectic few weeks of touring and travelling. We had full intention of visiting many wineries in the area but instead spent two days lazing by their pool and wandering around what was a very deserted town centre. It was supposed to have a bustling Sunday Market but it seemed everyone just agreed it was too hot and stayed home! We drank some lovely Malbecs and discovered a few local restaurants, one of the nicest was La Gloria Cantina which had a beautiful outdoor courtyard with whimsical hanging decorations and lights. Approximately ten minutes after we walked back to our hotel, the skies opened for a massive thunderstorm so lucky we had managed a balmy evening dinner before the rains must have swept everyone else away.
Days 14 – 19: Salta Province
The next week was spent in one of our most favourite provinces in Argentina: Salta. Located in the northwestern part of Argentina, it is home to some of the most stunning and diverse landscapes that make up this part of the Andes.
We covered a lot of territory over the days we were there and based ourselves for two nights in Salta city and then two nights in Cafayate. This proved to be the perfect combination because we got to see the length and breadth of the province very well. Salta itself is well preserved city founded in the late 16th Century by Spanish conquistadors. It also served as a key outpost during the Argentinian War of Independence during the early 1800s. It has a lot of historic churches and town buildings. The large open central square is the bustling heart of the city and we found ourselves gravitating back to there every time we were walking the city.
Our first full day trip was over 500kms return driving up to Humahuaca which is actually in the province north of Salta called Jujuy. This drive through the Quebrada was unbelievable as the geography and geology has to be seen to be believed. At Purmamarca, there is a very traditional pueblo nestled beneath the Cerró de los Seite Colores, a rainbow of colourful mountains caused by different mineral deposits in the layers of rock.
From Purmamarca, we climbed into a much more arid landscape and I suddenly felt like we could have been on the set for an old style Western film. Thousands of giant cacti dotted the hillsides (which is why it is called the Posta de Hornillos) and the rocky terrain gave our pick up truck a chance to work hard. Then as we drove higher and higher up the mountain, eventually an altitude of 5,993 metres, green grass began to appear and the temperature plummeted. We saw cute vicuñas grazing on the hillsides and then saw something even more spectacular: the Hornocal (Seven Colours Mountain). It certainly left the Seven Colours Mountain for dead!
After a windy drive back down the mountain we had time for lunch and some browsing through the local markets in Humahuaca.Then it was back on the road to visit the archaeological site at Pucara de Tilcara. While it is mostly a reconstruction, it was fascinating to hear the pre-Inca history of the area and the amazing discoveries of what was an important trade centre during the height of the Incan Empire.
Our final stop was to see the Paleta del Pintor (the Painter’s Palette) which frames the town of Maimará. Then it was time for the long drive back to Salta where we finished our day enjoying local dishes at the Adobe Cocina Regional – it was great to finally taste some more authentic local cuisine.
Back on the Road: Ruta 40
Just when we thought we had seen some of the most incredible landscape in the area, the next day we were back on the road to take the famous Ruta 40, which is at 5,195kms is one of the longest highways in the world stretching from the very bottom of Argentina’s west coast right up to the Bolivian border in the north. We were doing the section from Salta to Cafayate, almost 200kms with a return trip via Ruta 68 through the Quebrada de Cafayate. We broke the trip up with two nights in Cafayate which turned out to be a very good idea! We started driving with our driver in the morning through sun drenched tobacco and sugar cane plantations then ascended into the Cuesta del Obispo to an elevation of 3,348m. This area is incredibly verdant with almost vertical hillsides rising up from the narrow roadway. At the top we got to stop and watch magnificent Andean Condors glide effortlessly on the updrafts from the valley below.
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From the peak of the mountain we quickly descended into a completely different landscape: Los Cordones National Park. This is the home to hundreds of thousands of enormous cacti and is a sight to behold. The cacti almost take on comical human form like they are standing to attention with their arms held high. I found them endlessly fascinating to look at.
We drove on to Cachi, which was a very cute little pueblo with lots of artisan shops and adobe houses arranged around a delightful town plaza. I was intrigued about the many images of aliens and souvenirs with alien themes so our guide explained there is a local man who claims to have seen an alien spaceship so has built himself an alien airport in case they come back. Love it! From Cachi, we continued onto Molinos for lunch in the 18th Century residence of the last governor of Salta appointed by the King of Spain. It was siesta in Molinos and there was not a single soul in the town so it made it incredibly peaceful. Which is just as well because after lunch is when the road became really interesting.
Our driver Raoul had his work cut out for him as we bumped, twisted and turned down into the Quebrada de Las Flechas – this was more of an alien landscape than Cachi claimed to be!
After about an hour wandering the Flechas, the road became even more treacherous and we could see Raoul getting very nervous about an approaching storm. He had good reason to be as we descended into the outskirts of Cafayate. The road had been completely washed away from a downpour the day before and he explained he had never seen such damage to the road and small village in his entire life as they never get such heavy rain. Climate change is playing out in every corner of the world and the millions of years that have formed this desert valley into a a sculptural wonder seems to be imminently threatened by the actions of humankind in the last 100 years.
After the bone rattling 4 hour drive we finally made it to Cafayate, which is one of the world’s high altitude wine regions. Our gorgeous hotel for the night, Patios de Cafayate, was a sight for sore eyes and a sore bum! This was our special treat stay for the next 2 nights and it was worth every penny. It is the original quarters of the workers for the vineyard next door, El Esteco, and had a glorious pool and gardens. The guests of the hotel get to experience the wine tasting and tour with a 50% discount so of course we indulged in that!
The vineyards backdropped by the mountain range was spectacular and the town of Cafayate was great – excellent restaurants surrounding the main square which took on a great vibe in the balmy evenings with live music and entertainers performing.
After two incredibly relaxing days in Cafayate, we drove back to Salta through the Quebrada de Cafayate, another geological wonder. It didn’t quite match what we had seen over the past week on our other tours or maybe I was experiencing ‘the theory of diminishing returns”! We were very happy to be back in Salta city and found a new neighbourhood to explore. Our guide took us up into the local parklands before our drive to the airport onwards to Iguazú Falls.
I can’t exaggerate enough how wonderful our week in Salta province was. It was a definite highlight of many in Argentina. The country is absolutely beautiful and like Australia, the diversity of the landscapes never ceases to surprise.
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