Argentina: On Barbecue, Buses, and Borders Traveling in Argentina

On Barbecue While traveling through Argentina, we met a lot of amazing people and visited fantastic places. There were also some curious and interesting things about Argentina we’d like to share with you: Due to an apparent shortage in coins and two peso notes, everything can work as a substitute for small amounts of money up to…

La Puna: Out of This World Six days on the arid high plateau in Argentina's northwest

Have you ever run down a white sand dune at 3500 meters above sea level? Or stood at the rim of the biggest known volcanic crater of the world? Looked into fanta-colored arsenic water holes? Found algae below a thin layer of salt in a salt pan in the middle of the desert? Sat in…

Salta la Linda Argentina

Salta is not only miles away but also worlds apart from Patagonia. It’s a lively, bustling city surrounded by green hills, it has beautiful old buildings (though not all of them in good condition), impressive churches and a big central plaza where cultural events such as music and traditional dance take place. . A Lively…

Coming soon: La Puna Northwestern Argentina

A few days ago we returned from our 6-day trip through the Puna, the arid high plateau (all above 3500 masl) in Argentina’s northwest. Is was like travelling in another world, or on the moon, or on Mars. The landscapes are fantastic and very diverse, the Puna seems endless yet after every bend new scenery and colors…

Ischigualasto and Talampaya: Stone Age Argentina

From the town of Perito Moreno, where we visited the Cueva de las Manos, we went straight to Villa Unión in order to visit the famous Talampaya and Ischigualasto parks. “Straight to Villa Unión” actually means that we spent 4 days in buses, with stops in Bariloche, Neuquén (where we happened to be there on…

Cueva de las Manos: High Five Argentina

Rock Paintings Patagonia has been inhabited for thousands of years. The last indigenous inhabitants were the Tehuelche people, most of whom have been killed in Argentina’s Campaña del Desierto (Desert Campaign) between 1787 and 1880. The native people left traces in form of tools and rock paintings. Some of the finest paintings – in all of…

El Calafate: Sun & Ice Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

El Calafate is not far from Puerto Natales in Chile but the bus ride takes about 5 hours, of which you spend around two at the border crossings. Though not much more northerly, El Calafate is much warmer. The town is beautifully locates at the coast of Lago Argentina, with views of a lagoon with…

El Chaltén: The Better Torre(s) Patagonia, Argentina

A few days after Torres del Paine we went to the small village of El Chaltén in Argentina, located in the northern sector of Los Glaciares National Park. We only had half a day there (our bus left in the evening) but nevertheless decided on doing a short hike. Planning a Hike At the park…

Ushuaia Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Ushuaia attracts all kinds of tourists: from women hiking (or trying to) in high heels to Gore Tex wearing people ready for their trip to Antarctica. Some people come here just to have been here while others come well prepared for some serious adventure. The town itself is not very pretty and there’s not a lot…

On the Road to Tierra del Fuego Argentina

From Río Gallegos to the Chilean border it’s only a one hour drive. Passing the border, however, takes a little longer. Formalities are actually straight forward, you just can’t bring any fruits or vegetables or animal products to Chile. Cookies are no problem (good – our breakfast, lunch and dinner is save). An elderly Argentinan…

Stuck in Río Gallegos Argentina

Due to some bad planning and a lot of things being closed on Christmas, from Puerto Madryn we went directly to Río Gallegos from where a few days later we’d take the bus to Ushuaia. Río Gallegos is a small town (albeit the capital of Santa Cruz province) that doesn’t hold a lot of attractions…

Endless Patagonia Argentina

Patagonia seems endless. The distances here are huge and you spend hours and hours and hours in buses driving through the Patagonian steppe and the landscape doesn’t really change. I never thought that was possible. Apart from trucks and buses there isn’t a lot of traffic on the roads and every town and occasional gas station…