Update: Argentina has been
getting bad press since December
2001 - a year after the first
edition of
The Rough Guide to
Argentina was published. Media
headlines have made the country
sound dangerously chaotic, but
things have definitely calmed down.
It's still a fabulous country to
visit and, apart from the occasional
flare-up related to the economic
crisis, tourism has been pretty much
business as usual in 2002. In fact,
domestic tourism has actually
benefited as previously wealthy
Argentines can no longer afford
trips to Miami, Brazil and the
Dominican Republic. The major change
to watch out for is the devalued
peso. It's no longer interchangeable
with the US dollar, so you'll have
to keep an eye on the exchange rate
- on the whole you should get about
two pesos to the dollar. This means
that Argentina no longer seems
exorbitantly pricey compared with
neighbouring countries - for
example, you can now get a full
lunch for under $5. Though imported
products and some services aimed
specifically at tourists have
suffered price hikes, this amazingly
varied country, with its snow-capped
Andes, humid jungle and penguin
colonies is still a major
destination for travellers. At the
time of writing, one Argentine peso
was equal to exactly one US dollar.
Recent political upheaval, however,
has led to a major devaluation of
the peso and rapidly fluctuating
exchange rates. Please keep this in
mind when referring to any mention
of costs throughout this guide.
- Andrew Benson
Argentina is a vast
country. It measures 5000km by
1500km and, even without the titanic
wedge of Antarctica that the
authorities are wont to include in
the national territory, it ranks as
the world's eighth largest state,
immediately behind India. Thanks to
its longitudinal position, standing
between the Tropic of Cancer and the
most southerly reaches of the
planet's landmass, the country
encompasses a staggering diversity
of climates and landscapes. The
mainland points down like a massive
stalactite on the map, from the hot
and humid jungles of its
northeast and the bone-dry
highland steppes of its northwest
down through windswept Patagonia
to the end-of-the-world archipelago
of Tierra del Fuego , a
territory that is shared with Chile.
Across the broad midriff stretch
Argentina's most archetypal
landscapes: the mostly flat
pampas grazed by millions of
cattle - subtly beautiful scenery
formed by horizon-to-horizon plains
interspersed with low sierras, and
punctuated by small agricultural
towns, the odd ranch and countless
clumps of pampas grass. These wide
open spaces are among the country's
best assets - despite its mammoth
area its population of 33
million weighs in at far less than
Spain's. This is a land with huge
swaths still waiting to be explored
let alone settled.
Like Chile to its west - with
which it shares 5000km of grandiose
Andean cordillera, several of whose
colossal peaks exceed 6000m -
Argentina is, for the most part,
less obviously exotic than its
neighbours to the north, and its
inhabitants will readily (and
rightly) tell you how great an
influence Europe has been on their
nation. It was once said that
Argentina is actually the most
American of all European countries,
but even that clever maxim is wide
of the mark. It's a country with a
very special character all of its
own, distilled into the national
ideal of Argentinidad - an
elusive identity the country's
Utopian thinkers and practical doers
have never agreed upon. Undoubtedly,
the people of Argentina suffer from,
but also encourage to an extent,
some of the world's most sweeping
generalizations, based mainly on the
typical Porte๑o , or native
of Buenos Aires. They suffer from a
bad press in the rest of the
continent, but you're bound to be
wowed by their spontaneous curiosity
and intense passion for so many
things. On this score there's a lot
of truth in the clich้s - their
passions are dominated by the
national religion of football
, politics and living life in the
fast lane (literally, when it comes
to driving) - but not everyone
dances the tango , or is
obsessed with Evita , or
gallops around on a horse, gaucho-style
. Whether thanks to their beauty,
sense of humour or other charms, the
locals will help to make any trip to
the country memorable.
So aside from the people, why
visit Argentina? First, because the
huge metropolis of Buenos Aires
, home to two-fifths of the
population, is one of the most
exciting, charming and fascinating
of all South American capitals. It's
an immensely enjoyable place just to
wander about, stopping off for an
espresso or an ice cream, or
people-watching, or shopping, or
simply soaking up the unique
atmosphere. Its many barrios, or
neighbourhoods, are startlingly
different, some decadently
old-fashioned, others thrustingly
modern, but all of them oozing
character. Added to that, Buenos
Aires is the country's gastronomic
mecca and boasts a frenzied
nightlife that makes it one of the
world's great round-the-clock
cities. Elsewhere, cities aren't
exactly the main draw, with the
exception of beautiful Salta
in the northwest, the beguiling
river-port of Rosario -
birthplace of Che Guevara - and Ushuaia
which, in addition to being the
world's most southerly city, happens
to enjoy a fabulous setting on the
evocatively named Tierra del Fuego.
Wildlife and adventure in the
extensive outback are the
real attractions outside of the
capital. By hopping on a plane it's
feasible to spot howler monkeys and
toucans in their jungle habitat in
the morning, and watch the antics of
penguins tobogganing off dark rocks
into the icy South Atlantic in the
afternoon. There are hundreds of
bird species - including the
majestic condor and three varieties
of flamingo - plus pumas,
armadillos, llamas, foxes and tapirs
to be found in the country's
forests, mountainsides and the
dizzying heights of the altiplano or
puna. Lush tea-plantations and
parched salt-flats, palm groves and
icebergs, plus the world's mightiest
waterfalls are just some of the
sights that will catch you unawares
if you were expecting Argentina to
be one big cattle-ranch.
Furthermore, dozens of these vital
biosystems are protected by a
pioneering network of national and
provincial parks and reserves
, staffed by remarkably motivated
rangers.
As for getting around and
seeing these wonders, you can
generally rely on a well-developed
infrastructure inherited from
decades of domestic tourism. And the
challenge of reaching those areas
off the beaten track is more than
compensated by the exhilarating
feeling of getting away from it all
that comes from, say, not passing
another vehicle all day long. Hotels
are often much of a muchness, but a
special treat - and not excessively
expensive by any means - are the
beautiful ranches, known as estancias
- or fincas in the north - that have
been converted into luxury
accommodation. In most areas, you'll
be able to rely on the services of
top-notch tour operators, who will
not only show you the sights but
also fix you up with all kinds of
adventure activities: horse-riding,
trekking, white-water rafting,
kayaking, skiing, hang-gliding ,
along with more relaxing pursuits
such as wine-tasting,
bird-watching or photography safaris
. While some visitors prefer to whiz
about the country using an airpass,
others like to enjoy the astounding
scenery, magnificent wildlife and
sensation of remoteness at a much
slower pace. Argentina is so huge
and varied that it's hard to take it
all in in one go - don't be
surprised if you find yourself
wanting to return to explore the
areas you didn't get to see the
first time around.
