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 Porteño , 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
clichés - 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.
