The Argentine territory stretches from the highest peaks of the Andes in the west to colitis del Norte rivers and extensive beaches and cliffs of Argentine Sea in the east; from the tropical rainforest of the Yungas north to the valleys, glaciers, lakes and cold forests of Andean Patagonia in the south, and to Argentine Antarctica. Through the warm landscapes of tropical climates contrasting, in a huge gradient microclimates, the polar climates or extensive and very fertile grasslands with the World's most flatter plains contrasting with the highest mountains outside Asia, contrasted with also vast desert areas plethoric of geoforms for the annual running extensive and extreme Dakar rally race, the high mountain ranges, the pleasant Pampeanas mountains and the temperate Atlantic beaches and its extensive coastlines. The huge distances require in most cases air travel. The Misiones rainforest, Argentine Yungas, and areas of the Andean Patagonia are scientifically considered as biodiversity hotspots large areas worldwide. The great biodiversity and a large number of different landscapes and climates make Argentina a diverse country.
Argentina received 5.80 million tourists in 2011 according to the World Tourism Organization, the first most visited country in South America and the second most visited of all of Latin America, after Mexico.[2]
Main destinations
Buenos Aires, La Reina del Plata
City of Buenos Aires is in the midst of a tourism boom, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council,[3] it reveals strong growth for Argentina Travel and Tourism in 2007 [4] and in coming years, and the prestigious travel and tourism publication; Travel + Leisure Magazine, a monthly publication leader in the worldwide market of travel magazines, travelers voted Buenos Aires the second most desirable city to visit after Florence, Italy.[5] Buenos Aires, regarded as the “Paris of South America,” offers elegant architecture, exquisite cuisine, legendary nightlife, and fashionable shopping.
The most popular tourist sites are found in the historic city core, comprising Montserrat and San Telmo. The city was originally constructed around the Plaza de Mayo, the administrative center of the Spanish Empire. To the east of the square is the Casa Rosada, the official seat of the executive branch of the government of Argentina. To the north, the Catedral Metropolitana which has stood in the same location since colonial times, and the Banco de la Nación Argentina building, a parcel of land originally owned by Juan de Garay. Other important colonial institutions were Cabildo, to the west, which was renovated during the construction of Avenida de Mayo and Julio A. Roca. To the south is the Congreso de la Nación (National Congress), which currently houses the Academia Nacional de la Historia (National Academy of History). Lastly, to the northwest, is City Hall.
The Manzana de las Luces ("Illuminated Block") area features the San Ignacio church, the Colegio Nacional Buenos Aires and the old city council building (1894 to 1931). This area features tunnels and catacombs, which crossed underneath the Plaza de Mayo during colonial times. In the neighborhood of San Telmo, Plaza Dorrego hosts an antique fair on Sundays, complete with tango shows. They also have tango shows daily at the famous plaza. On weekends they involve many tourists to learn how to dance. Frequent tours and activities are also available at the Church of Nuestra Señora de Bethlehem, the San Pedro Telmo Parish and the Antonio Ballvé Penitentiary Museum. The National Historical Museum in Parque Lezama is a few blocks south. The Ayres Porteños Hostel is a very famous hostel and a tourist attraction, it is decorated and painted by artists from La Boca and possesses a unique collection of local paintings among its walls.
Iguazú Falls, located in the northeast, area of subtropical forest, on the border with Brazil are one of the world's natural wonders, has good infrastructure development and touristic with very different walks. Lined with dense forests, the Iguazú river flows into 275 waterfalls, plunging more than 70 meters with a deafening noise over 2.7 km. As this huge volume of water reaches the bottom, the spray rises, and rainbows are formed in the sky. A variety of the original fauna and flora completes the setting for the waterfalls within the protection of the Iguazú National Park. This park, located eighteen kilometers from Puerto Iguazú, was declared Natural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The famous falls are inside this park. The frontier with Brazil goes through the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat). The National Park is full of the exotic subtropical vegetation which surrounds the falls and has 2,000 plant species - gigantic trees, ferns, lianas, orchids, - 400 bird species - parrots, hummingbirds, toucans - jaguars and yacarés (caimans) from the area. Its most impressive fall is called Garganta del Diablo. Other important is called Dos Hermanas, Bossetti or Álvar Núñez in honor of its discoverer, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca.
Salta is a city of colonial architecture with tourist attractions such as: Quebrada de San Lorenzo, Calchaquí Valleys, Reservoir Cabra Corral (Embalse General Belgrano), Cafayate, Salinas Grandes, Iruya (step bound by the Quebrada de Humahuaca and Purmamarca) Cachi (through the Cuesta del Obispo) Molinos, La Caldera, Los Cardones National Park, El Rey National Park or Baritú National Pand the hrk, hot springs of Rosario de la Frontera. The Tren a las Nubes is a train ride through the area of the Puna. Puna, a land full of mountain ranges, steep mountain paths, valleys, and gorges. Villages have been built in the small valleys with multi-colored and monochromatic hills covered with huge cacti on the slopes surrounding the village. This region offers landscapes full of contrast, from the high peaks to the salt pans, and the subtropical rain forests, where Latin American culture took root, located in the Northern provinces (Jujuy, Salta, Catamarca, Tucumán and Santiago del Estero[6]). In Northern provinces feature traces of pre-Columbian cultures, mingled with ruins of natives’ villages, as well as forts and constructions dating back to the time of the Conquest and Colonization. The service of this train was interrupted momentarily in July 2005 for repairs, reactivated quickly. Currently, the final destination is the city of San Antonio de Los Cobres. The whole Northern provinces combine natural attractions with suitable areas for diverse activities such as mountaineering, trekking, horseback riding, mountain biking, ecotourism, bird-watching, rural tourism, archaeological trips, sailing, canoeing and windsurfing.
Perito Moreno Glacier, a part of Southern Patagonian Ice Field is a huge glacier that bisects the Argentino Lake and cyclically locks until it produces the breaking of the ice plug. It is located in the Los Glaciares National Park near the Argentine Patagonian city of El Calafate. In any season of the year continuous landslides of huge blocks of ice are produced from massive glaciers forming beautiful icebergs in Argentine lakes. The Perito Moreno Glacier and its neighbors is framed by a landscape of rugged mountains like the Chaltén and large lakes.
Bariloche: This city is the capital of the southern lakes and important part of the tourist circuit of the Seven Lakes with Villa La Angostura and mountains (Tronador, Cerro Catedral, Cerro López). It is famous for skiing but also great for family trips for older children and sight-seeing, water sports, winter sports, fishing, windsurfing, trekking or hiking, climbing, camping in the Andean forest, sky diving, boat tours and private boats, horseback riding and scuba diving and more. Cerro Catedral is one of the most important ski centers in South America. Today, thanks to the investments of entrepreneurs and of municipality has a large tourist flow throughout the year. Also it make similar activities in San Martín de los Andes, Junín de los Andes, El Bolsón, Esquel, Trevelin, Los Antiguos activities are also developed Copahue, Caviahue.
Ushuaia, The southernmost city in the world, in Tierra del Fuego, typical destination of the south of the country, attracts visitors with a very important tourist with excursions and gastronomy. North of the island, the city of Rio Grande is attracted by the old neighborhood of wooden houses painted varied or subtly and by excellent trout fishing. Further south, it is famous railway from Ushuaia and reaches the Tierra del Fuego National Park, bayside of Lapataia. Cruises are also offered by the Beagle Channel, observing colonies of South American sea lions, and a visit to Lighthouse Les Eclareurs, the beautiful Lake Fagnano (or Kami) or almost inaccessible Staten Island where is the Lighthouse of the End of the World, the landscape of Fueguan forests takes an almost magical appearance during the austral autumn to be covered with reddish the foliage of the dense forests.
Moon Valley
Sierras de Córdoba, A mountain range of mild climate and landscapes ranging from the bucolic and wild, there are the main tourist centers: Villa General Belgrano and La Cumbrecita, touristic towns with large central European influence in the Sierras de Córdoba. Other major cities are Villa Carlos Paz, Cosquín, La Falda, Capilla del Monte, Mina Clavero, Jesús María or the Great Salt Lake of Mar Chiquita. The Unidad Turística Embalse is the destination of social tourism. the Córdoba Province It has little towns, historical antiques and cave paintings are found in a pleasant valley landscape, high plains and gorges. The City of Córdoba also has a great tourist attraction, especially in its valuable building of colonial period or in its urban landscapes. It also has a very good tourist infrastructure with major 5 star hotels, shopping centers of excellence, as well as highlights in the field of gastronomy and fun. The city of Córdoba is one of the most picturesque of Argentina because it has a historical center with beautiful Baroque Colonial architecture mixed with tall modern buildings that give the city a great tourist attraction. With many contrasting features— it is both a cultural and tourist-like destination, a traditional and modern city, with an industrialized as well as a home-made production. Large portions of landscape and favorable weather conditions are distinctive in Córdoba, natural sceneries are mixed with colonial monuments. They are part of the “Sierras pampeanas” mountain range, reaching 2,790 m high in the Champaqui hill. These hills are fertile valleys, deserts and salt mines. All along the way northward, many 17th and 18th century chapels and farmhouses inherited from the Jesuits can be found.
The Jesuit estancias (large cattle ranches) in Córdoba are a singular sample of the productive organization of the religious members of Compañía de Jesús in the country, and this can still be seen in a preserved architecture. Though history demonstrated that the farms were acquired for economic purposes in order to support schools and universities, the estancias were of course used “for missionary purposes, thus turning into religious centers.” Estancias in Jesús María, Caroya, Santa Catalina, La Candelaria and Alta Gracia can be visited along a 250km circuit. These farms that date back to the 17th century —together with the Jesuit Block in the City of Córdoba— are all national historical monuments that were declared World Cultural Heritage in 2000.
Ischigualasto, also known as The Moon Valley, offers a strange landscape where the scarcity of vegetation and the more varied range vegetation of its soils plus the unusual forms of its rocks (geoforms) and mountains, make this a favorite place for tourists, both domestic and foreign. This provincial park, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is located at the northern end of the province of San Juan. It is also a major paleontological center became famous because it is the only place where it can be seen completely exposed and perfectly differentiated the whole Triassic period as complete and orderly, where the oldest fossils in the world were found. The Moon Valley, so named because of the diverse forms and colours of its landscape shaped by erosion, continues in the Argentinian province of La Rioja with the Talampaya National Park. The Talampaya River Canyon reveals multi-shaped layers in its high red walls. Pink flamingos, Andean ducks, “vicuñas” and “guanacos” cohabit freely in parks and natural reserves, while condors fly over the area.
Two of the beaches of Mar del Plata during summer tourism seasonAconcagua with snow. Located in the province of Mendoza, it is the highest mountain in the world outside the Himalayas, and continues to rise.
Are very attractive traditional events like the fair of Simoca in Tucumán, the Fiesta of the Lord and the Virgin of the Miracle in Salta or the pilgrimages to Luján and Punta Corral in Jujuy, the parade of faith to the Difunta Correa. An ample diversity of natural landscapes and dramatic contrasts such as the densely vegetated Yunga forests, or the mountains, hills and brooks of the Calchaquí Valleys, provide great conditions for fishing for sport fishing. Sport fishing of sea and river (of trout and sea bass in the Fueguan city of Río Grande, or dorado in Paso de la Patria, Juramento, Lipeo, Iruya and Bermejo). For it part -it has been said- Ushuaia is a privileged access to the Argentine Antarctica, the picturesque Route of the Adobe and the Tatón Dunes in the Province of Catamarca; rugged adventure tourism in the provinces of Santiago del Estero and La Pampa or in the Yungas and Calchaquí Valleys, the high Andean desert and jungles of Chaco, the northern Entre Ríos (Montiel Forest) and Misiones.
The Province of Buenos Aires is the most populous and largest province of Argentina (if territorial claims in the Antarctica and South Atlantic islands are not taken into account). The nation's rail and road network fans out from Buenos Aires and into the province, the area centered on the Pampas. This region is characterized by its estancias (large cattle ranches) the oldest of them being featured in architectural styles, located in the middle of the Pampas. The province is also known by its many and different beaches in the coast of the Atlantic Ocean (the most visited being Mar del Plata). The hilly region of Tandil and Ventana offers golf courses, paragliding rides and trekking. They are very different landscapes from each other and distant from the mouth of the Paraná River, which islands are also visited by tourists.
Many ruins of the ancient Jesuit missions - some of which have been covered by the jungle - are located near Posadas. The most well-known ruins are in San Ignacio Miní, 56km away from the province's capital. The ones in Candelaria, Loreto, Santa Ana and Santa María are also very interesting. These Jesuit reductions were declared World Heritage by the UNESCO.
The Esteros del Iberá, a humid zone of 700.000 hectares can be reached from Posadas, Concepción or Mercedes. In Guaraní, Iberá means "Shining water". Its lagoons cover 31,500 hectares, its marshlands 52,000, and its inlands 260,000. This eco-system which gives life to turtles, yacarés (caimans), monkeys, swamp deer, capybaras - the largest rodent in the world - and up to 400 bird species, besides an extraordinary flora, extends over one million hectares.
The city of Rosario lies on the banks of the Paraná River in the Province of Santa Fe. It has developed into an industrial and commercial center and destination for a significant number of people on business. On its riverside promenade stands the Monumento Nacional a la Bandera (National Monument to the Flag), where the Argentine National Flag was raised for the first time. Parque Independencia has statues, a racecourse, and the Provincial History Museum.
Punta Tombo is a coastal location where abundant wildlife congregates-specifically the seasonal breeding ground of large numbers of Magellanic penguins.[10]
Overall Argentina has the following tourist circuits (north to south):
The Argentine Northwest, with contrasting landscapes like walking the Tren a las Nubes (train to the clouds) the arid and the cold of high embellished by curious landforms, saline, alkaline lakes where abound flamingos, geysers and high volcanoes, the transition zone of Valleys and Quebradas with mild climates as for cultivation of vine in Cafayate and good vegetation and, further east the dense rainforest called the Yungas. The spectacular cuestas as Obispo (in Salta) or the Portezuelo, Piedras Blancas and Capillitas in Catamarca or the Miranda in the Argentine province of La Rioja.[11]
The Argentine Northeast that is characterized by its warm subtropical climate, its dense forests, parks, wetlands (marshes), large rivers with abundant fishing and big waterfalls.
The circuit of Cuyo with the highest mountains of America, rugged landscapes (canyons like the Atuel, or the Jáchal, several spectacular landforms: bridges like the Puente del Inca and castles like Castillos de Pincheira of natural rocks), ice formations like Los Penitentes, caves and caverns, large volcanic extensions as in the Payún, ski resorts or pleasant valleys where stand crops temperate fruits, olive trees and vines.
The Pampas: a vast plain of temperate climate crossed by million cattle, dotted with numerous lakes and possessing a long coastline with long sandy beaches and dunes where thriving cities and seaside villages.
The Western Patagonia and more precisely Andean Patagonia, with beautiful landscapes who meet mountains always snowy, ice fields, glaciers, cold forests, large and deep lakes of glacial origin and very running rivers, winter sports centers and beautiful "alpine" aspect towns.
The Eastern Patagonia or outAndean: large region of plateaus, mountains, canyons, moors and steppes whose coastline has high cliffs, gulfs, peninsulas where seabirds abound (especially penguins) pinnipeds, and whales.
Carnivals
Carnivals in Argentina are very important and usually take place during the last days of February (before the lent), at a time that remains still quite summer (summer in the Southern Hemisphere). Almost every carnival in Argentina comes from European carnivals in Spain and Italy, so it is spoken in them of murgas and corsos, with its masquerades and cabezudos although there have also influences of African elements from colonial times (the rate of drum in the murgas is almost obviously of African origin), and in the Quebrada de Humahuaca (in the northern province of Jujuy) and in the small town of Chamical (in Argentine La Rioja) are held a "carnavalito" and a "chaya" more influenced by Andean American Indians. During the second half of the 20th century the cities of the province of Corrientes (mainly Paso de los Libres) and the Province of Entre Ríos have had a strong influence from the Rio carnival in Brazil the same way as the Carnival de Río in San Luis generally celebrated on the banks of Potrero de los Funes Lake in Province of San Luis.[12]
Argentina has been included in 2010, 2011 and 2012 in the list of "The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations". This is an annual ranking produced by Ethical Traveler magazine, which is based on studies of developing nations which attempt to identify the best tourism destinations using categories such as environmental protection, social welfare, and human rights.[15][16]
Safety and security
The U.S. Department of State warns travelers in Argentina that "drivers frequently ignore traffic laws[17] and vehicles often travel at excessive speeds... traffic accidents are the primary threat to life and limb in Argentina."[18] Argentina has the highest traffic mortality rate in South America, with Argentine drivers causing 20 deaths each day (about 7,000 a year), with more than 120,000 people injured or maimed each year. These deaths have included tourists from various parts of the world.[19]
Jujuy is a province of Argentina, located in the extreme northwest of the country, at the borders with Chile and Bolivia. The only neighboring Argentine province is Salta to the east and south.
La Rioja is a province of Argentina located in the west of the country. The landscape of the province consist of a series of arid to semi-arid mountain ranges and agricultural valleys in between. It is in one of these valleys that the capital of the province, the city of la La Rioja, lies. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Catamarca, Córdoba, San Luis and San Juan. The dinosaur Riojasaurus is named after the province.
San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche, is a city in the province of Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located within the Nahuel Huapi National Park. After development of extensive public works and Alpine-styled architecture, the city emerged in the 1930s and 1940s as a major tourism centre with skiing, trekking and mountaineering facilities. In addition, it has numerous restaurants, cafés, and chocolate shops. The city had a permanent population of 108,205 according to the 2010 census. According to the latest statistics from 2015, the population is around 122,700, and a projection for 2020 estimates 135,704.
The Sierras de Córdoba is a mountain range in central Argentina, located between the Pampas to the east and south and the Chaco to the north and east. Most of the range is located in Córdoba Province, except for the southwestern margin which is in San Luis Province.
The Argentine Northwest is a geographic and historical region of Argentina composed of the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, La Rioja, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.
The Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow mountain valley located in the province of Jujuy in northwest Argentina, 1,649 km (1,025 mi) north of Buenos Aires. It is about 155 km (96 mi) long, oriented north–south, bordered by the Altiplano in the west and north, by the Sub-Andean hills in the east, and by the warm valleys in the south.
San Martín de los Andes is a city in the south-west of the province of Neuquén, Argentina, serving as the administration centre of the Lácar Department. Lying at the foot of the Andes, on the Lácar lake, it is considered one of the main tourism destinations in the province. The National Route 40 runs to the city, connecting it with important touristic points in the south of the province, such as Lanín and Nahuel Huapí national parks.
Junín de los Andes is a first category municipality and administrative center of the Huiliches Department in the province of Neuquén, Argentina. It is located in the south of the province, by the Chimehuin River, on National Route 234, about 35 km (22 mi) north of San Martín de los Andes and 17 km (11 mi) from the Chapelco Airport, which services the area.
Humahuaca is a small city in the province of Jujuy, Argentina. Since 2003 declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO at the Paris conference. It has 11,369 inhabitants as per the 2001 census [INDEC], and is the principal town (seat) of the Department of Humahuaca. The city is widely known for its location at the Quebrada de Humahuaca, along the Eastern valley of the central Andean Altiplano.
The Calchaquí Valley is an area in the northwestern region of Argentina which crosses the provinces of Catamarca, Tucumán, Jujuy and Salta. It is best known for its contrast of colors and its unique geography that ranges from the mountain desert to the subtropical forest.
Villa Unión is a city in northwestern Argentina and the main settlement of Coronel Felipe Varela Department with a population of 12,263.
Pampa de Achala is a region that lies at the heart of the Sierras de Córdoba located within Sierras Pampeanas, and located in central-northwest of Argentina. It is a rugged area with little vegetation, lying over 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level, and which has distinctive species, ecology, relief and hydrography. The region is a regional water reserve, and the source of the vast majority of streams that run through the Córdoba Province. Quebrada del Condorito National Park is in the region.
Quebrada del Condorito National Park is a federal protected area in Córdoba Province, Argentina. Established on 28 November 1996, it houses a representative sample of the Sierras Pampeanas biodiversity in endangered state of conservation. It has an area of 37,344 ha
The Sierras Pampeanas is a geographical region of Argentina.
Purmamarca is a town in the Tumbaya Department of the Jujuy Province in Argentina.
Nahuel Huapi National Park is the oldest national park in Argentina, established in 1922 as Parque Nacional de Sud and reconfiguered in 1934. It surrounds Nahuel Huapi Lake in the foothills of the Patagonian Andes. The largest of the national parks in the region, it has an area of 7,050 km2 (2,720 sq mi), or nearly 2 million acres. Its landscapes represent the north Patagonian Andean Zone consisting of three types, namely, the Altoandino, the Andino-Patagónico and the Patagonian steppe. It also represents small parts of the Valdivian Rainforest.
The Southern Andean Yungas is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Yungas of southwestern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina.
Mina Clavero is a municipality in San Alberto Department in Córdoba Province, Argentina. It forms the municipality of same name and is the tourist center of Traslasierra valley. It is characterized by its natural landscapes, beaches and nightlife.
↑ A non-profit working for traffic safety in Argentina noted that "drivers did not respect the red traffic light approximately 1,903,560 times every day" and that although drivers knew the dangers of drinking and driving "83% (of survey respondents) admitted to 'driving after drinking alcohol'".
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