Tango on the streets, lush sub-tropical forests, spectacular mountains and a vibrant culture. Jaideep Mukerji discovers that Argentina has all this... and more

One of the countries that appears distant to visitors from India is, in reality, easily accessible and makes a great travel destination. The origin of its name goes back to the first voyages made by Spanish conquerors. The survivors of a shipwrecked expedition found native people in the region who gave them silver objects as presents. The news about a legendary Sierra del Plata—a mountain rich in silver—reached Spain around 1524 and since that date, the Spanish named the river as Río de la Plata or River of Silver and the area as Argentina from the Latin word argentum or silver.

From the sub-tropical forests of the north to the spectacular mountains and glaciers of the southern tip, Argentina has them all. An ethnically diverse country built with the hard work of thousands of immigrants who came from 1895 to 1915 mainly from Spain and Italy, Argentina is the second largest country in South America, after Brazil. Further waves of money and immigration from Europe before and after that period led to Argentina becoming one of the 10 richest countries in the world. Immigrants from other parts of Europe and from Syria and Lebanon came to Argentina during the first half of the 20th century to settle in this vast country that has become one of the G-20 world economies. The Argentine wine industry, amongst the largest outside Europe, is now the fifth most important in the world.



Argentina is about 3,900km long from north to south and has the fertile central plains, called the Pampas, the source of Argentina’s great agricultural wealth. The rugged Andes range forms the western border with Chile and includes Mount Aconcagua, which, at 22,841ft (6,962 metres) is also the highest summit in the southern and western hemispheres.

After landing at the Ezeiza International Airport located 27km southwest of Buenos Aires, it is convenient to go to one of the taxi booths at the airport and get a private taxi or to the Manuel Tienda Leon Company counter in the arrivals area to get a shuttle bus ride to the city centre. The fare to the city is
50 pesos ($12) with a travel time of 45 minutes.  

The following morning, I took a short taxi ride to Buenos Aires’ Jorge Newbery domestic airport located not far from the city centre for the two-hour flight to Iguazu Falls. One of world’s ‘must see’ sights, Iguazu Falls is located where the Iguazu River tumbles over the edge of the Paraná Plateau. The United Nations has declared Iguazu Falls a ‘World Heritage Site’. Several islands along the 2.7-km long edge divide the Falls into about 275 separate waterfalls and cataracts varying between 200ft and 270ft high. About half of the River’s flow falls into a long and narrow chasm called the ‘Devil’s Throat’ and the border between Argentina and Brazil runs through the Devil’s Throat. A boat ride to the base of the falls cost me 200 pesos ($55) and, later, I took the local bus to Iguazu town where one can visit the place known as ‘Hito de las Tres Fronteras’, a point where the borders of three countries, namely, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, converge.

After an overnight trip to Iguazu, I was back to Buenos Aires the following afternoon. There are many historic and cultural attractions in dazzling Buenos Aires where nearly 40% of the country’s 41 million people live. Gran Buenos Aires (Greater Buenos Aires), in terms of population, is a city almost as large as New York or London. However, after a brief orientation, you will find that the compact city centre is accessible and easily explored on foot, by bus, taxi and underground.

In the historic Plaza de Mayo or May Square, the place where Buenos Aires was founded, is located the Pink House (Casa Rosada) which houses the historic balcony from where Evita Peron, made famous by the song ‘Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina’, used to address people. Within easy walking distance is the Cabildo, the colonial city-hall, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the spectacular mausoleum of General San Martin, Argentina’s independence hero.

The older parts of Buenos Aires are most colourful. The area of San Telmo is a neighbourhood of bohemians, artists, antiques shops and cobbled streets and includes Dorrego Square, popular for its weekly antiques market. In the ‘Bar of the Imaginary Characters’, you can see a traditional café much frequented by intellectuals and artists. The neighbourhood of La Boca, with its colourful painted houses, is where a lot of artists open their studios and workshops. Walking along the charming street of Caminito, one can breathe the typical atmosphere of the area with its love for tango and soccer. Tango dancers performing live at street corners in La Boca is a common sight. Tango originated at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires and quickly grew in popularity. Buenos Aires and sensual tango dancing go together and tango’s lyrics and music are marked by nostalgia, expressed through melodic instruments similar to the accordion-like bandoneón.

The provinces of Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) on the southern tip of Argentina, a region also known as Patagonia, have magnificent glacier vistas, some of the finest national parks in South America with photo-worthy opportunities including shimmering turquoise lakes, snow-capped mountain peaks, roaring waterfalls and pristine forests.

I took the two-and-a-half-hours long flight to Calafate, a small town located on the shores of Lake Argentino. From Calafate, there are several conducted day-tours that can easily be arranged. I booked a tour to the Glacier National Park with the Fernandez Campbell Company. After an early morning pickup from the hotel, we drove through sub-Antarctic forest which marks the gateway to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, a World Heritage Site. The park’s centrepiece is the Perito Moreno Glacier which, because of unusually favourable local conditions, is one of the world’s few advancing glaciers. The huge icebergs on the glacier’s 180-ft high face calve and collapse into the Canal de los Témpanos as they advance about 300ft a year. The roar of the gigantic ice wall as it crashes into the surrounding channel is an unforgettable experience. It is possible to stand on a hill with spectacular viewpoints directly opposite the huge imposing wall of ice. Generally the nose of Perito Moreno is characterised by cold wind and highly changeable conditions and you should be prepared with layered warm clothing and a warm hat.

A three-hour (220-km) drive north of Calafate is the village of Chalten built in 1985 to help secure the disputed border with Chile. Also located within the boundaries of Los Glaciares (Glaciers) National Park, Chalten village is well-visited by trekkers and climbers who hike to the base of Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitzroy mountains, both spectacular granite towers.

An hour-long flight south of Calafate is Ushuaia, considered the world’s southernmost city and the take-off point for all tours to the Antarctica. Ushuaia has one of the world’s most dramatic settings—surrounding jagged glacial peaks rise from sea level to nearly 4,500ft. Ushuaia lies on the north shore of the Beagle Channel, just east of the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Since 1950, the town has played host to an important naval base, supporting Argentine claims in Antarctica.

I took a short but scenic steam train ride from Ushuaia to Lapataia Bay in the National Park where you can see the southern end of the Pan-American Highway which starts in Alaska and runs 17,848km all the way through Canada, the USA, Central and South America down to the southern-most tip of the continent. A boat cruise on the Beagle Channel is highly recommended as, in addition to spectacular scenery, you see many species of marine mammals and birds. The Channel is named after the ship on which Charles Darwin sailed here in 1832. The Beagle Channel forms a part of the border between Argentina and Chile.

A country the size of Argentina requires several weeks to tour and, on this first visit, I was able to see only a small part of its attractions. On the three-hour flight back from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires, I made plans to come back and visit Bariloche, Mendoza and Trelew, places that my fellow travellers said were some of the most interesting cities in Argentina.

Why Go There:
Occupying the southern half of South America, Argentina is a large country with a huge diversity of natural and cultural attractions. Home of tango, spectacular natural scenery, the western hemisphere’s highest mountain and eight World Heritage Sites, Argentina will not disappoint.

Getting There:
The US as well as European airlines offer connections to Buenos Aires either via US or via Frankfurt, Madrid or London. From almost everywhere, South America is a relatively costly destination, but discount fares can reduce the bite considerably. Contacting a travel agency that specialises in the USA and South America often offers the cheapest fares.

Visas:
Tourist visas are easily available from the Embassy of Argentina in New Delhi. Please visit www.indembarg.org.ar

Where To Stay:
It is strongly recommended that you go through a reputed Argentinian tour operator who will be able to provide you with guides, transportation and hotel bookings in a country where language can be a problem. I made my travel arrangements through a well-established company, Troelsen Travel—
www.troelsentravel.com.ar