Latour Travel Guide to ARGENTINA

Travel Highlights

• Buenos Aires - Lively nightlife in the city where the tango was born
  
• Bariloche - Idyllic winter and summer resort in the Andean foothills
  
• Peninsula Valdes - Penguin rookeries, sea lions, and whale watching
  
• Patagonia - Increasingly popular region of hard and soft adventure tours
  
• Mendoza - Home of Argentina's world famous wines and vineyards
  
• Iguassu Falls - Like the Grand Canyon with water cascading over all sides

Overview
Cosmopolitan capital Buenos Aires is gateway to all of Argentina. The large, triangle-shaped country is as long as the U.S. is wide. In Argentina today one may dine on the world's finest beef, "summer ski" at Bariloche in the idyllic Lake Region, play in the world's largest casino at Mar del Plata, and climb the highest peak in all the Americas - 22,834-ft. Mt. Aconcagua. Here, too, one may tango the night away in the land where it was born. This is also the home of the gaucho, and his pampas, the wilds of Patagonia, majestic Iguassu Falls, and the world's southernmost city, Ushuaia, which is fast becoming an increasingly important gateway to the White Continent - Antarctica.

Country Facts
Size: Second-largest country in South America. Total land area 1,072,000 sq. mi. Territory would cover one-third of the U.S.

Population: 33 million.

Capital: Buenos Aires (pop. 11 million-35% of the country's total population).

Language: Spanish

Electricity: 220 volts, 50 cycles. Voltage converter and two- and three-prong plug adapters are necessary for U.S. appliances.

Religion: Predominately Roman Catholic

Time: Noon in Buenos Aires is 11:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time.

Public Holidays:
January 1: New Year's Day
Holy Week: Week prior to Easter
May 1: Labor Day
May 25: Election of First National Government
June 20: Flag Day
July 9: Independence Day
August 17: San Martin Day
October 12: Columbus Day
November 10: Day of Tradition
December 8: Immaculate Conception
December 25: Christmas

How to get there
American Airlines offers daily non-stop service from both Miami and New York to Buenos Aires. The Argentine capital is also the hub for many connecting domestic flights. Continuing flights to some interior destinations may require a layover.

City Codes
EZE: Buenos Aires (international airport 20 mi. SW of downtown)
AEP: Buenos Aires (downtown domestic airport)
BRC: Bariloche
IGR: Iguassu Falls
ING: Lago Argentino
JUJ: Jujuy
MDZ: Mendoza
REL: Trelew/Peninsula Valdes
SLA: Salta
TUC: Tucuman
USH: Ushuaia

Entry Requirements

Valid U.S. passport. No visa required for American Citizens (EXCEPT FOR CROSS OVER TO BRAZILIAN SIDE OF IGUASSU FALLS)

Taxes/Surcharges: International departure taxes: $18

Currency

Argentine peso. You can exchange money at hotels, banks, or usually while shopping. Banking hours are Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ATMs are convenient. Credit cards are widely accepted.

Hotel taxes & service charges: Most hotel taxes (21%) and service charges (10%) are already included in price of tour package.

Tipping: 10% is customary. Taxi drivers near major hotels expect to be tipped.

Shopping
Buenos Aires is famous for its fashionable shops and boutiques. A walk down the elegant pedestrian mall of Calle Florida and Av. Santa Fe gives the visitor a sampling of the best Argentina has to offer: leather goods, furs, silver, cashmere and gaucho souvenirs. Shopping hours are 9:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Monday - Friday and 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Saturday. There is an excellent weekend flea market in historic San Telmo specializing in antiques and art.

Food and Drink
Sophisticated Buenos Aires thrives on beef. Steak houses are abundant, and the meats served are tender and succulent. Cuts like bife de chorizo, bife de lomo, baby bife, or even a parrillada (mixture of cuts) top most steak house menus. Also try chorizo (grilled sausage) and the many varieties of empanadas (meat or cheese turnovers). Good fresh seafood is also available. Buenos Aires offers the diner a rich assortment of culinary experiences from which to choose. Italian restaurants are excellent. Stop for teatime at a confiterîa (Argentine pastry shop). Sample Argentine wines, which are outstanding.

Telephone

Area Codes: country code (54); Buenos Aires (114), Bariloche (944), Iguassu Falls (757), Salta (87), Mendoza (61), Jujuy (882), Tucumon (81) and Trelew/Peninsula Valdes (965).

Weather
Argentina's topography is varied. To the west lie the Andes, to the north the vast forested plains of the Chaco, to the south the rolling Pampas and to the far south Patagonia. Seasons are reversed; when it is winter in the U.S. it is summer in Argentina. The Andes and the far south are cold during Argentina's winter (June - August). Buenos Aires remains temperate, but be prepared for possible cold temperatures and frequent heavy rains May through July.

Clothing
Appropriate dress is required when dining in the better restaurants and clubs of Buenos Aires. The people of Buenos Aires, called Porteños, are among the world's most fashionable. Gentleman visiting the city should bring a jacket and tie.

Getting Around
Because of Argentina's size, flying is usually the best way to travel within the country. Purchased in conjunction with your international American Airlines ticket, the domestic "Visit Argentina" air pass is available and issued in flight coupon booklets. The pass must be purchased in the U.S. Trains connect Buenos Aires with Mar del Plata (6 hrs.). Trains also depart three times a week for a 40-hr. crossing of the pampas to Bariloche. Another spectacular train ride is "Las Nubes," a round-trip excursion out of Salta between April and November. Bus service is frequent, low cost, and reliable.

MAJOR DESTINATIONS

Buenos Aires
In the country's capital and largest city sophistication is the key word. Buenos Aires's heart today, as in colonial times, is the Plaza de Mayo with the Casa Rosada (Pink House - Presidential Palace) and the National Cathedral where Jose de San Martín, Argentina's father of independence, is buried. Avenida 9 de Julio is the world's widest boulevard and a main city artery. The avenue's imposing obelisk commemorates the city's 400th anniversary. Tree-lined streets, parks and plazas are citywide, and the skyline, though punctuated with new skyscrapers, resembles Paris. Lively nighlife begins late with dinner often starting around 10:00 p.m. or later. There are several tango houses offering music only or music and dance. Discos and clubs are abundant. Calle Lavalle is lined with movie houses and theaters. The world famous Colón Opera House covers an entire city block and features a wide range of cultural performances from March through December. City sightseeing tours are available as well as trips out to nearby haciendas for an authentic "gaucho fiesta." In town there are plenty of places to enjoy a steak dinner and a traditional tango show. Budget at least three days to explore and enjoy the sidewalk cafes, chic boutiques. Excellent hotels range from palatial to thrifty.

Iguassu Falls
Bordered by Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, the great fall's most spectacular view can been seen from the Argentine side. With 275 individual falls, Iguassu is higher and wider than Niagara. Throughout the jungle surroundings are brilliant flora, exotic birds and magnificent butterflies protected by a multi-national park. From Buenos Aires daily direct flights are available to Iguassu (1 hr. 40min.) for day trips or an overnight.

By bus the trip takes approximately 21 hours, and train service is available as far as Posadas on the Paraguayan border. The Hotel Internacional on Iguassu's Argentine side overlooks the falls and is convenient to the walkways. Several other hotels are located near the falls on the Brazilian side. Remember: to visit the Brazilian side of the falls a Brazilian visa is required. Recommended length of visit: two days/one night. Hotel accommodations are available in all price ranges.

Mendoza
At the foot of the Andes, Mendoza is a modern city with a historic past. The great liberator San Martín departed from Mendoza to cross the Andes to help free Chile. Though rainfall is slight, irrigation has turned the countryside into a green oasis, covered with vineyards and fruit plantations. Wine-making season is March/April, and there are numerous wine cellars, or bodegas, where wine tasting is popular. The city is modern with low buildings, many gardens and trees. There are excellent museums. Mountain climbing and trekking expeditions to Mt. Aconcagua (highest in the Americas) begin in Mendoza. Also Argentina's newest ski resort, Las Leñas, is south of the city in Valle Hermosa (from Buenos Aires: 1 hr. 40 min. by air, 14 hrs. by train, and 16 hrs. by bus).

Salta & Jujuy
Historic Salta, founded in 1582, and Jujuy, in 1565, are excellent excursions from Buenos Aires. Salta is in a hilly and strikingly beautiful region. The handsome city is filled with colonial buildings. From Salta a magnificent round-trip excursion can be made to Cafayate to view the Andean foothill desert with strange rock formations and vivid colors. The population around Cafayate is largely Indian and native costumes abound. The drive from Salta to Jujuy includes a 57-mi. winding road through the mountains known as La Cornisa. Jujuy also offers classic colonial buildings. Most packages begin in one city, visit Cafayate, and end in the other city. From Buenos Aires: 2 hrs. by air, approximately 21 hrs. by bus. Recommended length of visit: 4 days/3 nights. Good hotel accommodations in both cities.

Bariloche
Located at the foot of the Andes in Lake Nahuel Huapi National Park, the famed city is both a summer and winter resort. Bariloche is spectacularly set overlooking the lake and facing the snow-capped peaks of the Andes. There are many hotels, restaurants, pubs, discos and shops. White chocolate is a popular local specialty. Brown trout fishing is excellent (October/March) in the numerous lakes. Snow skiing begins in June and runs through September. Excursions include chair lift rides up Cerro Campanario for a bird's-eye view, boat rides on Lake Nahuel Huapi to visit Victoria Isle and the Bosque de Arrayanes forest of light-bark trees. Bariloche is also the embarkation point for the crossing of the spectacularly scenic Lake District via Peulla into Chile, ending at Puerto Montt. Convenient air service links the city with Buenos Aires (2 hrs.); bus service takes 22 hrs., and twice weekly there are 40-hr. train trips across the pampas. Recommended length of visit: 3 days/2 nights.

Lake Crossing to Chile
From Bariloche daily departures (December - March) cross in one day, or overnight mid-way at Peulla. The balance of the year departures from Bariloche en route to Puerto Montt, Chile, on Monday and Wednesday (with overnight in Peulla). Spectacular scenery, crystalline lakes, snow-capped mountains, green valleys are everywhere. Crossing is made via a series of buses and motor launches.

South of Buenos Aires

Mar del Plata
This popular summer resort lies 240 miles south of Buenos Aires and features five solid miles of beaches, including fashionable Playa Grande with its private clubs and summer estates. The city's famed casino is on Bristol Beach. Other beaches feature fishing piers, yacht clubs and marinas. There is continuous, lively nightlife during high season (December - April). Mar del Plata is also known for its golf courses, polo tournaments, and pato (an Argentine ball game played on horseback). From Buenos Aires: 50 min. by air, 5 hrs. by train, and 5 hrs. 30 min. by bus. Hotel accommodations are available in all categories.

The Far South, Patagonia

Peninsula Valdes
Gateway to the largest migrating penguin rookery in the Western Hemisphere at Punta Tombo, also for viewing sea lion and sea elephant colonies at Puerto Piramides. During October and November one may take small boat excursions for whalewatching. Popular trips can also be made to Gaiman, a small, authentic Welsh town with museums and nearby nature reserves. From Buenos Aires: 1 hr. 40 min. by air, 21 hrs. 30 min. by bus, no train service available. Recommended length of visit: 4 days/3 nights. Good hotel accommodations in Trelew and in nearby Puerto Madryn.

Lago Argentino
In the heart of Patagonia, beside the Andes, is one of Argentina's most scenic areas, Lago Argentino. Flights connect Buenos Aires to Calafate, gateway to the area. From Calafate excursions are available to Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the world's few glaciers that is still growing. Today, the glacier has a three-mile frontage and a height of 180 ft. Other special sights include Upsala Glacier at the north end of the lake, Glaciares National Park and the spectacular mountain, Cerro Fitz Roy. From Buenos Aires: 4 hrs. 20 min. by air to Calafate. From Lago Argentino flights connect to Rio Gallegos and to Ushuaia in the south. Recommended length of visit: 4 days/3 nights. Hotel accommodations limited during prime visitor season October through March.

Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is the island at the extreme southern tip of South America bounded by the Strait of Magellan, the Atlantic Ocean and the Beagle Channel. The eastern side belongs to Argentina, the western to Chile. Ushuaia, Argentina's southernmost city is situated at the base of Cerro Martial, overlooking the Beagle Channel's green waters. The inhabitants are engaged in sheep raising, lumbering, fishing and trapping. The area has impressive views of snow-covered peaks, rivers, waterfalls and dense woods. From Ushuaia excursions can be made to Lapataia, Lake Fagnano, Lake Escondido and Islas de los Lobos. The best time to visit is October through March, but weather can still be cold and unpredictable. December and January tourist-oriented sea voyages leave here for the Antarctic. From Buenos Aires to Ushuaia: 5 hrs. by air. Recommended length of visit: 3 days/2 nights. Good hotel accommodations available in Ushuaia.

Special Interest Travel

Fishing
Trout and salmon fishing are excellent in the Argentine Lake Region around Bariloche and in the Esquel Valley in Chubut province. Best season is November to April for brown, brook and rainbow trout and landlocked salmon. Fishing in the lakes and streams of Patagonia from December through March is also good. To the north, the dorado of the Parana River is a fighter that can reach 40 pounds.

Wildlife
Patagonia is abundant with wildlife. View sea lions, sea elephants and whales in Peninsula Valdes. Try Punta Tombo for penguins. Tierra Del Fuego has guanacos and sea birds.

Wines and vineyards
The north of Argentina, in the area of Mendoza, is a popular destination for wine connoisseurs. In Mendoza visitors may inspect the National Institute of Wine Growing's Laboratory of Analysis and Quality Control, as well as major neighboring vineyards for complete explanations of the techniques used in growing and production.