Argentina

To the city's poet laureate, Jorge Luis Borges, Buenos Aires was as eternal as air and water. To many Argentines, their capital city is synonymous with the country itself - indeed, nearly 40% of the population lives in the city or its massive, sprawling suburbs. Buenos Aires is situated on the banks of the Río de la Plata. A city transported from its European parents, its compact and regular center is reminiscent of Paris, and its tree-lined avenues and frequent plazas have a beguiling, faded elegance.

In this cosmopolitan city, sophisticated dressers mingle with the shabbier unemployed from the surrounding suburbs. Downtown, the Plaza de Mayo is the traditional focus of activity, and lately has been the scene of mass protests against the government's handling of the economic crisis. Nearby Avenida 9 de Julio is popularly known as the world's widest thoroughfare and is truly a pedestrian's nightmare. Avenida Santa Fe is the most fashionable shopping area.

Buenos Aires' attractions include the Catedral Metropolitana, which contains the tomb of revolutionary hero José de San Martín; the Teatro Colón, a world-class facility for opera, ballet and classical music, and a cluster of worthwhile and popular museums like the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the Museo del Cine and the Museo Histórico Nacional, which presents a panorama of the Argentine experience. Don't miss the colorful Italian suburb of La Boca, which features brightly painted wooden houses lining the Riachuelo waterway, or the Cementerio de la Recoleta, a testament to the national passion for death.

Buenos Aires is an expensive city, but whether you're after a bargain hostel or a top-end hotel, it is possible to stay right in the center of things. Congreso is a good place to look for inexpensive lodgings, while mid-range hotels are concentrated on Avenida de Mayo. Food bargains can be had in the suburbs of La Boca and San Telmo. Downtown, Lavalle and Avenida Corrientes are the places to go for pizza, coffee with the city's intellectuals or one of those ubiquitous meaty dishes.

Mar del Plata

Summer means the beach to the inhabitants of Greater Buenos Aires, and Mar del Plata is most often the beach they have in mind. Situated on the northern Atlantic coast, 400km (228mi) from the capital, beaches in this area sprawl for 8km (5mi). Sophisticated mansions from the area's heyday as an upper-class resort mingle with the newer, more modest resorts catering to middle-class porteños. Sea lions keep an eye on the fishing activities around the wharves, and a replica of the grotto of Lourdes is a kitsch paradise.

Córdoba

Argentina's second city, Córdoba, long rivaled Buenos Aires for political, economic and cultural supremacy; indeed, while Buenos Aires languished through neglect in the 17th century, Cordoba was the country's architectural treasure house. Today, a fine collection of colonial buildings is concentrated in its compact center. They include the old market, the Iglesia Catedral (featuring a Romanesque dome) and the Jesuit Iglesia de la Compañía. The Museo Histórico Provincial Marqués de Sobremonte is one of the most important historical museums in the country.

The Pampas

The unrelentingly flat Pampas is Argentina's agricultural heartland and the home of that symbol of romantic nationalism, the gaucho. Comprising the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa and major parts of Santa Fe and Córdoba, its varied environments include forested hills, extensive grasslands and flamingo-flecked salt lakes. The Parque National Lihué Calel is a popular detour, with wildlife including some puma and many guanaco, rhea, native hares and a variety of wild chinchilla called a vizcacha. The cities of La Plata, Luján (whose basilica to La Virgen de Luján receives 4 million pilgrims a year), Rosario and Santa Fe are worth seeing for their many museums, churches and faded colonial buildings.

Iguazú Falls

Situated in the Parque Nacional Iguazú near Puerto Iguazú, these spectacular falls lie just east of the confluence of the Iguazú and Paraná rivers. At least 5000 cubic m (176,570 cu ft) of water per second plunge the 70m (230ft) into the abyss below. If they look familiar, it's because they were the supporting actors in the film The Mission; appropriately, the area has historic ruins of Jesuit missions which also draw many visitors. San Ignacio Miní, built in a style of architecture known as 'Guaraní baroque', is especially popular. Above the falls, the waters are suitable for canoeing, kayaking and other water sports. The surrounding park is home to 55,000 hectares (135,850 acres) of pristine subtropical rainforest, with abundant wildlife and plant species.

back to top

Disclaimer

click for larger map