Category: Argentina

Dirt roads and grandiose landscapes: a road trip around Salta (Argentina)

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 I always said that you can go almost anywhere by bus in South America. That’s true. But sometimes that the journey which matters and not so much the destination. This post is not about how to get to Cafayate (from Salta you can hop on a bus which drives on the RN68). This article is about taking the dirt roads, going into exploration mode and letting the real fun starts.
Amazing landscapes, dirty roads and at end wine… what else? For the ones who want to take the time to enjoy the landscapes changing km after km,  here is a 2 to 3 days road trip. Rent a car and get lost in the spectacular colours, canyons and rocks of the National Park Los Cardones and of the Sierra de Carahuasi. Adventure starts where good roads end.

 

road trip Salta Cafayate

On this kind of road trip, the co-pilote should not only know how to read a map, but also how to use a camera!

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Hiking around El Chalten (Argentina) – a 3 day trek by Fitz Roy

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After 22 hours of bus, on a straight road in the middle of flat and boring steppes land, we saw its silhouette in the distance: the famous Fitz Roy chain. Slowly, the silhouette becomes sharper and bigger, until revealing a fantastic mountain range like created from shark tooth, surrounded by a beautiful grey laguna and several glaciers. We arrived to the promised land of El Chalten, self-proclaimed capital of trekking of Argentina.

El Chalten_Fitz Roy

The dream starts at the end of a 22h bus ride.

El Chalten offers plenty of hiking possibilities: you can easily take day hikes but why not going for a mini trek for a more immersive Patagonia experience?

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5 ways to get close to glaciers in Patagonia

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 Ever since I watched the fantastic documentary Chasing Ice by James Balog (see the trailer here) I have been fascinated by glaciers. I wanted to get close to them, to touch them, to explore them. In Patagonia, my dreams became true.
The glaciers of Patagonia are among the most accessible in the world. Did you know that the Southern Patagonian ice field is actually the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water? It stretches between Chile and Argentina, over 12.000sqkm. It feeds more than 40 glaciers in the area among them the famous Perito Moreno (El Calafate,  Argentina) but also glaciers Viedma (El Chalten, Argentina) and Grey (NP Torres del Paine, Chile) , all really accessible to the active traveler.
Getting close to glaciers is the number one  on the list of my must do in Patagonia.

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A guide to prepare your visit to the falls of Iguazu

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iguazu_falls_and_butterfly

 

You can hear them from far, way before you can get a glimpse of them. A constant throb, deafening. More than 1.700 m3/second.  More than 270 falls spread over 2.700m (almost 2 miles) in a semi circular shape. Iguazu Falls are a gigantic nature wonder. At the border of Brazil and Argentina, the falls have everything to get on every traveller’s bucket list. Here are my tips to get the best out of your visit to the cataracts.

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The End

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We reached it. After 7 months on the road, all the way from Cartagena, Colombia, we eventually arrived. Ushuaia, the most southern town on planet Earth. The end of the world.

So how far is the end of the world?

More than 30.000km on the continent, 103 buses, 6 planes, 13 boats, 67 taxis, 1 train, 1 car and 1 scooter? The figures speak for themselves. We are far!

Really? The GPS do not leave any doubt, our furthest position is S 54 51’40”. If you are looking for a reference from the north hemisphere, it would be Belfast, in northern Ireland or almost Copenhagen. In other words, living in Stockholm for 3 years, I was closer to the north pole than now, in Ushuaia, to the South one!

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Rio Azul loop, 3 day trek around El Bolson

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Is it the fresh air of the mountains and the tasty water from the glaciers that makes people from El Bolson so happy? Guidebooks have described El Bolson as a hippie community, and if not all wear dreadlocks, you have to admit that these people seems to know how to live! The good news is that the mountains around El Bolson offer infinite possibilities for hiking, a good chance to check it by yourself, for example with this beautiful 3 days trek.

Why go hiking around El Bolson?

hiking_el_bolson

Is it the Shire? No, it’s Argentina!

 

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Christmas in Bariloche, Lakes District (Argentina)

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Many people asked me during the last days, how it will be to spend Christmas in Argentina. For the first time in twenty seven years (my age for those who do not know me), I will be far from home for Christmas, almost at the other side of the world…

Camping on Christmas, a first!

Well, to be honest, it didn’t really feel like Christmas for me. Far from the darkness of the winter (joy to travel in the south hemisphere), far from the constant marketing propaganda for finding the perfect gift and far from the family, it just didn’t feel like a special holiday at all.

 

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Did you say tango?

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Tango: a dance of improvisation, born in the bordels of Buenos Aires at the end of XIXth century. Despised for decades by the sophisticated Argentinian class, it’s in Europe and particularly in Paris that the tango gained its recognition. A century later, travelers from all over the world book a night in Buenos Aires milongas (dance halls) to vibrate with the performances of the best tango dancers in the world.

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Mummies and mountains – a creepy visit to the museum

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If you are visiting the north of Argentina, the beautiful town of Salta should be on your list. Along with its animated night life and beautiful surroundings, the city is also home to the museo de Arqueologica de Alta Montaña, that may worth the trip to Salta itself. This really interesting yet creepy museum conserves a singular collection: the mummies of 3 inca kids.

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