Luxury Argentina: Vineyards, glaciers and gauchos

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What our experts say

With this holiday we wanted to complement Argentina’s impressive landscapes with equally inspiring accommodation. By staying at a traditional estancia in the pampas, a lodge in the wine region and a Patagonian retreat, you really get a sense of the different ways of life that are led in Argentina, all while enjoying the highest level of comfort.

Mary Anne Nelson

Travel Consultants

Places visited on this holiday

Luxury Argentina: Vineyards, glaciers and gauchos

Buenos Aires
The Pampas
Mendoza and the vineyards
El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park

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Overview Fact file

Along with Rio, this is a city worth crossing the Atlantic for in its own right. Dynamic, stylish and nostalgic, it’s the continent’s most European city, but does not lack South American verve. Its contrasting neighbourhoods reveal colonial plazas, shady avenues, quirky antique fairs, street art, world famous theatres and football stadiums and spruced-up metropolitan port districts. Studded with extensive parks, cutting-edge boutique hotels, designer boutiques and a myriad of restaurants, bars and nightclubs, it’s a restless place, challenging to find your way around but well worth the effort. It’s the beating heart of Argentina, the hub for visits throughout the country.

When's the best time to visit Buenos Aires?

Buenos Aires is at its hottest Jan-Mar (very humid with tropical showers, occasionally over 40C during the day). It can be cold and cloudy Jul-Aug, so weather conditions are best for a visit in spring and autumn. Dec-Feb and Jul are local holiday times: Porteños head for the beach.

What's the official language in Buenos Aires?

Spanish.

How do I get local currency in Buenos Aires?

Argentine Peso.

Notes can be withdrawn from the many ATMs using a UK credit or debit card. Limits may be lower than your UK bank allows. Please note that in 2016 many of the ATMs were not functioning properly; we are recommending that for the moment you take a good supply of US dollars cash. There are many banks and money exchanges (casas de cambio) where you can exchange US dollars cash; rates for euros and sterling frequently poor.

What's the time difference between Buenos Aires and the UK?

GMT -3 hours. Sometimes daylight saving is observed in the summer, but this is announced ad hoc on a year-on-year basis.

What places combine well with Buenos Aires?

Beach time in Mar del Plata (392 km by road, 5hrs); Colonia or Montevideo in Uruguay across the River Plate: travel by ferry, bus or plane; a stay on a working estancia in the pampa south and west of the city; Iguazú Falls (2hrs approx by air).

How long is the flight to Buenos Aires from the UK?

Average flight time is 14hrs 20mins on a direct flight from London. There are also flights requiring a change of plane in Europe or the USA.

What are the festivals and cultural and sports events in Buenos Aires?

Tango Festival: Aug. The world's – top tango festival, nine days of concerts, shows, free classes, exhibitions, open-air milongas (Avenida Corrientes is closed for a massive display) and other tango-related festivities.

Opera season: Mar-Dec. Take in a concert or opera at the refurbished Teatro Colón which attracts internationally esteemed artists.

Argentine Polo Open: Mid Nov-mid Dec. Polo is a passion for many Argentines. This is the year’s main attraction, taking place in Palermo’s 16,000 seater stadium.

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Overview Fact file

Best known for being the home of the gauchos, Argentina’s famous baggy-trousered cowboys, the pampa stretches south and west from Buenos Aires. It’s a region of endless yawning plains, the fertile soils of which support succulent pasture for the country’s revered beef cattle, along with golden wheat and sunflowers. Pretty featureless apart from some attractive little towns, the flat pampa can be atmospheric in a morning mist or when reflecting an apricot sunset. The landscape is divided into estancias, or ranches, many of which nowadays welcome visitors. Along the Atlantic coast are a string of beach resorts, mostly catering for Latin American tourists.

When's the best time to visit the Argentine Pampas?

The pampa is at its hottest Jan-Mar (very humid with tropical showers, occasionally over 40°C during the day). It can be cold and cloudy Jul-Aug, so weather conditions are best for a visit in spring and autumn. Dec-Feb and Jul are local holiday times: porteños head for the beaches along the pampa’s Atlantic coast.

What's the official language of the Argentine Pampas?

Spanish.

How do I get local currency in the Argentine Pampas?

Argentine Peso. Notes can be withdrawn from the many ATMs in larger towns and cities using a UK credit or debit card. Limits may be lower than your UK bank allows. Acquire pesos before you head out into the pampa.

What's the time difference between Argentine Pampas and UK?

GMT -3 hours. Sometimes daylight saving is observed in the summer, but this is announced ad hoc on a year-on-year basis.

What places combine well with Argentine Pampas?

A visit to the capital Buenos Aires (2-4hrs by road); beach time in Mar del Plata, or in Punta del Este, Uruguay across the River Plate, accessible from Buenos Aires.

How do I get to Argentine Pampas?

Some of the most popular estancias are a 2-4hrs drive from Buenos Aires. San Antonio de Areco is 113 km from the capital, 2hrs by road.

What are the festivals and cultural and sporting events in Argentine Pampas?

Dia de la Tradición: San Antonio de Areco, 10 Nov annually. The principal gaucho festival where events extend over a full week, with exhibitions of cowboy skills, music, dancing and barbecues.

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Overview Fact file

The province of Mendoza’s claim to be “the land of sunshine and wine” isn’t far off the mark. Lying in the rain-shadow of the ever visible snow-capped Andes, the landscape is studded with vineyards, and some of the country’s best wines are produced here. The pleasant city of lakeside Mendoza retains some 19th century character and is full of fine open spaces with a shady canopy of sycamores. The city is a good base for adventure activities; wine lovers might choose to stay at one of the wineries which welcome visitors in the sparkling air of the countryside close by.

What's the best time to visit Mendoza and the Argentine vineyards?

Mendoza is a year round destination with plenty of sunshine. Temperatures dip from a high of 30°C to 15°C in winter but most rain falls in summer. The vineyards are stunning when cloaked in the fiery red of their autumn plumage.

What's the official language in Mendoza and the Argentine vineyards?

Spanish.

What's the time difference between Mendoza and the Argentine vineyards and UK?

GMT -3 hours. Sometimes daylight saving is observed in the summer, but this is announced ad hoc on a year-on-year basis.

What places combine well with Mendoza and the Argentine vineyards?

Cafayate, close to Salta in the northwest, another important wine district (800 km by road); Santiago, Chile, and its nearby wineries; the other side of the Andes on one of the most beautiful crossings, by boat and road.

How do I get to Mendoza and the Argentine vineyards?

A flight from Buenos Aires takes 1hr 50mins.

What are the festivals and cultural and sporting events in Mendoza and the vineyards?

Fiesta de la Vendímia: a huge, extravagant wine festival in Mendoza, first weekend of Mar annually. There’s a carnival atmosphere with folklore concerts, parades and floats.

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Overview Fact file

The vast ice fields in Los Glaciares National Park, southern Patagonia, are a primeval wilderness from which flow 13 huge glaciers into the waters of lakes Viedma and Argentino. Visitors can only see a small part of it, from bases which are surprisingly accessible, but get a real sense of the remoteness of this unpopulated region. The emerald beech forest and the wind-strafed steppes framing the ice add to the landscape’s beauty. El Calafate is a small lakeside town with tourist facilities which still has a frontier feel. It’s the base for visits to the Perito Moreno, Upsala and Onelli glaciers.

When's the best time to visit El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park?

Weather-wise it’s best to visit in the summer (Dec-Feb) when days are long and mild, but at this time – especially Jan – the area is very crowded with both Argentine and foreign visitors. Mar/Apr or Sep/Oct can be sunny and clear, but it can be windy. In the winter months Jun-Aug it is very cold and access routes can be blocked by snow. Many facilities are closed then, too.

What's the official language in El Calafate?

Spanish.

How do I get local currency in El Calafate?

Argentine Peso. There are a couple of banks with ATMs accepting foreign cards. Limits may be lower than your UK bank allows. There are also some money exchanges (casas de cambio) where you can exchange US dollars cash but rates are not good; you may be better off changing money in Buenos Aires or another large city before heading to El Calafate.

What's the time difference between El Calafate and the UK?

GMT -3 hours. Sometimes daylight saving is observed in the summer, but this is announced ad hoc on a year-on-year basis.

What places does El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park combine with?

El Chaltén in the northern sector of the park, to visit the Fitz Roy massif, 215 km (3hrs); Peninsula Valdés (1hr 20 mins’ flight); Tierra del Fuego for visit to Lapataia National Park and Beagle Channel (flight 1.5hrs); Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, 210 km, (4-5hrs scenic drive).