COMPLETE GUIDE
ARGENTINA
NORTH • MESOPOTAMIA • CUYO • CENTRE BUENOS AIRES • PATAGONIA
COMPLETE GUIDE
ARGENTINA
E D I T O R E S
Buenos Aires - Argentina www.dediosonline.com
Complete Guide of Argentina Copyright © 2008 / de Dios Editores Buenos Aires / Argentina Author: Julián de Dios. Editor: María Virginia Salazar. Research: Gabriel Magda, Pilar Mira, Ernestina Cáceres y Soledad Acuña. Layout: Sebastián Sánchez Iriarte y María Eugenia Greco. Photo production: Guillermina Gómez Romero. Image processing: Francisco Quesada. Legal counselling: Ignacio de las Carreras. Photographs: Julián de Dios, Julia de Dios, Eduardo Longoni, Lucio Boschi, Sectur Nación, Sandra Olmos, Sectur Jujuy, Sectur San Juan, Bodegas Etchart, P. Antártico Argentino, Museo Eva Perón, Revista Gente, Ed. Atlántida, El Pedral Lodge Grupo Burco, Agencia Córdoba Turismo, Guillermina Gómez Romero, Sectur Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Teatro Colón, Sectur Pcia. de Bs. As, La Pascuala, Daniel Dapari, Ente de Rosario, Mara Miura, Sectur Corrientes, Sectur Misiones, Joaquín Carrillo, Juan Rodriguez, SecTur Salta, Sectur Catamarca, Sectur La Rioja, H. Muñoz, Bodegas Trapiche, Mauro Leone, SecTur San Luis, Estancia La Candelaria, Estancia La Enriqueta SA, Estancia La Isolina, Arelauquen Grupo Burco, Melito Cerezo, A. Argentina de Polo, Gabriel Rojo, Sectur La Pampa, Correntoso, Palmiro Bedeschi, SecTur Neuquén, Posada La Escondida, Villa Pehuenia, Neuquentur, SecTur Bariloche, Catedral Alta Patagonia, El Pedral Lodge Grupo Burco, SecTur Chubut, NA Town & Country, SecTur Santa Cruz, Michel Biquard, Alberto del Castillo, José Guaquel, Osvaldo Peralta, Infuetur, Andrés Camacho, SecTur Ushuaia, Esquina Gardel, Faena Hotel, Hotel Sofitel, A. Fotográfico Nación, Sectur Santa Fe, Jano Colcerniani, Emcontur, Juan Carlos Arlettaz, M. de C. del Uruguay, Juan Rossi, Sectur Parana. The material used in this publication has been aproved by the IGM, through file GG 081829/5 dated October 2008.
E D I T O R E S Editorial board: Horacio de Dios Julián de Dios Carla D’Elia de Dios Editores Tacuarí 131 - First floor “B” (1071) Buenos Aires - Argentina Tel. (54-11) 4334-0235 / 4342-0029 info@dediosonline.com www.dediosonline.com Complete Guide of Argentina I.S.B.N. 978-987-9445-46-4 First Edition - september 2008 Printed in Buenos Aires - Argentina Printed in COGTAL, Buenos Aires - Argentina Special sales: For special copies, translations or wholesale purchases, contact: ventascorporativas@dediosonline.com Rights reserved: The deposit required by Act. 11.723 has been made. The partial or total reproduction of the material contained in this publication is expressly prohibited. The editor shall not be accountable for errors or omissions of information contained in this publication or for the consequences thereof. Editorial policy: In keeping with our editorial policy since 1993, the selection of places and the views published within are part of the independent journalistic opinions of the de Dios Editores team, and can’t be construed to be advertising of any sort.
de Dios, Julián Argentina complete guide - 1a ed. - Buenos Aires : De Dios Editores, 2008. 288 p. : il. ; 20x14 cm. ISBN 978-987-9445-46-4 1. Turismo-Argentina. II. Título Fecha de catalogación: 25/02/2008 CDD 338.479 1
CONTENTS 6 MUST-SEES IN ARGENTINA 8 History 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites 12 Experiences 14 Gastronomy 16 Scenic road trips
18 NORTH 20 Map 22 Jujuy 38 Salta 60 Tucumán 70 Catamarca 76 Santiago del Estero
78 MESOPOTAMIA 80 Map 82 Misiones 96 Corrientes 102 Formosa 103 Chaco 104 Entre Ríos 110 Santa Fe
114 CUYO 116 Map 118 La Rioja 124 San Juan 130 Mendoza
142 CENTRE 144 Map 146 San Luis 150 Córdoba 160 Buenos Aires 168 La Pampa
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With an area of 3,761,274 square km, Argentina is one of the largest countries of S. America.
COMPLETE GUIDE OF ARGENTINA / CONTENTS
170 BUENOS AIRES CITY 172 Map 174 La Boca 176 Puerto Madero 178 San Telmo 180 Monserrat 182 Congreso 184 Centre 186 Retiro 188 Recoleta 190 Palermo 192 Palermo Viejo 194 Other areas
196 PATAGONIA 198 Map 202 NeuquĂŠn 214 RĂo Negro 222 Chubut 232 Santa Cruz 246 Tierra del Fuego
256 BASICS & INDEX 256 Practicalities 283 Useful telephone numbers 284 Index
MAPS 20 North 80 Mesopotamia 116 Cuyo 144 Centre 172 Buenos Aires City 198 Patagonia How to use the guide The first pages of the Complete Guide to Argentina present a collection of outstanding places that are particularly worth seeing in the country (Must-sees in Argentina). In the following pages, the guidebook is divided into five regions and the city of Buenos Aires, designated by different colours and presented from north to south. Each region is divided into its respective provinces. Beside each attraction is a reference number and letter (e.g. G6), which correspond to the location of each place on the regional map. Argentina borders on Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay.
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NORTH In the northern region, the arid Puna and the fertile Valles Calchaquíes serve as colourful backgrounds to an open sky and an almost permanent sunshine. The phisiognomy of its little towns and the architecture of the capital cities are the result of centuries of union between the pre-existing indigenous culture and the colonization of the Old World. Our voyage through northern Argentina begins in the Puna, where the region’s indigenous roots
are visible in the handicraft and simplicity of the people of Susques, La Quiaca and Casabindo. The Quebrada de Humahuaca is a a picture-postcard valley framed by polychrome mountains sprinkled with very tipical llama (camelid). But the best vantage point of all from which to contemplate the landscape in its entirety is the Tren a las Nubes (Train to the Clouds), at 4,200 metres above sea level. Cafayate is renowned for its wineries large and small. However, Salta is best known for the beauty of its lively colonial-style capital.
The Calchaquí valleys traverse a good part of the region, but the ones richest in nature and myths are in Tucumán. The cloud forests, the Valle de Tafí (Tafí Valley) and the ruins of Quilmes (the region’s most important archaeological site) lie within short distances of each other. In San Miguel de Tucumán, the must-see is the house where the country’s declaration of independence was signed.
The colourful popular festivals that honour the Pachamama (Mother Earth), accompanied by delicious regional food, are unforgettable experiences.
Other attractions are the healing waters of the Río Hondo hot springs in Santiago del Estero, and Catamarca’s adobe churches, witness to the evangelism of times past.
5 KEYS TO THE NORTH Provinces. Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero, Catamarca and Tucumán. Provincial capitals. San Salvador de Jujuy, Salta, San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, San Miguel de Tucumán and Santiago del Estero. Events. Poncho Festival and Independence Day, in July; Pachamama Festival and Assumption of the Virgin, in August; Torrontés Wine Festival, in November. Musts. Quebrada de Humahuaca and Puna in Jujuy, Tren a las Nubes and Cafayate in Salta; Quilmes ruins and San Javier in Tucumán; Antofagasta de la Sierra and Salar del Hombre Muerto salt flat in Catamarca. When to go. Any time of the year is fine, as the region has all sorts of climates, with sunny days and cold nights. Llamas, vicuñas and guanacos are fauna typical of the country’s northern region.
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MESOPOTAMIA / CATARATAS DEL IGUAZU
CATARATAS DEL IGUAZU
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The colourful, intrepid butterflies with figure 8s on their wings try to avoid the spray of the falling water, and even though they fly higher than human visitors, they are caught up in this refreshing mist that is part of the impressive landscape of the Iguazú Falls. The marvellous natural spectacle was discovered in 1541 by Spanish explorer Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, who named them “Saltos de Santa María.” Later they came to be known as Iguazú, which means “big water.” They were forgotten for the next 350 years. This silence ended in 1897 when Captain Jordán Hummel and Misiones Governor Juan José Lanusse set out to re-encounter them. After several failed attempts in the thick jungle, Lanusse managed to reach the heart of the falls. However, it was the frustration of a society dame that provided the first access to the place. Victoria Aguirre could not get through the jungle, so she donated a large sum of money for the construction of a 20-km track to the biggest waterfalls. In her honour, the main avenue of Puerto Iguazú (the Argentine city near the falls) bears her name. Some years later, at the beginning of the 20th century, Lanusse commissioned landscape architect Charles Thays to design the paths from which the falls can be seen. The idea became reality when the National Parks Board was established and a park bearing the name of the falls was created. The Iguazú Falls in this park are formed by as many as 275 waterfalls of the Iguazú River that were well defined by Uruguayan writer Horacio Quiroga, who loved Argentina’s
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On the Brazilian side of the Iguazú River there are also luxury hotels very near the falls.
riverine “Litoral” (or “mesopotamian”) region: “there (the water) looks like a heavy curtain that is broken in places by black basalt pillars”. These cascades, which fall off a 2.7-km front, can be as high as 82 metres – dimensions that make Iguazú one of the world’s biggest and most spectacular waterfalls during the rainy season. Its width is more than twice that of the Niagara Falls in the United States. Visitors are imbued with the falls in the literal sense of the word: the spray kicked up by the plummeting water obliges them to wear rain capes when they transit the metal grate walkways. In addition to the usual excursions on the walkways, you can navigate the river’s rapids; go to Porto Canoas (Brazil), a little village with craftsmen’s stalls, and a dock from which boats leave for a perfect view of the Devil’s Throat; take a boat to San Martín Island, and explore the jungle on a bicycle. When the moon is full, romantic night walks beside the falls are organized. With respect to accommodations, the Sheraton Iguazú Resort & Spa is the only property that will give an up-close experience because it is the only hotel that is located inside the park and can offer a spectacular view of the falls. Nearby are the Iguazú Grand Hotel Resort & Casino, the Hotel Panoramic, the Hotel Cataratas, the Margay, the Hotel Esturión and the Hotel Alexander. For lunch or dinner, some options are the El Criollito grill, the La Rueda pasta and fish restaurant and, on the other side of the river, the famous Brazilian churrascarias. (318 km northwest of Posadas).
The “ecological train” takes passengers to the falls for moonlight walks.
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CUYO / LA RIOJA
F3 CHILECITO
196 km northwest of La Rioja City.
Santa Rita, its first name, was used only during the first few years following its foundation in 1715. When large numbers of Chileans settled here to work in the growing mining industry, it was quickly renamed Chilecito. The main attractions are the big house that belonged to Joaquín V. González, a writer and governor of the province; the archaeological collection of the Chilecito Museum; and the Caroyense wineries famous for their spiritous liquors. Like neighbouring Catamarca, this region of La Rioja has a Chapels Route that highlights the religious roots of the Cuyo region in a series of old adobe religious buildings. Among them are the San Buenaventura Chapel, in Vichigasta; the Santa Rosa Church, in Anguinán; and the Santa Clara Chapel, in Los Sarmientos. This tour includes the Nuestra Señora de la Merced Chapel in La Puntilla. It has a cane ceiling sustained by mesquite rafters, and images tha were made in the 18th century.
LA RIOJA WINE TRAIL
The Chilecito Valley, which lies at an elevation of 1,000 metres above sea level, is home to most of the province’s vineyards. Owing to the characteristics of the soil and climate, most vines are of the Bonarda type. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay vines are being added litle by little. The biggest and most famous winery is La Riojana, which began operation in 1940 making Torrontés wine. The small Valle de la Puerta boutique winery in Vichigasta opened in 2002 using all the modern technology, and added an olive oil processing plant in 2005. In Anguinán, a small town surrounded by mountains presided by imposing Mount Famatina, tourists can visit the winery owned by Bodegas y Viñedos Anguinán,which has been working in the area since 1924. Off this route, the San Huberto winery is the oldest of its type. Built in 1905, it has produced all types of vine-stocks.
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Like Catamarca, La Rioja has its own adobe chapels trail.
G3 LA RIOJA CITY 1,128 km northwest of Buenos Aires City.
The Provincial capital, named after the Spanish birthplace of its founder, lies at the foot of the Sierra de Velazco range, at an elevation of 500 metres above sea level. Its architecture reflects the religious roots of its colonial past and the lingering local indigenous spirit. Around the Plaza 25 de Mayo main square, the foundation spot chosen by Juan Ramírez de Velasco, are the Government House, the Cathedral, the Casino, a pedestrian street, and the Courthouse. The Cathedral is the scene of the “Tinkunaco” ceremony, during which the images St. Nicolás de Bari and the Child Mayor “meet” to commemorate the pacification of the Indians by St. Francisco Solano. Built in 1623, the Santo Domingo Church is the oldest building in the country that is still standing. Its thick adobe walls, the wooden door carved by local Indians, and the images inside are as they were when it was founded.
G3 LOS SAUCES DAM 15 km west of La Rioja City.
Built in 1931, this dam is one of the oldest in the country. Its lake, just 15 km from the provincial capital, occupies part of the bed of the Los Sauces River. Sport fishing and water sports are done there in a setting of violet and red hills. If you have access to a 4WD vehicle, you will be able to make it to the top of the Cerro de la Cruz hill (“El Morro”).
5 LA RIOJA MUST-SEES Cathedral. The original building was destroyed by an earthquake in 1894. It has an image of St. Nicholas of Bari. Santo Domingo Church. It withstood the earthquake and is the oldest structure still standing in the country. Portal de San Nicolás. A structure at the entrance to the city with the style of the Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid. Museo de la Ciudad. Exhibits furniture and other objects from old traditional homes in the city. Mercado Artesanal. Functions in a 19th-century house. Hand-loomed items, basketry, ceramics and leather.
There are people who claim to have seen UFOS in the Quebrada del Cóndor.
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BUENOS AIRES CITY / RETIRO Panoramic view. The observation deck of the “English” clock tower offers a beautiful view of the city. K12
TORRE DE LOS INGLESES
Del Libertador Ave. 49 • (4311-0186).
This is its popular name even though its official name is Torre Monumental. It was donated by English immigrants for the first centennial of the 1810 May Revolution. Its Renaissance architectural style is what was popular in Britain at that time. Its observation deck offers the best panoramic views of Buenos Aires.
J11 PALACIO SAN MARTIN Arenales 761.
The mansión was designed by Alejandro Christophersen in 1909. Its style is eclectic, with touches of French academicism. The three-building complex belonged to the aristocratic Anchorena family, and was the venue of the1916 Centennial Ball. The Foreign Ministry has functioned there since 1936.
K11 ART DISTRICT Arroyo between Esmeralda and C. Pellegrini, Arenales, Cerrito and nearby streets.
A district with important art galleries such as Praxis, Zurbarán, Benzacar, Palatina, del Puente. Once a month, galleries organize a Gallery Night with shows and free champagne.
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THE BUENOS AIRES OF JORGE LUIS BORGES Maipú 994. Borges spent most of the the last 40 years of his life in a small sixth-floor apartment. Palermo Viejo. His literary vocation was born in the house at Serrano and Guatemala where he spent the first 15 years of his life. Biblioteca Nacional. In 1955, Borges was appointed director of the National Library, at that time located at México 564. Plaza San Martín. When he lived at Maipú 994, he used to walk around this distinguished plaza. Parque Lezama. Around 1944, his passionate trysts with Estela Canto took place here.
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The restored Mihanovich Tower houses an elegant hotel of the Sofitel chain.
Edificio Kavanagh. When it was inaugurated in 1936, it was the highest reinforced concrete building in the world.
J11 PLAZA SAN MARTIN / RETIRO Santa Fe Ave. and Maipú.
It was a slave market, a bullring and an ordenance barracks. At the end of the 19th century it became a park with 300 trees. Around it are mansions that belonged to aristocratic families amd are now government buildings, such as the Haedo Palace (National Parks Administration headquarters), the Paz Palace (Military Circle) and the Anchorena Palace (Foreign Ministry).
K11 MUSEO ISAAC FERNANDEZ BLANCO Suipacha 1422 • (4327-0272).
At the beginning of the 20th century, art collector Isaac Fernández Blanco decided to build a museum in which to show the public his collection of colonial silverwork from the old River Plate and Peruvian viceroyalties. The neocolonial-style mansion that houses it was built on what was one of the properties that marked the northern limit of the original city of Buenos Aires. Today the museum is one of the city’s magic corners, with a garden where small chamber orchestras often perform.
L9 ATENEO GRAND SPLENDID Santa Fe Ave. 1860 • (4811-6104).
Set in a former cinema, it has three floors, an infinite number of books, and a pleasant café on the former stage. According to the English daily The Guardian, it is the second best bookstore in the world. The Palacio de Aguas Corrientes (Córdoba Ave. and Riobamba) is worth a look.
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PATAGONIA / RIO NEGRO
SAN CARLOS DE BARILOCHE’S “CIRCUITO CHICO”
It is definitely is the must-do and traditional trip for everyone visiting Bariloche. The drive along the southwestern shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi takes visitors to the most representative spots in the Río Negro province outdoors. Leaving the Civic Centre and driving along Ezequiel Bustillo avenue, you pass the Fenoglio chocolate factory, where you watch the industrial mixing machines amid a hypnotizing aroma of cacao. On the same road you pass the former home of Emilio Frey, with its original wood still intact. This house is also used as a mountain hut by mountaineers. Then come the Melipal residential neighbourhood, the Cerámica Burton sales room, and a road lined with austral cypresses that hide several bungalow complexes. Throughout the drive, there are gorgeous views of the lake, with the Huemul Peninsula and the Cuyín Manzano range as backdrops. Those who feel like it can take the gondola lift up to the revolving restaurant atop Mount Otto. If you prefer to remain on flat terrain, the excursion passes the elegant Hotel La Cascada, named after the natural cascade on its grounds. Further on, you come across Playa Bonita, a pebble beach that attracts water sports people. The boat that goes to Isla Huemul leaves from here. In addition to its landscapes, you will see the abandoned installations of the nuclear research centre that functioned there between 1949 and 1953. At Km 9.5 you pass the Bariloche Atomic Centre and the Balseiro Institute, world reknowned for the excellence of its professionals. Crossing the bridge over Gutiérrez Creek, you come across the refined Hotel El Casco and, a few metres further on, the shore of the Serena Bay. After that comes a campground and cabin court, and the road enters coihue and austral cypress forests and passes alongside Mount Campanario. Here also there is a chairlift; it takes you to the top of
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At the Fenoglio chocolate factory you learn how these delightful sweets are made.
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the mountain where there is a café with an exceptional view. The San Pedro Peninsula is at Km 20.3. A bit further on, you see the traditional Llao Llao Hotel, which was built in 1938 and has 164 luxury rooms and a view of Lago Moreno. Also worth a stop is the Casa de Muñecas, a picturesque home that sells porcelain dolls —as its name indicates— and wall clocks. The Bariloche-style Hotel Tunquelén, with its own marina, shares the Llao Llao area with the famous hotel. A short detour leads to the San Eduardo Chapel, whose architecture complements that of the Hotel Llao Llao. Back on the asphalt, you head east to the Camping Musical, a place where musicians and music lovers spend their summer vacations; every year some 200 teachers, assistants and scholarship holders give several concerts and seminars. Passing Puerto Pañuelo, a narrow road leads up into a coihue forest; later it widens out and the monumental Soria Moria residence comes into view. The Norwegian traditions of its owner are reflected in vitreaux and whale bones. Villa Tacul, a residential area around Bahía López with its own beach, is the preferred spot of windsurfers during the summer. At this point the landscape includes the peaks of mounts López and Capilla. Lake Escondido is near Km 30. The end of this Short Tour reveals the Hotel de Bahía López and a small mountain cemetery where the remains of several mountain climbers lie at rest. At this point, the road descends sharply and crosses López Creek, which leads to the eponymous refuge. A succession of hills and dales reveal a dream landscape that in summer acquires the lilac hues of the flowers in the fields outside Meli Hue, which distills and sells lavender derivatives. The panoramic lookout point at Km. 40 with coihue and austral cypress forests on the mountainsides reveals a metal sculpture of Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi, Father Bosco and an Indian. The morning or the late afternoon are the best times to get a general idea of the landscapes of this tour circuit.
The Casa de Muñecas sells hand-modelled dolls and fine wooden clocks.
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Conceived and written by Argentines who know the country inside out and give you all the updated information and advice you need to enjoy each and every corner of Argentina. A look at all of Argentina through its five regions – North, Mesopotamia, Cuyo, Centre and Patagonia – and the city of Buenos Aires. The country’s 500 most important attractions described in detail, with photographs and map locations. From famous must-sees like Iguazú Falls and the Perito Moreno glacier to magic spots like El Chaltén in Patagonia or the San Francisco Pass in the North. Not-to-be-missed experiences that lead straight to the country’s soul: regional food, handicraft, legends, popular festivals and the characters of each region. A special chapter provides useful information on excursions, museums, hotels, restaurants, bars, shows and shops. Detailed 1:5,700,000 scale maps of each region show towns, roads, national parks, UNESCO sites, scenic drives, winery areas, ski centres and themed itineraries.
E D I T O R E S
info@dediosonline.com www.dediosonline.com Buenos Aires - Argentina
Julián de Dios has been a journalist, photographer and traveller since age 17. Since then, he has written guidebooks to Argentina, Buenos Aires, Patagonia, Montevideo, Brazil and Egypt, among other destinations. He lives in Buenos Aires, and when he is not travelling, he is out walking around the city, looking for new places.
ARGENTINA COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 978-987-9445-46-4
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