Fodor's Essential Argentina
Written by locals, Fodor's Essential Argentina is the perfect guidebook for those looking...
Argentina's magnificent landscapes create memorable backdrops for amazing experiences. Wine lovers can sample world-class Malbecs at Mendoza's high-altitude vineyards with Andes Mountain views; adventure seekers revel in the colorful canyons of the Northwest; and nature lovers marvel at the thundering torrents of Iguazú Falls. In Patagonia, top-notch outdoor activities beckon, from scaling translucent glaciers to spotting penguins and whales. Urban adventures also await in Buenos Aires, with its thriving foodie scene, chic shopping districts, and vibrant nightlife.
Fodor's Essential Argentina
Written by locals, Fodor's Essential Argentina is the perfect guidebook for those looking...
Top Destinations
Top Destinations

Buenos Aires
Glamorous and gritty, Buenos Aires is two cities in one. What makes Argentina's capital so fascinating is its dual heritage—part European, part...

The Northwest
This region flourished under the Inca, then attracted treasure-seeking Spaniards during colonial times; now it’s luring an international contingent...

Patagonia
Patagonia is a wild and rugged land filled with breathtaking landscapes and eye-catching wildlife. There are few other places in the world where...

Wine Regions
Exceptional wine, top-quality cuisine, exhilarating outdoor activities, and the skyscraping Andes framing almost every view: it’s easy to see...

The Lake District
The northern Lake District has become Patagonia’s most popular tourist region. Spread over three states and encompassing more than a million...

Side Trips from Buenos Aires
To hear porteños (inhabitants of Buenos Aires) talk of their city, you'd think Argentina stops where Buenos Aires ends. Not far beyond it...

Mendoza City
Mendoza’s streets are shaded from the summer sun by a canopy of poplars, elms, and sycamores. Water runs along its sidewalks in acéquias, disappears...

Buenos Aires Province
Plains fan out where the city of Buenos Aires ends: this is the beginning of the pampas, which derive their name from the native Quechua word...

Salta
It's not just "Salta" to most Argentineans, but "Salta la Linda" ("Salta the Beautiful"). That nickname is actually redundant: "Salta" already...

Bariloche
Bariloche is the gateway to all the recreational and scenic splendors of the northern Lake District and the headquarters for Parque Nacional...

El Calafate
Founded in 1927 as a frontier town, El Calafate is the base for excursions to the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, which was created in 1937 as...

San Salvador de Jujuy
Founded by Spaniards in 1593, San Salvador de Jujuy (known as Jujuy to most Argentineans and as "S.S. de Jujuy" on signs) is a compact city...

San Juan
Easygoing San Juan makes a good base if you want to combine active pursuits (a good selection of which can be found in and around the Ullum...

Ushuaia
At 55 degrees latitude south, Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swy-ah) is closer to the South Pole than to Argentina's northern border with Bolivia. It...

San Rafael
San Rafael (population 175,000) is the second largest city in Mendoza. Wide avenues lined with leafy sycamores and tall poplars fed by streetside...

Iguazu Falls
Iguazú consists of some 275 separate waterfalls—in the rainy season there are as many as 350—that plunge more than 200 feet onto the rocks below...

Puerto Madryn
Approaching from Ruta 3, it's hard to believe that the horizon line of buildings perched just beyond the windswept dunes and badlands is the...

Cafayate
Thanks to a microclimate and fertile soil, Cafayate and the surrounding area is one of Argentina's booming wine regions. The town itself is...

San Martin de los Andes
Surrounded by lakes, dense forests, and mountains, San Martín de los Andes lies in a natural basin at the foot of Lago Lácar. It's a small,...

San Antonio de Areco
There's no better place to experience traditional provincial life in the pampas than this well-to-do farming town. Grand estancias dot the land...

Villa La Angostura
Sitting on a narrow angostura (isthmus) on the northern shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi, Villa La Angostura was once a mere hamlet. But, having...

Lujan de Cuyo
Bordering both banks of the Mendoza River, Luján de Cuyo is known as the home of Malbec because it was here that the variety first started showing...

El Bolson
El Bolsón ("the purse") lies in a valley enclosed on either side by the jagged peaks of two mountain ranges. You catch your first glimpse of...

Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
This park is one of the main reasons that travelers make a trip to the tip of Argentina. Its deep forests, glistening lakes, and wind-whipped...

La Plata
...

Tilcara
Founded in 1600 and witness to many battles during the War of Independence, Tilcara is on the eastern side of the Río Grande at its confluence...

Peninsula Valdes
The biggest attraction in Península Valdés is the ballena franca (southern right whale) population, which feeds, mates, and gives birth here...

Tigre and the Parana Delta
A coastal train ride or a drive through the shady riverside suburbs of Buenos Aires takes you to the riverport town of Tigre, the embarkation...

Tupungato
Tupungato is a sleepy agricultural town most of the year. During harvest (February and March), though, the roads in and around it overflow with...

Gaiman
The most Welsh of the Atlantic Patagonian settlements, sleepy Gaiman (pronounced Guy -mon) is far more charming than nearby Trelew and Rawson...

Uspallata
At the crossroads of three important routes—Ruta Nacional 7 from Mendoza across the Andes, Ruta 57 from Mendoza via Villavicencio, and Ruta...

Purmamarca
Nestled in the shadow of craggy rocks and multicolored, cactus-studded hills—with the occasional low-flying cloud floating by—the colonial village...

Tafi del Valle
...

Pinamar
...

Villa Traful
If there were a prize for the most beautiful lake in the region, Lago Traful would win for its clarity, serenity, and wild surroundings. Small...

Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi
Created in 1934, Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi is the oldest national park in Argentina. It’s also one of the largest, encompassing more than...

Trelew
Trelew (pronounced Tre- leh -ew) is a commercial, industrial, and service hub that contains the region's main airport. Its biggest attractions...

Mar del Plata
...

Maipu
Lying south and slightly east of Mendoza City, Maipú—the province’s oldest wine region—is spread over the districts of General Gutierrez, Coquimbito...

El Chalten
Founded in 1985, El Chaltén is Argentina's newest town, and it's growing at an astounding rate. Originally just a few shacks and lodges built...

Mar de las Pampas
...

Tunuyan
Twice the size of Tupungato, Tunuyán makes a good base for touring the Valle de Uco wineries. Downtown consists of two traffic circles on either...

Humahuaca
Humahuaca—at an altitude of 2,957 meters (9,700 feet)—is the gateway to the Puna. Its narrow stone streets hark back to pre-Hispanic civilizations...

Cachi
This small colonial village on Ruta 40 is fast becoming a base for exploring the north of Calchaqui Valley. Cachi itself has a charming church...

Sarmiento and the Bosque Petrificado
Built in a fertile valley formed by the Río Senguer and its two interconnected lakes, Lago Musters and Lago Colhué Huapi, the Sarmiento area...

Camarones
After driving or riding for hours along the empty coastal road (or via Ruta Provincial 30 from Ruta 3), the tiny town of Camarones—a collection...

Los Esteros del Ibera
...

Amaicha
...

Barreal
Beyond the streets of Barreal, hiding in the shade of sauce llorones (weeping willows) and alamos, lie apple orchards, vineyards, and fields...

Las Leñas
Las Leñas is the largest ski area served by lifts in the Western Hemisphere—bigger than Whistler/Blackcomb in British Columbia, and larger than...

Parque Nacional Lago Puelo
Parque Nacional Lago Puelo is one of the smallest national parks in the southern Andes and one of the warmest spots in the region. The oh-so...

Molinos
Molinos, a village with about 5,000 inhabitants, has a photogenic 17th-century church and a small vicuña-breeding farm ( vicuñas are similar...

Parque Nacional Lanin
The dramatically beautiful Parque Nacional Lanín contains 35 mountain lakes, countless rivers, ancient forests, and the Volcán Lanín. Tucked...

Comodoro Rivadavia
Argentina's answer to Houston, Comodoro Rivadavía is the town that oil built. Unlike Houston, however, there's not much here apart from oil...

Bahia Bustamante
Spending time in Bahía Bustamante is like having your own private Península Valdés. In 1953 it was founded by Lorenzo Soriano, who searched...

Punta Tombo
This protected area is home to one of the world's biggest colonies of Magellenic penguins; they come for the season to lay eggs and feed their...

Buenos Aires
Glamorous and gritty, Buenos Aires is two cities in one. What makes Argentina's capital so fascinating is its dual heritage—part European, part...

Mendoza City
Mendoza’s streets are shaded from the summer sun by a canopy of poplars, elms, and sycamores. Water runs along its sidewalks in acéquias, disappears...

Salta
It's not just "Salta" to most Argentineans, but "Salta la Linda" ("Salta the Beautiful"). That nickname is actually redundant: "Salta" already...

Bariloche
Bariloche is the gateway to all the recreational and scenic splendors of the northern Lake District and the headquarters for Parque Nacional...

San Salvador de Jujuy
Founded by Spaniards in 1593, San Salvador de Jujuy (known as Jujuy to most Argentineans and as "S.S. de Jujuy" on signs) is a compact city...

Ushuaia
At 55 degrees latitude south, Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swy-ah) is closer to the South Pole than to Argentina's northern border with Bolivia. It...

San Juan
Easygoing San Juan makes a good base if you want to combine active pursuits (a good selection of which can be found in and around the Ullum...

San Rafael
San Rafael (population 175,000) is the second largest city in Mendoza. Wide avenues lined with leafy sycamores and tall poplars fed by streetside...

Iguazu Falls
Iguazú consists of some 275 separate waterfalls—in the rainy season there are as many as 350—that plunge more than 200 feet onto the rocks below...

Puerto Madryn
Approaching from Ruta 3, it's hard to believe that the horizon line of buildings perched just beyond the windswept dunes and badlands is the...

Cafayate
Thanks to a microclimate and fertile soil, Cafayate and the surrounding area is one of Argentina's booming wine regions. The town itself is...

San Martin de los Andes
Surrounded by lakes, dense forests, and mountains, San Martín de los Andes lies in a natural basin at the foot of Lago Lácar. It's a small,...

San Antonio de Areco
There's no better place to experience traditional provincial life in the pampas than this well-to-do farming town. Grand estancias dot the land...

Villa La Angostura
Sitting on a narrow angostura (isthmus) on the northern shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi, Villa La Angostura was once a mere hamlet. But, having...

Lujan de Cuyo
Bordering both banks of the Mendoza River, Luján de Cuyo is known as the home of Malbec because it was here that the variety first started showing...

El Bolson
El Bolsón ("the purse") lies in a valley enclosed on either side by the jagged peaks of two mountain ranges. You catch your first glimpse of...

La Plata
...

Tilcara
Founded in 1600 and witness to many battles during the War of Independence, Tilcara is on the eastern side of the Río Grande at its confluence...

Tupungato
Tupungato is a sleepy agricultural town most of the year. During harvest (February and March), though, the roads in and around it overflow with...

Uspallata
At the crossroads of three important routes—Ruta Nacional 7 from Mendoza across the Andes, Ruta 57 from Mendoza via Villavicencio, and Ruta...

Tafi del Valle
...

Purmamarca
Nestled in the shadow of craggy rocks and multicolored, cactus-studded hills—with the occasional low-flying cloud floating by—the colonial village...

Gaiman
The most Welsh of the Atlantic Patagonian settlements, sleepy Gaiman (pronounced Guy -mon) is far more charming than nearby Trelew and Rawson...

Pinamar
...

Trelew
Trelew (pronounced Tre- leh -ew) is a commercial, industrial, and service hub that contains the region's main airport. Its biggest attractions...

Villa Traful
If there were a prize for the most beautiful lake in the region, Lago Traful would win for its clarity, serenity, and wild surroundings. Small...

Mar del Plata
...

Maipu
Lying south and slightly east of Mendoza City, Maipú—the province’s oldest wine region—is spread over the districts of General Gutierrez, Coquimbito...

El Chalten
Founded in 1985, El Chaltén is Argentina's newest town, and it's growing at an astounding rate. Originally just a few shacks and lodges built...

Tunuyan
Twice the size of Tupungato, Tunuyán makes a good base for touring the Valle de Uco wineries. Downtown consists of two traffic circles on either...

Mar de las Pampas
...

Cachi
This small colonial village on Ruta 40 is fast becoming a base for exploring the north of Calchaqui Valley. Cachi itself has a charming church...

Humahuaca
Humahuaca—at an altitude of 2,957 meters (9,700 feet)—is the gateway to the Puna. Its narrow stone streets hark back to pre-Hispanic civilizations...

Amaicha
...

Sarmiento and the Bosque Petrificado
Built in a fertile valley formed by the Río Senguer and its two interconnected lakes, Lago Musters and Lago Colhué Huapi, the Sarmiento area...

Los Esteros del Ibera
...

Camarones
After driving or riding for hours along the empty coastal road (or via Ruta Provincial 30 from Ruta 3), the tiny town of Camarones—a collection...

Barreal
Beyond the streets of Barreal, hiding in the shade of sauce llorones (weeping willows) and alamos, lie apple orchards, vineyards, and fields...

Las Leñas
Las Leñas is the largest ski area served by lifts in the Western Hemisphere—bigger than Whistler/Blackcomb in British Columbia, and larger than...

Molinos
Molinos, a village with about 5,000 inhabitants, has a photogenic 17th-century church and a small vicuña-breeding farm ( vicuñas are similar...

Comodoro Rivadavia
Argentina's answer to Houston, Comodoro Rivadavía is the town that oil built. Unlike Houston, however, there's not much here apart from oil...

Punta Tombo
This protected area is home to one of the world's biggest colonies of Magellenic penguins; they come for the season to lay eggs and feed their...

Bahia Bustamante
Spending time in Bahía Bustamante is like having your own private Península Valdés. In 1953 it was founded by Lorenzo Soriano, who searched...

The Northwest
This region flourished under the Inca, then attracted treasure-seeking Spaniards during colonial times; now it’s luring an international contingent...

Patagonia
Patagonia is a wild and rugged land filled with breathtaking landscapes and eye-catching wildlife. There are few other places in the world where...

Wine Regions
Exceptional wine, top-quality cuisine, exhilarating outdoor activities, and the skyscraping Andes framing almost every view: it’s easy to see...

The Lake District
The northern Lake District has become Patagonia’s most popular tourist region. Spread over three states and encompassing more than a million...

Side Trips from Buenos Aires
To hear porteños (inhabitants of Buenos Aires) talk of their city, you'd think Argentina stops where Buenos Aires ends. Not far beyond it...

Buenos Aires Province
Plains fan out where the city of Buenos Aires ends: this is the beginning of the pampas, which derive their name from the native Quechua word...

The Atlantic Coast
...

Peninsula Valdes
The biggest attraction in Península Valdés is the ballena franca (southern right whale) population, which feeds, mates, and gives birth here...

Tigre and the Parana Delta
A coastal train ride or a drive through the shady riverside suburbs of Buenos Aires takes you to the riverport town of Tigre, the embarkation...

El Calafate
Founded in 1927 as a frontier town, El Calafate is the base for excursions to the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, which was created in 1937 as...

Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
This park is one of the main reasons that travelers make a trip to the tip of Argentina. Its deep forests, glistening lakes, and wind-whipped...

Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi
Created in 1934, Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi is the oldest national park in Argentina. It’s also one of the largest, encompassing more than...

Parque Nacional Lanin
The dramatically beautiful Parque Nacional Lanín contains 35 mountain lakes, countless rivers, ancient forests, and the Volcán Lanín. Tucked...

Parque Nacional Lago Puelo
Parque Nacional Lago Puelo is one of the smallest national parks in the southern Andes and one of the warmest spots in the region. The oh-so...
All Destinations
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Shop NowFodor's Essential Argentina
Written by locals, Fodor's Essential Argentina is the perfect guidebook for those looking...