Argentina is a country filled with a great amount of options and landscapes to visit. The landscapes and climate in Argentina are varied and there aren’t two identical regions. This makes Argentina a unique place that adapts to all tastes. In Argentina, you may visit mountain areas, which are ideal for skiing in winter, and you may also visit beaches (perfect for the summer season) and forests (ideal all year long). Moreover, those who wish to visit deserted areas may tour around some places in the northern region of Argentina, and may even come across hot tropical valleys without any prior warning. If that’s not enough, you may visit the great Iguazú Falls, one of the seventh new wonders of the world.
As you can imagine, Argentina is the perfect place for tourism, since each region (whether you choose to go north, south, east or west) will show you some amazing natural wonders, varied climates, contrasting flora and fauna and hundreds of landscapes that will take your breath away...
Recommended destinations
Some of the most visited places by tourism in Argentina are quite far from each other, so people need to decide where to go first, and which places to visit. Even though there are hundreds of beautiful places in Argentina, we will mention some of the most popular places that this gorgeous South-American country has to offer.
For starters, two destinations located in the North-Western region of Argentina that you can’t miss are Salta and Jujuy. Here, you will find magical places like: Cafayate, the “Valles Calchaquíes”, the great “Tren de las Nubes”, Purmamarca, Tilcara, Humahuaca, the “Parque Nacional Calilegua” (a national park where you will see the hot tropical valley), among many other beauties that Salta and Jujuy have to offer. Moreover, the culture and the people that live in the North-Western region of Argentina will delight and enchant you even more.
A little further to the South of Salta and Jujuy, you may visit the province of Mendoza. If you arrive to the city of Mendoza (its capital) and you fall in love with it, you can’t imagine the crash you will have with the rest of the province. In Mendoza, you will find mountain areas to walk around and go skiing, wineries with the latest technologies and delicious wines to taste, natural wonders where you can do niche adventure sports, among many other options, places and activities that Mendoza has.
Another world-known place are the Iguazú Falls. Located in the North-East region of Argentina, the Iguazú Falls were named “Wonder of the World”, and it does, in fact, manage to captivate people who go for the first, the second, and even the 14th time. The Iguazú Falls, in the province of Misiones, are THE place to visit, not only for its astonishing Falls but for its forest, flora and fauna.
In the southern region of Argentina you will find places like the great city of Bariloche and its surroundings. Bariloche is great all year round, since you may visit it in winter, and go skiing, or in summer, autumn or spring and enjoy its natural landscapes with a great range of colors and wonders.
If you go a bit further to the south, you may visit El Calafate. El Calafate is located in the province of Santa Cruz, and it is one of the most attractive cities for (national and international) tourism. El Calafate is the entrance door to the great “Parque Nacional Los Glaciares”, where you will see the infinite Perito Moreno Glacier among many others.
Even further south, you will reach a highly recommended destination: Ushuaia. The city of Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego, is known as the "southern-most city in the world", and its natural wonders invite all visitors to check it around and enjoy it. Besides touring around Ushuaia and its surroundings, in winter you may visit its ski resort a few miles away from the city.
Beach Destinations in Argentina
Argentina has beautiful beaches in its Atlantic coast, in the East. Some of the most popular beaches for surfing and ideal for beach lovers during the summer are those located in the Province of Buenos Aires. Some of the most popular beaches in Buenos Aires are: Pinamar, Villa Gesell, Mar del Plata, and further south, Necochea.
Some of the beaches of Buenos Aires are popular among different types of visitors. For examples, San Bernardo and Villa Gesell are usually popular among the young crowds; San Clemente del Tuyú and Miramar are chosen by families with children; Mar de las Pampas and Cariló are for those who want peace and quietness; and, Mar del Plata is pretty much for everyone (except those who want peace). Mar del Plata has everything you may need, since it is a big city, filled with beaches, night life and places to go shopping.
Still, in Argentina, you will find other places with beaches, in the south. During the last few decades, the south-eastern coast of Argentina has become popular among tourists. This area is different to Buenos Aires, since besides sand and sea, you may find rocky areas and cliffs. Moreover, these beaches are perfect for scuba diving, whale watching, and other options.
Mountain destinations in Argentina
The western region of Argentina is delimited by the Andes range. This long and amazing mountain range paints some gorgeous pictures in many of the provinces in Argentina, like Mendoza, Rio Negro, Neuquén and Río Gallegos (among others). One of the clearest and highest examples of the mountain landscapes you will find in Argentina is the Aconcagua Mountain in Mendoza. The Aconcagua is the highest peak in the American Continent. Besides the gorgeous scenery, in this Argentina mountain, as well as in the other peaks, you will be able to do some niche adventure sport such as going trekking, climbing, doing mountain-bike, etc. In the mountain-filled areas of Argentina, you are welcome at any time of the year, since besides skiing there are plenty of things to do in the mountains all year long.
Moreover, there is also a mountain area in the middle of the country, in the province of Cordoba. Although the mountains aren’t as high as those in the other provinces in the west of Argentina, Cordoba offers beautiful landscapes, perfect areas to rest and get in touch with nature and a lot of activities to enjoy while in Argentina. All the Andes range throughout Argentina offers a wide scope of climates, landscapes and beauties you won’t regret watching.
Go skiing in Argentina
As we have mentioned, Argentina adapts to all tastes and people, and so in this South American country you will find many Ski resorts where you can go skiing. Some of the most famous ski resorts in Argentina are:
- The “Cerro Catedral” in the city of Bariloche (in the province of Río Negro). In the Cerro Catedral, you will find ski ranks for all levels, activities for children and many other things to do with the whole family.
- The Cerro Castor. Further to the south, in the province of Tierra del Fuego, sports’ fans are invited to go skiing, snowboarding, and many other winter activities.
- A very popular ski resort in Argentina is Las Leñas. Located in the province of Mendoza, Las Leñas is a ski resort that adapts to all levels and tastes, and it has become really popular among young people.
- In the province of Neuquén, you may find the Cerro Chapelco, which has been considered as one of the best in Argentina. In this ski resort, not only will you be able to ski, but you may also do many activities with your family or trip mates, while enjoying the snow.
These are only some of the ski resorts you may visit in Argentina, since there are others on the list where you can go skiing.
Adventure tourism in Argentina
From north to south, and from east to west, Argentina is perfect for niche tourism activities. Trekking lovers may walk throughout every region of Argentina and meet the many wonders it has to offer on foot. For those who prefer it, mountain-bike is also feasible and entertaining in Argentina, especially for those who enjoy visiting the mountain areas. Likewise, horseback riding lovers may find their way around Argentina too.
In Argentina, you will find many niche tourism activities of different levels and difficulties. For example, climbing could be a challenge for those with great experience, but also is a feasible activity for those who have just started. The same thing happens with rafting: you may choose the most dangerous rapids or you may choose the calmer rivers and enjot the ride...
In provinces like Mendoza, Neuquén, Santa Cruz or Tierra del Fuego, the options of adventure sports are endless and each area offers different landscapes which will probably beat the others. Whether you choose to visit lower or higher lands in Argentina, every region is perfect for outdoors activities and adventure sports, so it will be impossible for you to get bored in Argentina.
Sports Tourism in Argentina
Each year, Argentina has been adding more sports events into their calendar and within time, many have already become popular worldwide. Some sports events in Argentina are more popular than others. Still, all of them welcome sports fans from around the world so that they can share the adrenaline while enjoying the surrounding landscapes that Argentina has to offer.
Some of the most popular events that make Argentina worth visiting are: Polo Championships; Golf championships, Marathons (duathlons, triathlons, etc.) in different regions of Argentina (including the gorgeous mountain areas of the country), among others.
One of the events that has become a classic in Argentina and its neighbor countries during the last few years is the Rally Dakar. This event has taken place in Argentina for some years now, and it is very popular among the race fans from around the world (for those who compete and those you like watching).
Likewise, another classic sport event is the tennis championship “ATP Buenos Aires”. Of course, there are other tennis championships that are less popular, but that they still offer lots of adrenaline and high-standard matches.
Last, but not least, we cannot fail to mention the great amount of football championships that Argentina organizes every year and has attracted everyone’s attention.
Sports are very popular in Argentina and so sports tourism is growing each year, and with that, the great opportunity of getting to know Argentina, and its passion towards sports.
Carnival in Argentina
Carnival in Argentina is celebrated every year in many cities of the country, and each place celebrates it according to their own tradition and culture. The most famous and touristy carnivals in Argentina are those in the provinces of Corrientes, Entre Ríos, San Luis, Jujuy and, during the last few years, Buenos Aires.
The city of Corrientes is considered the “the capital city of Carnival" in Argentina. In this city, as in other cities of Corrientes and the eastern provinces of Argentina, you are invited to watch some comparsas and parades similar to those you may find of Brazil.
The province of Entre Rios is also very popular for its carnival celebrations. One of the most popular cities in Entre Rios is Gualeguaychu. Each year, this place attracts more people that want to join the carnival celebration in Argentina.
Moreover, the northwest region of Argentina also celebrates carnival, but they celebrate it differently. One of the perfect places to immerse into the celebration of carnival season in the northwest region of Argentina is in “La Quebrada de Humahuaca”. Every year, its people celebrate the beginning of carnival through the exhumation of the devil and they finish it with its burial. In this region of Argentina, carnival is celebrated with the idea of freeing desires, which differs from other celebrations in the country.
Last, another place where you may find parades and carnival celebration in Argentina is in the city of Buenos Aires and its surroundings. Search for the nearest parade, since there are many meeting points where you can celebrate carnival in Buenos Aires, and of course in hundreds of other places in Argentina too!
