Argentina - Home

Despite Argentina's recent economic woes, its pleasures - stunning natural wonders, an elegant capital with a European-flavored sophistication, and a passionate culture - are still as tempting as ever. The silver lining to the financial cloud is that it's now one of the best travel bargains going around. This is one Latin American country where Europeans and North Americans can feel at ease and travel relatively inconspicuously. An interest in soccer and some nimble foot skills may be all you need to feel like a local.

Surprisingly, Argentina has few festivals, and most public holidays reflect the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar. Things come to a stop over the Christmas to New Year and Easter periods. Saints' days and provincial holidays are other important events, as are 25 May (commemorating the May Revolution of 1810), Malvinas Day (2 April) and Columbus Day (12 October).

Argentina has excellent worldwide air connections, with Aeropuerto Internacional Ezeiza, outside Buenos Aires, the main international airport. A departure tax of 23.50 (plus 21% IVA) is payable on international flights; the tax is 5.00 (plus 21% IVA) on flights to Uruguay. Note that all taxes and costs will be up in the air until the monetary crisis sorts itself out. If you're arriving at the Ezeiza airport, there are several buses you can take to Buenos Aires. The buses take a while (up to 2 hours if traffic is bad), but they're a cheaper option than taxis, especially considering the recent taxi scams. A multitude of land and river crossing points connect Argentina with neighbouring Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Chile. Travel from Chile usually involves a hike through the Andes, while overland travel to Bolivia can go through the border towns of La Quiaca, Tarija or Pocitos-Yacuiba. Paraguay can be reached by bus and/or river launch, and the most common crossing to Brazil is via Foz do Iguacu or Uruguaiana. Uruguay is linked to Argentina by road bridges, and ferries sail between Buenos Aires and Colonia in Uruguay.

Argentina forms the eastern half of South America's long, tapering tail. It's a big country - the eighth largest in the world, and the second largest on the South American continent. It borders Chile to the west (separated by the Andean Cordilleras range) and Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia to the north and east (separated by rivers). It also shares the offshore island territory of Tierra del Fuego with Chile, and continues to dispute the ownership of the Islas Malvinas (the Falklands to the Brits). Argentina's topography is affected by both latitude and altitude, and is accordingly varied. The country can be divided into four major physiographic provinces: the Andes to the west (with arid basins, grape-filled foothills, glacial mountains and the Lake District), the fertile lowland north (with subtropical rainforests), the central Pampas (a flat mix of humid and dry expanses) and Patagonia (a combination of pastoral steppes and glacial regions).