Argentina

And Iguazu Falls Brazil

Argentina is a big vast country with a huge diverse landscape. From the north that feels tropical, where monkeys swing from the trees and humidity hangs in the air, to central Argentina, where some of the best wines in the world are made to southern Argentina also known as Patagonia where glaciers, icebergs and penguins abound. This Is Argentina. And it is beautiful.

We were lucky to have two months touring through Argentina with stops in Uruguay and Chile but most of our time was in Argentina. The country is beautiful and part of its beauty is the people. We met some wonderful people along the way, made some new friends and so many people helped us as we traveled.

We visited Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Cordoba, Mendoza, El Calafate, Ushuaia and Puerto Madryn. Getting around was not easy, we had to fly from place to place as there is not a train system so that can get expensive. But it really is the only way to see it all.

Let’s start with Buenos Aires. This is the largest city in Argentina with an estimated 15,890,600 residents. As big as this city was we found it easy to navigate. We stayed in the Recoleta neighborhood but took Uber from place to place and didn’t have any issues at all getting to where we were going.

Buenos Aires is a beautiful city, full of history but very modern. There are definitely neighborhoods with different vibes, some known for their nightlife, others for their calm laid back feel, and others yet for their artsy quirkiness. We enjoyed them all.

We visited the Recoleta Cemetery, The Metropolittan Cathedral, El Ateneo Library, The Jardin Japanese Gardens, we visited Boca and enjoyed an empanada, cocktail and a tango dance while we stopped for lunch, we visited Plaza de Las Nacional Unidas, Plaza de Mayo, Palermo, San Telmo and Puerto Madero.

There is so much to see and do in this city, we hit the ground running and didn’t pause the whole time we were there. We only had eight days but we could have used up two weeks easy.

We really enjoyed Buenos Aires and would put this down as a place we would definitely return to.

We Also flew up to Iguazu Falls, we did see both sides of the Falls, Argentina side and Brazil side. If you plan on visiting the Brazil side make sure you check visa requirements as from the U.S. an E-Visa is required.

Iguazu Falls has to be one of the most beautiful sites we’ve ever seen. It is absolutely breathtaking and everywhere you look there are waterfalls in all directions. The power of the water falling and the sound was something I will never forget. The highest point of the falls is 269 feet and it has 275 waterfall drops making it one of the largest waterfalls in the world. It was a spectacular sight to see and experience. We were only there four days and we wish we would have stayed a couple of days longer. We stayed at the beautiful Iguazu jungle lodge and we would give that a high recommendation. https://www.iguazujunglelodge.com/en

We also visited the Patque das Aves Bird park. This was a surprising experience. We did’nt think it would be as fantastic as it was, a place where you can get up close and personal with some beautiful tropical birds and all types of birds from that region. They focus on conservation and each area is well thought out and gives these beautiful creatures plenty of space in their free roaming areas. We highly recommend a visit here as well and take your time, there is also a butterfly area in the park that was fun to go through.

We’ve added a link to the bird park for more information.

https://www.iguazujunglelodge.com/en

Our next stop was Cordoba, the reason we decided to stop here was for the history. I love history and stepping back in time and we found the oldest church in Argentina here and also the Jesuit block so these were must sees for me and they did not disappoint.

This is the second largest city in Argentina and a college town. And boy could we feel the presence of the colleges. This city was very young, and there were some college events while we were there so it could get a little rambunctious at times, but we are in our sixties so we aren’t used to that kind of energy any more. We did however enjoy this city very much.

We enjoyed the history, we visited the Jesuit block which is a Unesco World Heritage site, and learned all about their history there in Cordoba, we visited Sarmiento Park, a beautiful green space with a gorgeous man made lake that felt like a little slice of heaven and we spent time visiting the Evita Arts Museum that had beautiful art displays to enjoy. We spent a lot of time in Plaza San Martin the main square in town, surrounded by historical structures but my personal favorite was the church I came to see the Catredral de Cordoba Nuestra Senora de la Asunción. This was a beautiful church and the oldest church in continuous service in Argentina. They began building this church in 1582 but it was not officially consecrated until 1706. And then the facade was not completed until 1729. And construction continued on the outside adding the two bell towers which were completed in 1787. This church is a huge part of the history of Cordoba and a sight to see.

We also visited another cathedral that was built in 1926 and completed in 1934. This was La Catredral Iglesia de Los Capuchinos, a gothic style church that really surprised us by its architectural design.

We also visited Sarmiento Park, the largest park in Cordoba covering about 247 acres. It features walking paths, a lake, various recreational activities and is just beautiful with all its trees and flower gardens, a great park for families. And we seen many families enjoying the park having picnics and relaxing. It has an open air theatre, picnic area,and playgrounds. The park is free and is a beautiful green space you’ll want to visit more than once. There was also a small roller coaster and carnival area across the street with pony rides and food trucks. Also near the park is Plaza del Bicentenario. This is another social space where people gather. It features colorful circles representing significant events in the country’s 200 year history. It’s conveniently located near museums, shopping, restaurants, and other amenities. 

These green spaces are absolutely stunning, peaceful and a great space to spend time with family. This is what we observed while we were there, families enjoying these spaces and it was a beautiful sight to see.

We only had six days in Cordoba and I know there is so much more we could have seen, but in everything we experienced there we are glad we decided to make this a stop. This is a beautiful city with a vibrant college scene and we enjoyed every aspect of our time spent there.

Below are some more photos, we hope you enjoy the visual tour.