Argentina: Soul of South America.
12 Days.
When you want a taste of the Old World, where do you go? The Continent, most likely.
Time for a change.
If you've never visited Buenos Aires, Argentina, it's high time you did. Think traditional luxury with a twist of Latin brilliance. Gorgeous, stylish people. High culture. Tango in the air. And a sophistication that puts some European cities to shame.
But Argentina is much more than just the Paris of the South. On a custom tour through the country (and a bit of time in neighboring Brazil), we get a taste of the nation’s many faces.
First, Buenos Aires, a city with Paris's boulevards, San Francisco's sensibility, and Madrid's sense of time. Settle into one of several top hotels. Talk about pampering on the pampas. In B.A., we move to the beat of the barrios. Stroll La Recoleta. And San Telmo, the city's answer to SoHo. Palermo Chico’s green neighborhood—parks, botanical gardens, and the like—draw weekend crowds. On a guided tour, we pay our respects at La Recoleta Cemetery, final resting place of Argentine aristocrats and one still popular populist (Mrs. Peron). The grave sites are macabre, attractive, and sensual all at once. Before leaving town, consider an authentic tango show. How can you resist?
No sense visiting Argentina without some time in her wine country. Alight in Mendoza, Argentina’s answer to Napa Valley. The reds and whites are superb (if you’re not familiar with the Malbec grape, you soon will be), and there is excellent cuisine to match. Go wine-tasting at two very different estates. At one, tuck into a fabulous lunch.
Next, fly to South America’s best-kept but not-so-silent secret: Iguazú Falls. Taller than Niagara, and twice as wide. Count them: 275 individual cascades crash together to create the spectacle. There’s something positively primordial about Iguazú’s ceaseless roar. If you like, opt to helicopter over Devil’s Throat (where 14 falls converge), or consider a boat ride that cruises (very) close to the cataracts. Transfixing mocha swirls and luminescent spray. Take the time to see the falls from both the Argentine and the Brazilian sides.
Down to San Carlos de Bariloche, where we check in to a top resort. Landing here seems puzzling. Have we taken a detour and ended up in the Swiss Alps? Easy to think so, as we’re surrounded by snowy peaks, Swiss chalets, and the smell of fresh-made chocolate in the air. Welcome to Argentina's Lake District and the heart of Argentinian Patagonia. Founded by Swiss, German, and Northern Italian settlers, which explains plenty. Explore the region and get wonderful outdoor time in the process. The air is fresh, the scenery sublime.
Then home, with a new sense of the New World's Old World.
This journey works seamlessly in combination with R. Crusoe's 15-day Chile: South America's Spine customized tour. We can also arrange bespoke travel to Argentina and Brazil in combination with an R. Crusoe trip to Peru.
To request a detailed itinerary for this journey (and others), click here.