When we visited Patagonia and the capital in 2016, we liked it a lot and recognized its potential. But, after a month in Buenos Aires and a month the northwest part of the country, Argentina has launched itself up our top ten countries list due to its breadth of beautiful terrain, pleasant weather, incredible people, off the charts wine, ease of living, affordability and a true desire to go back again and again, which for us, are all true marks that make a country a “favorite.”
Below is our personal list of stats, as well as upsides and downsides for the NW part of the country.
- Time Spent: 28 nights (November 2-30, 2023)
- Money Spent: $896.16 or $32/day
- Places Visited: Salta (9 nights) Cafayate (3) Tucaman (2) Cordoba (4) Villa General Belgrano (2) Jesus Maria (2) Miramar (1) Mendoza (5)
- Favorite Place: Mendoza
- Least Favorite: we loved everywhere but weren’t enamored by Córdoba
- Best Stay: Posada Verde Oliva (a gift from Greg’s parents)
- Favorite Experience: Wine pairing lunch at Claroscuro near Mendoza
- Least Favorite: Leaving
- Would we return? Yes, and when we return we’ll definitely maximize our visa. Next time we definitely plan to spend more time in Mendoza and Bariloche. We’d also return to Cafayate, and of course Buenos Aires
Upsides for NW Argentina
- You can drink the tap water and it’s also hot in sinks when you want it.
- Stunning landscapes…from lush forest to snow-capped mountains, to red rock desert. Some of the most varied and beautiful we’ve experienced in South America
- The Blue dollar rate and the soaring inflation continues to keep costs low, so long as you’re a person with foreign currency
- Everywhere we went was incredibly walkable.
- Friendly and welcoming people
- Vegetarian options and variety of food (most places)
- The apartment rentals and hostels always seemed to remember a bedside light.
- Top class wine selection and price
- Phenomenal road trip potential. Unfortunately car rentals are not purchased at the blue dollar rate so they can get expensive
- Mouth-watering alfajore cookies and empanadas, like the rest of the country
- public transportation is easy and affordable.
Downsides for NW Argentina
- Argentine Spanish is challenging for learners. The accent is difficult and there are so so many words that are only used in Argentina.
- Because they honor siesta here, it’s normal to find all shops closed from 2-5 in the afternoon
- It can be very annoying to book things without a “DNI number”
- Booking accommodation in general can be a huge pain. Airbnb prices are super inflated and the Booking prices are not what you see online (they’re way lower.) Also, many accommodations will not let you book a place at all until 1-2 weeks prior to your stay due to inflation and changing costs. You also have to watch out for “cash” only payments when the proprietors insist you pay the 21% VAT tax which is not required for foreigners
- Four way intersections can be a complete mystery. There are no stop signs or lights and it literally seems to be a sometimes scary “go with the flow.”
- locals are rarely on time
- Argentinians can be very aggressive drivers
We have unexpectedly fallen in love. When we visited the “Paris of South America” in 2016, we knew we found her attractive and wanted to return. But the truth is, in those ridiculously short two days, we didn’t even have a chance to bud a romance. But during this rendezvous, we experienced some of the genuine, and not just tourist culture. We met local friends. We took yoga classes and made friends with shopkeepers. It easily launched itself into our top three world cities list (1million+). All this said, upon our departure, we’re almost always ready to leave a place, but as of today, we’re only longing for more….
Below is a summary of our stats for the city, which includes our personal upsides and downsides.
- Time Spent: 31 nights (August 29-September 30, 2023)
- Money Spent: $1353 or $43.64/day
- Places Stayed: Villa Crespo (3 nights) and Almagro (28 nights)
Upsides of Buenos Aires
- Public transportation is integrated and affordable
- In a city of 15 million, it’s hard to believe how very friendly and smiling the people are. Especially when they might understandably show some animosity to foreigners
- There is an endless array of inexpensive or free things to do, including events and festivals
- It’s very easy to walk everywhere
- It felt incredibly safe in all the neighborhoods we explored (minus behind the central bus station!)
- Plentiful street trees and gorgeous parks
- It’s an incredible value (for people with foreign currency). We lived very comfortably here.
- An active and affordable cafe and pub culture
- A hyper local social scene; it was easy to make friends
- Grocery, produce and speciality stores are abundant
- It’s easy to get prescriptions
- The healthcare we experienced was fantastic and affordable
- The dogs, especially the abundance of Frenchies and dogs with clothes on
- Unlike some countries on the Iberian peninsula that speak Spanish, their restaurants are open whenever you want to use them
- The Italian influence means handmade pastas, gourmet cheeses and terrific pizza at every corner. Not easy to find in Latin America.
- Fast internet
Downsides of Buenos Aires
- Although the parks are gorgeous, they’re often concentrated to certain areas
- The Argentine accent can be difficult to understand
- Although the dogs are cute, what they leave behind is NOT so cute. You always have to watch your step!
- It definitely feels a bit crowded, but not overly noisy. At least not in our neighborhood.
- The weather is not the best (in winter!)
- There can be a lot of traffic/congestion. It can take a long time to cross the city.
- There are not really many hiking or day trip opportunities. Escaping the city would take some effort.
