The main objective of our journey to Argentina was to reach the end of the world, and continue onto Antarctica. For now, that tale is for another time. Here we will share what we did while we were in the Argentinian neighborhood, where we took some time to explore a few cities and the culture. Admittedly, we arrived a bit distracted and excited to see distant lands covered in ice, but found the Argentine food, culture, and wide-array of unique landscapes quickly holding our full attention.
Side note: For our anniversary, I asked some of our friends to compile some of their favorite stories about Nick (the funnier, the better). I had an Etsy shop create the flashcards (story on one side, photo on the other), and the intention was to read them and have Nick guess who wrote them during our time in Antarctica. I was too excited to wait, so I started with a handful during the preceding week in Argentina. Some of them had us in tears we were laughing so hard. Thank you, friends.
Pre-trip Notes
We were in the middle of moving to Abu Dhabi when we took this trip. Nick flew in from Abu Dhabi, and I flew in from Houston. This resulted in different arrival and departure times. So, we each visited the museums separately in Buenos Aires during our respective solo bookend travel time.
While together, we flew with three different airlines in Argentina: LATAM, Aerolineas Argentinas, and Norwegian. All were fine, just expect delays (had to run to catch a connection in Córdoba). And the temperature control on a couple of the flights was pretty warm, which can start to melt your brain after a couple of hours. Otherwise, like I said, the flights were perfectly okay.
What We Did
Buenos Aires
Palermo
Bosques de Palermo: Credited as the oldest garden/park in Buenos Aires, this park has really nice walkways and a rose garden.
Japanese Garden: Both of us used the garden to pass time during our respective bookends of the trip. Lots of other people had a similar idea, but it is pretty and well-maintained. After visiting the temples in Japan, we’d say this park was very well done!
MALBA: This is an incredibly unique museum. There is an interesting mixture of more classical Latin American art, as well as some really funky modern pieces. For 280 pesos (~$4.25 USD), you can visit and interact with the main exhibits. When we visited, La Pileta (by Leandro Erlich) was an extremely popular piece that used optical illusions to make it look like visitors were walking around at the bottom of a swimming pool.
Tango lesson: Tango is mostly subtle, and it’s tough because casual tango is all improv. So, two people trying to improv together is NOT easy. We learned the basics and a specific step called “The Ocho.” After our lesson, we went to La Viruta Tango Club with our instructors, Jessica and Tomas. We had wine and learned some rules of the milongas (a counterclockwise floor rotation, the cabaseo (female head nod to agree to dance), and that rules may differ in conservative vs. modern milongas). The tango orchestra (quartet) playing was one of the most loved in Buenos Aires at the time (including one of the more renowned singers of tango).
Recoleta
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes: 200 pesos (about $3 USD) to enter, the more “classical” art collection is really impressive. The museum contains works by Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Degas, Monet, van Gogh, Rodin, Goya, El Greco, Rubens, Borges, Berni, Pollock, Picasso, and more.
La Recoleta Cemetery: It feels like a small city with some really beautiful statues (and no cost to enter). The upkeep of the mausoleums varies widely (unkempt to polished), but most mausoleums are constructed with a decorative ground floor (some resemble storefronts) with stairs that lead to the departed occupants below.
Plaza de las Naciones Unidas (Floralis Genérica): Just beyond the majestic university law building, there is a massive steel flower designed by Eduardo Catalano (built in 2002). The flower opens throughout the day and closes at night, so given its size, it is a really amazing sight to see!
Plaza Francia: A really impressive and extensive outdoor market with all kinds of locally-made crafts, clothing, and art (it occurs every Saturday and Sunday afternoon). I bought a small painting on paper and a hand-painted shirt.
Monserrat
The intention was to explore, so we made sure to hit up these popular spots: Teatro Colon, Obelisco de Buenos Aires, Plaza de Mayo (Casa Rosada y Catedral Metropolitana), Defensa Street, and Puerto Madero (beautiful walking and we saw a huge 3-masted ship).
Biking Buenos Aires: I dropped luggage off here while exploring museums at the end of the trip (via Radical Storage).
La Boca
Continuing to wander, we soaked in the colorful buildings, vibrant music, and delicious food. It was really worth it, and we wished we’d had more time to explore.
Ushuaia, Argentina
Taxi from the airport to the Airbnb: 363 pesos (~$5.5 USD) for the 15-minute ride.
Outdoor gear shops: I had brought a rain jacket, but I decided to make a last-minute upgrade. Ushuaia is filled with outdoor apparel stores, so if you forgot something for your adventure, you’ve got options.
Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego and Tren del Fin del Mundo (End of the World Train ; Travel 54 tour company): A van picked us up from our Airbnb and took us to a few gorgeous locations within the national park:
We visited Unidad Postal Fin del Mundo (End of the World Post Office); Alakush Restaurant and Visitor Center for beer, empanadas and a view; and Bahía Lapataia.
We learned about and saw some of the local wildlife: Magellanic woodpecker, Upland goose, the Calafate bush, and Pan del Indio (Darwin’s Fungus, a fungus once eaten by the Fuegian people).
Our trip ended with a slow ride on the prisoner train through part of the park (park admission was paid here and was not included with our tour: ~$5 USD/person). We were able to see beautiful landscapes filled with mountains, streams, horses, and shrubs. Some trees dot the land, but most of the originals were chopped down by the prisoners of the Ushuaia Prison. The full tour was about $180 USD/person.
Museo Maritimo y del Presidio de Ushuaia: For about $20, we learned all about the famed jail, notable shipwrecks, the native people, Antarctica, and more. The main attraction is the museum building itself: the Ushuaia Prison. It was known to be one of the toughest in the world and operated from 1896-1947. We could have spent so much more time here, but we had to get scootin’ if we wanted to get to our ship on time.
“Tour Rowe” near the port terminal: We needed something to do before we boarded our Antarctica-bound ship. So we asked around this place near the port, which is full of tour operators’ huts, for some information about helitours. We were told to go to the visitor center a short walk away past a really cool craft market. The visitor center then told us to go to the Xpresso cafe two blocks away. There’s literally a support beam inside the cafe with a telephone that reads “Helitours...Call us” with an arrow pointing at the phone. It was a lot like getting a price check at Kmart. Nick tentatively booked us a tour for the next day to fill the morning, but the operator ended up having to cancel all trips that day due to fog.
Monte Olivia Souvenir: Stopped at one of the many souvenir shops to pick up a copy of “South” (an account of Shackleton’s last expedition to Antarctica) and a map of Antarctica. The map became a really useful reference during our expedition.
Atlantico Sur Duty Free Shop: I forgot to bring a travel game, so we stopped here to see what we could find (a Spanish version of Monopoly). We also picked up some wine here and some beer from down the street to drink back at the Airbnb.
The Airbnb had an incredible view of the water, so we moved the couch to sit right in front of the big windows while we drank wine and talked about life.
Mendoza, Argentina
Travel notes (for our memory): The Airbnb bed was comparable to the one we slept on in Cuba (noisy and stiff). Also, we needed toothpaste, which had to be bought through a pharmacy window from the sidewalk (because it was later in the night, and the shop wasn’t fully open). When it was time to leave Mendoza, we had a lot of trouble getting a ride to the airport on New Year’s Day (we underestimated just how much everything shuts down). The host almost gave us a ride, but we finally found a taxi.
Walked the town: Our Mendoza host told us the areas to avoid, but one spot she recommended was San Martin park, which was a really nice place to walk.
Aconcagua tour (Viator): For $170/person, this was a really great day-trip from Mendoza to see the beauty of the Aconcagua region. Everyone in our van, except for us, was from Brazil. It was an amusing change to be the ones who needed translating for once.
Embalse Potrerillos: A beautiful, bright blue lake that is unfortunately rapidly losing water.
Parque Provincial Aconcagua: We walked the main, easy path for about 1.5 hours to take in the scenery. Here we learned that Aconcagua (the tallest mountain in the Americas) is about 2,500’ taller than Denali in Alaska.
Puente del Inca (Inca Bridge): The main attraction we wanted to see, per a recommendation from a friend. It’s a bridge above a ravine with travertine deposits lining the walls. There were a few hypotheses on how it formed, but we like the avalanche idea the best. It suggests an avalanche filled in the glacial valley, but was quickly cut through at its base by the river. The upper most material remained in place long enough for hydrothermal water to deposit travertine on the top of it thus cementing it into place as a natural bridge. About a century ago, a small community existed there, including a village, church, and hotel built to harness the geothermal properties in the form of a spa.
Wine tour (Trout Wine Tours): We wanted a wine tour that would drive us from winery-to-winery, pay for a full day of tastings, and provide us with lunch. So, we spent more than we normally would (about $190/person). It was a perfect, overcast day. We visited:
Pulenta Estate: The owner was once in the wine and car business, so they have some pretty cool antique motors and other car parts. I really really liked the pepper wine here (Nick not so much). They have huge cement tanks for wine that are cleaned by hand, and it has the most scenic property with a foreground of vineyards and background of the Andea foothills.
Atamisque: Opened by a Frenchman who wanted to keep the property looking like the natural landscape, which we thought was pretty awesome (He still lives there (age 85, his wife 78)). Nick preferred the pepper wine here. We also got to walk on the rooftop to see the scenery beyond the winery, as well as the steel tanks via a scaffolding-like walk on the second floor.
Andeluna: We had lunch here and got to chatting with our guide (from Venezuela) and the other tour members (three from Denmark, two from Miami (originally from Cuba and Albania) - these two got engaged here, and two ladies from Chicago - one knows the owner of Bosscat Kitchen in Houston). Both the interior and exterior are beautiful.
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
Day trip to Uruguay: Nick booked through Viator, but I think it’s one of the official walking tours of Colonia del Sacramento (~$120/person, including the ferry ticket cost).
In Buenos Aires, we took an Uber from our Airbnb to the Colonia Express port terminal for the earliest ferry (~8 or 8:30 am). Tip: Arrive EARLY (at least an hour). The line is so long and the system isn’t streamlined (You go through customs for Argentina and Uruguay). Thankfully, the ferry operator accounts for this and waits for everyone (or nearly everyone) wanting to take the ferry. The ferry to cross the bay took about an hour, and we watched the storm clouds begin to move over Buenos Aires as we cruised towards sunnier skies. We found the tour company desk (also labeled Colonia Express) to check in.
The guide took us around to some of the main spots. It was really hard to hear, but we simply enjoyed the casual guided walk around the town.
We used our tour vouchers for lunch (see gastronomy section), then went to the Thrifty Car Rental to rent bikes. We rode bikes down just past Playa del Real, hitting up the Colonia sign along the way. We hung out at the beach for a bit and rode back (~6 miles round-trip).
After biking, we walked around the port, walked around town (including La Calle de los Suspiros), checked out some shops, walked to the top of the lighthouse, and walked around the fort. It’s a beautiful little town with cobblestone streets.
The ferry, both ways, was very full. And it got a bit rocky on the way back (heavy wind). All the duty-free items in the onboard shop started clanking together. And, Nick thought people were going to start losing fingers as they used the heavy boat doors.
Food
Buenos Aires, Argentina
La Biela: This was a regular breakfast spot. Our need for cafe con leche and medialunas (3) each morning started here.
Freddo: Nick got his ice cream fix before my arrival
Buller: Nick’s first beer outing in Buenos Aires
Varela Varelita: Again, before my arrival, Nick got breakfast here and loved it for the quiet local atmosphere
Mezcal (Palermo): We had a hard time deciding where to eat, but we ended up choosing this place. The veggie burger and veggie burrito were both very good.
Temple Palermo: Stopped here for a couple beers. We really enjoyed the beer garden.
Valk Tap Room: After Temple, we stopped at Valk for a Dubbel, an Irish Red, and a Heff. All were fairly decent beers.
Cafe Tortoni: A big tourist spot that has a really cool atmosphere. We stopped in for a quick afternoon coffee to see its beautiful interior.
La Vieja Rotiseria: Several restaurants in La Boca had dancing and/or singing for entertainment. We decided to eat at this place. The food was pretty good and the singers were really talented.
Alaire Terrace Bar: The food was decent (salmon and pasta salad), and they have Patagonia beer. So, we were happy.
Alameda Restaurante: The only place we could find that was open (and took credit cards) on New Year’s Day, so we were just happy to be fed.
La Poesía: I went here for breakfast right after Nick left for the airport. The food was great and the staff lovely.
La Puerta Roja: It took me a really long time to decide on a place for lunch before heading for the airport. But, I finally found this place. The veggie burger was fantastic, and they had a great beer special.
Ushuaia, Argentina
Kuar: This little place has really great food. We sampled the King crab, ‘spicy’ potatoes, veggie empanadas, and veggie wok.
Ice Bar: All you can drink for 30 minutes at -14*C? Eh, why not? We were the ONLY weirdos there.
Liquor/convenience stores: For the beer you need back at the Airbnb.
Dali Café: One of the few places open before our van picked us up for Tierra del Fuego National Park. We got coffee and mediaslunas - Perfecto.
Santos Brewery: Great beer selection and pretty good food.
Xpresso: Since the heli tour didn’t work out, we ended up hanging out here for a couple hours sipping on coffee and cappuccino. It was a nice place to view the harbor on a foggy/rainy day.
Volver: Our host recommended this place, and we’re so glad we had the time to eat here. We both had King crab dishes, and they were both amazing.
Mendoza, Argentina
Johnny B. Good: We had a hard time finding a place that had vegetarian options (not surprised, so that’s okay), but this place ended up having some decent options.
Casita Suiza (en route to Aconcagua): Mediaslunas and cappuccinos, of course (successfully ordered entirely in Spanish!).
Porte Zuelo del Viento (Las Cuevas, close to the Chilean border): The food was included with our Aconcagua tour (pasta and wine). And, we made a new cat friend!
New Year’s Eve dinner at Josefina: Ded. We get it now. Argentina shuts down for NYE. Thankfully, we found this restaurant for dinner. It was a multi-course meal, with great live music, and a dog even showed up to dance with everyone.
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
Meson de la Plaza: We used our tour vouchers to order some pasta and beer. The food was okay, but we really liked the beautifully flowered back patio.
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