In summer, Argentina, offers many and varied options to enjoy. Its extensive territory contains a great wealth of landscapes, climates and emotions to experience. Today we offer a short list of emblematic destinations that you can combine according to the time you have and your personal tastes. Here we go!
Buenos Aires: modernity and distinction
It is recognized among the great capitals of the world. It is a cosmopolitan city that stands out for its architecture and European character. In summer temperatures can be much higher than 30 °C so it is convenient to leave the walks around the city for sunset. During the day, a summer classic is the visit to the Tigre, from where you can navigate the Delta and its islands.
Buenos Aires has countless green spaces: the Bosques de Palermo, with its lakes; the Children’s Park, with a sandy beach overlooking the Río de la Plata; the Ecological Reserve in the Costanera Sur, where you can enjoy the native fauna and flora just a few meters from the Casa Rosada (Government House). Puerto Madero invites you to walk along the river and enjoy the typical dishes in the infinite variety of restaurants. Visiting La Recoleta, its old trees and elegant streets is one of the must-see charms in Buenos Aires. La Boca, with its classic Caminito and Tango danced in the streets. The San Telmo Fair, in the neighborhood of the same name, which resembles Paris Montmartre so much … Lots to do in Buenos Aires! The ideal is to have a stay of at least three nights.
El Calafate: ice tourism in summer
The city of El Calafate is the gateway to the Glaciers National Park. During summer the days are very long. It dawns before 6 am and gets dark at 11.30 pm. The Perito Moreno Glacier is the most visited and the only one that can be observed from land. The spectacle of watching the detachments of huge ice blocks, and the rumble that they generate when crashing on the lake, is surprising and unforgettable. Other activities to perform here include ice trekking, horseback riding, nautical safaris, fishing.
El Calafate has good gastronomy. But there is a very special bar, located in a basement, which is fun to visit. It’s the Patagonian Ice Museum. Everything there is made of ice: walls, tables, glasses, chairs and armchairs that one can sit on!
From El Calafate you can easily access El Chaltén, the national capital of Trekking to know the Mt. Fitz Roy, and you can also visit the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile on the day.
Ushuaia: the city of the End of the World
In summer, the sun of Ushuaia accompanies day and night. It is the ideal time to get to know this beautiful city and its beautiful landscapes. An unmissable stop is the Tierra del Fuego National Park and the path that leads to Lapataia Bay and the immensity of Lake Roca. The landscape is a postcard of nature. Walking through the area allows you to enter forests of tall, dry trees that look like enchanted scenarios from some fantasy story.
If you only want to know the city, the Tierra del Fuego National Park and take a navigation through the Beagle Channel, choose a minimum of 2 nights (better if you devote 3).
Las Grutas: warm sea in Atlantic Patagonia
Las Grutas is located in the San Matías Gulf, on the Atlantic coast, in the province of Río Negro, Argentine Patagonia. It is considered the best beach in the country and its waters are the warmest in Argentina. A few kilometers from the Grutas is the bay of San Antonio, located near the town of San Antonio Oeste. This is a protected habitat for migratory shorebirds. In the area there are also burrowing parrots and sea lions.
Puerto Madryn: penguins, dolphins, dolphins, wolves and sea elephants
Puerto Madryn is a good place to take advantage of the summer holidays in Argentina. Endless beaches of transparent waters are combined with recreational activities, sports and outdoor shows. In the nearby Peninsula Valdés, wolves and elephant seals, dolphins and a great variety of birds can be seen. And the Magellan penguins, in Punta Tombo, constitute the largest continental colony of this species in the world. Until the month of April they remain in this place.
In gastronomy, the specialty is seafood and freshly extracted fish. The fishermen’s canteens smell of the sea and their dishes seem to come directly from the fisherman’s net. And, as in all Patagonia, you can not miss the delicious Patagonian lamb. Three nights is the minimum here to be able to take advantage of all there is to see.
Iguazú: imposing, immense waterfalls
The Iguazu Falls are one of the main tourist destinations in the Americas, declared World Heritage according to UNESCO and Wonder of the World. In summer the climate is hot and humid, ideal to let yourself get wet when walking through the amazing runways system that allows for a close experience. If you want to watch them also from the Brazilian side and take a trip through the jungle, you will need 2 or 3 nights.
The Seven Lakes Road
It is the part on National Route 40 that connects the cities of Bariloche and San Martin de los Andes, passing through Villa La Angostura. Along this route, there are 7 lakes, which, in reality, are 8: everything depends on where you look from! If the route starts in San Martin de los Andes, a city on the shores of Lake Lácar, lakes, Machónico, Falkner, Villarino, Escondido, Correntoso, Espejo and Nahuel Huapi are emerging. But if the trip begins in Bariloche, on the banks of the Nahuel Huapi, this lake is not taken into account and the seventh is the Lácar. The journey is dreamy either way.
Summer in Bariloche is full of adventure and fun. Tourists can experience “flying through the forests” (canopy), kayaking in the lakes of still waters or experience the fun and maximum challenge of rafting in the rapids of the rivers. The excursion to Victoria Island navigating Nahuel Huapi Lake and the Forest of Arrayanes, of course, is a must. Los Arrayanes National Park is the only forest of this species in the world and deserves to be visited. It can be reached by sailing, by bicycle or on foot, for those who dare to live the experience of the 12 km of crossing. In gastronomy, the recommended dishes are (again) the Patagonian lamb, the smoked trout, deer or wild boar, the classic chocolate and the craft beer.
On the other side of Lake Nahuel Huapi, only 85 km from Bariloche, already in the province of Neuquén, is Villa La Angostura. It is surrounded by a lush forest of coihues, lengas and ñires, among lakes, rivers and lagoons that make up wonderful landscapes in the midst of which you can kayak, windsurf, canoe, horseback ride, mountain bike or go trekking.
Finally the arrival in San Martin de los Andes marks the end of this journey along the Seven Lakes Road. Upon entering the town, the first thing you see is Lake Lácar and its beach which is surrounded by the beautiful coastal road. From the dock, boats leave for the beaches of Quila Quina and Hua Hum. The different beaches of Lake Lácar are of a peaceful nature, with wooded spaces and crystal clear waters. So 5/6 days (distributed among the 3 destinations) are recommended for the region of the Andean lakes. You can also make base in Bariloche and travel the Route of the 7 Lakes in a round trip day excursion: in this way 3 or 4 nights will suffice.
So here ends this short list of the tourist spots we suggest to discover while in Argentina during summer. We hope that you will find these destinations appealing.
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