If you’re planning a trip to South America but aren’t sure about which specific country that you want to visit, one of your top choices should, without question, be Argentina.
Argentina is actually a very fascinating country to visit with no shortage of things to do. It has a very rich culture and geography, and there are sections of the country that don’t even feel or look like they belong in South America (such as Patagonia, for instance).
Here are the top tips for visiting Argentina:
Visit Buenos Aires First
Many travelers who come to Argentina begin their stay in the capital and largest city of Buenos Aires. This isn’t just the political capital of the country, it’s the cultural capital as well.
You could spend weeks if not months in Buenos Aires and still find lots of things to do, such as enjoying the nightlife to watching theatrical performances to visiting art museums and so on. While you should definitely check out the outdoors regions of Argentina such as Patagonia, Buenos Aires should still be on your checklist of places to visit in the country.
Hopefully You Like Meat
If there’s one thing that you want to know about people in Argentina, it’s that they love meat. In fact, the average Argentinian citizen is estimated to consume over a hundred pounds of beef alone each year.
Steakhouses are a heavy presence across Argentina, and barbecues are also extremely popular across the country as well. In fact, if you make any friends or strong acquaintances in Argentina, you will almost certainly be invited to a barbeque event of some kind as well.
Does this mean that Argentina is an unfriendly country towards vegans or vegetarians? Not at all, as there are still a number of vegan and vegetarian friendly restaurants that you can find in the country. Just know that Argentina is well known for making meat a very common ingredients in their meals and dishes.
Always Carry Cash and Change On You
The official currency in Argentina is the Argentinian Peso. While you can use your credit card to pay for almost anything in Argentina (at least in the major cities), it will still be wise to carry a certain amount of Argentinian currency on you as well.
To be more specific, you’ll want to carry this physical currency for emergencies, tips, and any other expenses where USD or credit cards will not be accepted. If you need to convert USD into the Argentinian peso at a lower exchange rate, using the aid of an online remittance service will give you a cheaper exchange rate than converting money at the airport.
Today, one US dollar will equal approximately twenty Argentinian pesos, so keep that in mind when you think about how many pesos you want to carry on you.
Learn Castellano Spanish
When visiting any foreign country, it’s typically a wise thing to at least learn basic words and phrases in the local language to help you get by and interact with the locals. In the case of Argentina, you’ll need to learn Spanish as it’s the official language, but it’s also not going to be the Spanish that you were probably thinking of.
This is because Argentinians speak a variation of the Spanish language called Castellano, which has a very heavy Italian influence in it. While some words and phrases will remain the same, others will not
Visit Patagonia
Patagonia is without question the one geographical region in Argentina that the country is the most well known for. Shared with Chile and located in the southern half of the country, Patagonia is dominated by open grasslands, forests, jagged mountains, lakes, and glaciers. In all honesty, the region more closely resembles Alaska than it does when you think about South America.
That being said, Patagonia is a must visit destination for any serious outdoor enthusiast who visits Argentina. Specifically, you may want to check out Mt. Aconcagua, which is the tallest mountain outside of the Himalayan Mountains in Asia
Visiting Argentina For The First Time
Argentina truly is an often overlooked travel destination. Buenos Aires has often been called the ‘Paris of South America’ and the country also has a very rich geography such as with its jungles, deserts, and glaciers in Patagonia. Any trip you take to Argentina is sure to not disappoint you.
