Tourism in Argentina

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Tourism in Argentina is favoured by its ample and varied natural assets (made possible by its geographical extension) and by its cultural offerings.

The World Economic Forum estimated that, in 2006, tourism generated around US$20 billion in economic turnover. Domestic tourism amounted to over 80 % of this and tourism from abroad contributed US$ 3.4 billion, having become the third largest source of foreign exchange in 2004. Around 4.2 million foreign visitors arrived in 2006, yielding a positive balance vis-à-vis the number of Argentines traveling abroad. ^[1]

INDEC recorded 2.3 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2007 (a 12% increase), at the Ministro Pistarini International Airport, alone; of these, 26 % arrived from Brazil, 25 % from Europe, 14 % from the United States and Canada, 8 % from Chile, 19 % from the rest of the Western Hemisphere and 8 % from the rest of the World.^[2]

Jesuit mission at Alta Gracia, Cordoba Province.

[edit] Tourist sites

[edit] Buenos Aires

Main article: Tourism in Buenos Aires

The Obelisk, Buenos Aires.

Kavanagh building, art-deco glory.

Buenos Aires, considered by travellers the "Paris of the Southern Hemisphere", offers a broad range of cultural activities. Visitors may choose to visit a tango show, spend time in one of the many turn-of-the-century cafés, or make a date for a play or show in the city with one of the greatest number of theatres in the World. Time in the city can be followed by a stay in an estancia in the Province of Buenos Aires, home of the traditional Argentine asado.

Lately, new tourist circuits have evolved, devoted to famous Argentinians such as Carlos Gardel, Eva Perón or Jorge Luis Borges. Due to the favourable exchange rate, its shopping centers, such as Alto Palermo, Paseo Alcorta, Patio Bullrich, Abasto de Buenos Aires and Galerías Pacífico, are frequently visited by tourists.

Buenos Aires, Queen of the River Plate.

San Telmo is a well-known traditional area in the south of city. It has a long history, houses from colonial times and cobblestoned streets. One can see impressive churches, museums, antique shops and "Antique Fairs" ('Ferias de Antiguedades') in historic Dorrego Square around which, one finds actors in the street, tango dancers and, of course, many tourists.

The Penitentiary Museum (Museo Penitenciario) is a Jesuit building that was a prison for more than 150 years. The 300 year old Church of San Pedro Telmo represents the Catholic Order of Samaritans, conserving antique images on the windows and walls. Pasaje la Defensa ("Defensa Arcade") was an old residence that now is a marketplace with cafés and antique shops. People that like tango will enjoy a show at El Viejo Almacen, a colonial-era corner store rebuilt as a music hall by famous tango vocalist Edmundo Rivero.

Palermo, Recoleta and Puerto Madero are three upscale neighborhoods often in tourists' itinerary for their architecture and variety of social, cultural and nightlife events.

Within a 2 hours drive radius there is a variety traditional Estancias (cattle ranches), catering to travelers.

[edit] Northern Region

Iguazu Falls

Seven Colors Hill, Purmamarca

Las Leñas ski resort, one of the best-known in the world.

Iguazu Falls, located on the northeast of Argentina, are the best known falls in the area and have a good infrastructure for the traveller and plenty of activities to be done in the area. The falls and the area surrounding are part of the Iguazú National Park that preserves the local subtropical rainforest ecosystem. The most impressive of the falls is known as the Devil's Throat, shared with Brazil.
The Train to the Clouds, offers a view to the stark contrasts of the province of Salta. It begins in the city of Salta city ascends to San Antonio de los Cobres, reaching an altitude over 4,000 meters.

Lake Calamuchita

[edit] Southern Region

Llao Llao Hotel, Bariloche.

Los Glaciares National Park, where glaciers that drain the Southern Patagonian Ice Field end in the Lago Argentino, blocking one of its bays until the pressure of the water blows the ice dam.

Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, located in Tierra del Fuego, is a typical destination in southern Patagonia.

Bariloche - San Carlos de Bariloche is a city in the Río Negro Province, situated on the foothills of the Andes, surrounded by lakes (Nahuel Huapi, Gutiérrez Lake, Moreno and Mascardi) and mountains (Tronador, Cerro Catedral, Cerro López). It is famous for skiing but also great for sight-seeing, water sports, trekking and climbing. Cerro Catedral is one of the most important ski centers in South America.

Punta Tombo is a coastal location where abundant wildlife congregates-specifically the seasonal breeding ground of large numbers of Magellanic penguins.^[3]

Peninsula Valdés is widely considered to be one of the best places in the world for the observation of wildlife, mainly sea mammals. Although Southern Right Whales are the main attraction elephant seals, sea lions, Magellanic penguins and orcas are also well represented.

Santa Cruz Province is known for its remoteness and for landmarks like the Perito Moreno Glacier, Laguna del Carbon (the lowest geographical point in the Americas), Mount Fitz Roy (shared with Chile) and the Petrified Forests National Monument, as well as the vast patagonian plateau and pebble beaches.

Riverwalk along the Paraná, city of Santa Fe.

[edit] Other destinations

Other destinations: Mar del Plata, the main sea resort of Argentina and other maritime resorts like Cariló, Villa Gesell, Monte Hermoso, Pehuencó, Las Grutas (in Río Negro), Rada Tilly in Chubut; The Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the western hemisphere and nearby Las Leñas ski resort; Quilmes Ruins, of worldwide interest to achaeologisits; Bariloche, Villa La Angostura, San Martín de los Andes, Junín de los Andes, El Bolsón, Esquel, Trevelin, Los Antiguos, Copahue, Caviahue, near snow capped mountains with temperate rainforests and glaciar lakes; San Rafael and Mendoza, where the best wines of Argentina are made.

Tourism centering around fauna is also popular, particularly whale-watching in Puerto Madryn. Other well-known mountain resorts are: Carlos Paz, Cosquín, La Falda, Capilla del Monte, Villa de Merlo, Tinogasta, Villa Cura Brochero, Mina Clavero, Villa Nougués, Villa General Belgrano, Tilcara, Cafayate, Iruya, Villa La Angostura and Tafí del Valle.

[edit] World Heritage Sites

Ruins of the great Jesuit mission at San Ignacio Miní, whose story inspired The Mission (1986).

These are the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in Argentina:^[4]

Cave of the Hands (Cueva de las Manos), Río Pinturas. Has prehistoric cave paintings (WHS since 1999).
Iguazú National Park, home of Iguazu Falls (1984).
Ischigualasto / Talampaya National Parks and its paleontologic formations (2000).
Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba in Córdoba Province (Cultural Heritage) (2000).
Jesuit missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (1984).
Los Glaciares National Park and the Perito Moreno Glacier (1981).
Península Valdés, a marine wildlife preserve (1999).
Quebrada de Humahuaca, World Cultural Landscape for its scenic natural beauty and historical sights (2003).

[edit] National Parks

Main article: List of national parks of Argentina

Lanín National Park.

Argentina has an extensive National Park system, preserving sights of natural beauty, which includes the following:

[edit] Safety and Security

The U.S. Department of State warns travelers in Argentina that "drivers frequently ignore traffic laws^[5] and vehicles often travel at excessive speeds . . . traffic accidents are the primary threat to life and limb in Argentina."^[6] Argentina has the highest traffic mortality rate in South America, with Argentinian drivers causing 20 deaths each day (about 7,000 a year), with more than 120,000 people injured or maimed each year. These deaths have included tourists from various parts of the world.^[7] Pedestrians should exercise extreme caution.

[edit] See also

[edit] Line note references

^ World Economic Forum
^ INDEC: turismo internacional
^ C. Michael Hogan {2008) Pali Aike, The Megalithic Portal, ed. A. Burnham
^ UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Argentina
^ A non-profit working for traffic safety in Argentina noted that "drivers did not respect the red traffic light approximately 1,903,560 times every day" and that although drivers knew the dangers of drinking and driving "83% (of survey respondents) admitted to 'driving after drinking alcohol'".
^ U.S Department of State Country Guide
^ See Luchemos por la Vida - Asociación Civil