Argentina travel adventure

Your airline tickets to Argentina will take you to a country full of fascinating characters - including the bearded masterpiece below spotted walking the streets of Buenos Aires.

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An Argentina vacation is an exhilarating and romantic adventure. The country's routinely chaotic economy can provide plenty of cheap travel and inexpensive hotel bookings.

The value of the peso crashed following violent street protests that led to the Argentina president's resignation in 2001, and the currency remains weak in a stagnant economy gripped by unemployment and poverty.

The ongoing weak currency in 2008 means there has rarely been a better time to book an Argentina airline flight if you want to enjoy a cheap vacation with plenty of adventure travel and affordable hotel prices.

Argentina's economic woes have made travel comparatively cheap but Argentina is still a fairly expensive travel destination compared to other South American countries that might tempt you for a holiday adventure.

The Republic of Argentina covers 2,776,890 square kilometres and is the 8th largest country in the world.

Argentina adventure travel is usually peppered with numerous stunning geographic features that vary from deserts to mountains to waterfalls.

The topography in the west of Argentina reaches a peak of 7021 metres in the Andes and the foothills drop fairly quickly to lowlands in the rest of Argentina, the central region being mostly flat, grassy plains.

A travel highlight in the country's north is Iguacu Falls on the border with Brazil.

Argentina has a total population around 38 million, a whopping 13 million of whom live in greater Buenos Aires, with 85% of European descent and 93% Roman Catholic.

Although the language is American Spanish, plenty of locals speak English (and Italian). If you intend booking a guide or a tour, it's worth checking that fluent English is spoken and not just Spanish as some operators can manage only a few words of English even though they claim otherwise.

Most tourists don't need a holiday visa to travel in Argentina and are instead issued a renewable 90 day tourist card on arrival.

Argentina has various climates at different latitudes and altitudes but it's fair to say that the north of the country is more pleasant in the cooler winter months from June to September. The south is better for your holiday adventure travel during the summer months from December to February.

Travel costs depend upon the ongoing fluctuations of the peso but, as a rule of thumb, the wily traveller can budget for a no-frills adventure in Argentina costing about US$30 per day for food and accommodation.

In 2006, Argentina adventure travel and hotels are cheap because of the economic crisis that has gripped the country in recent years.

The economy shrank 10% in 2002 and a report in 2003 revealed that 21 million Argentinians, about 54% of the population, were living in poverty.

However, Argentina has enjoyed some economic recovery with data showing the country's poverty rate had fallen to 23.4% in 2007. Unemployment dropped to a 15 year low of 8.5% in the second quarter of 2007, down from 21.5% in 2002. The inflation rate in 2007 was above 8%.

American dollars are still happily traded in Argentina but a better exchange rate can be obtained at an official cambio, although you may face long delays before being served.

Cash is more reliable than plastic if your Argentina adventure sees you travel to regional areas. Tips of around 10% are expected in most restaurants.

Travel insurance with medical cover is a must. Medical facilities are adequate, particularly in the cities, but doctors and hospitals often want immediate payment in cash.

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Driving conditions throughout Argentina are fairly good but the local drivers are often aggressive and are sometimes contemptuous of road rules.

Your Argentina adventure travel requires all sorts of clothing as the climate can vary from subtropical and humid in the north, to temperate in the centre, to cold and icy in the arid south.

Argentina rainfall levels vary dramatically, exceeding 1,500mm in the far north of Argentina and dropping to less than 200mm in the Andes foothills. Beunos Aires collects an average 950mm of rain each year.

The summer heat can be severe in the west yet summer floods are normal in the east, and the most consistent European climate is in the southern province of Patagonia.

Predominant bloodlines in Argentina are Spanish and Italian but there is strong representation from many European and Middle Eastern countries. The socio-economic mix is mostly middle class to poor.

If you can't find a cheap Argentina airfare, there are direct rail links with Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay. Be warned that travel delays are common.

Argentina's domestic train network is enormous, the rail covering 43,000 kilometres. Economy train tickets are fairly cheap and it's easy to spend most of your vacation enjoying a train adventure through the country. However, trains throughout Argentina and in Buenos Aires are notorious for failing to arrive on time.

The roads are fairly good but tollways are common. Traffic drives in the right-hand lane and buses are a reliable travel alternative to rail.

If you're planning an adventure in Argentina, be aware there are fairly strict smoking laws on public transport and in cinemas. Banks open from 10am to 3pm from Monday to Friday and American dollars are traded wherever you travel in Argentina.

Dinner is usually served comparatively late from 9pm to 10pm.

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Be wary that many Automatic Teller Machines in Argentina aren't particularly friendly toward foreigners and it can be difficult to find an ATM with an English option.

The strongest ties to Argentina's colonial Spanish history can be found in the north around the Bolivian border, which is about a day from Buenos Aires by train.

An adventure in the north of Argentina will take you to some picturesque locations. For example, Salta is a picturesque northern town worth visiting for a taste of Argentina's traditional rural culture. The landscape is carpeted with chicken farms, hedgerows and fields of tobacco, sugarcane and corn.

The north-west province of Salta near the Bolivian border is peppered with native ruins, indigenous peoples, isolated villages and a spicy local cuisine. The dramatically undulating landscape creates a variety of deserts and lush cloud forests close together. The province has a balmy climate throughout the year due to its elevation and a popular journey is Ruta 40, a dusty trail beloved by Argentines because of its length and scenery.

While enjoying your Argentina travel, make sure you taste some of the local wines and a juicy fillet steak.

Huge ranches or "estancias" produce some of the finest beef in the world and also provide luxurious estate hotel bookings where you can put your feet up in style and rest during your vacation travel.

Argentina is also famous for its superb leather industry. With the peso in the doldrums over recent years, it's easy during your travel to find bargain jackets, shoes, handbags and wallets.

If you decide to spend your holiday on an Argentina airfare, another adventure might be the snow slopes near Bariloche in the isolated southern region of Patagonia, where you can enjoy skiing at very reasonable rates compared to most other countries. The only industry in Bariloche is chocolate production but the city is within sight of the Andes mountains and is a paradise for hiking, rafting, fishing, sailing and snow sports. Bariloche was settled by German, Austrian and Swiss immigrants in the 19th Century and many features of the city have a European heritage.

The Patagonia region offers true adventure travel in a harsh but spectacular landscape. If you travel to Patagonia, it's well worth rugging up against the cold and catching ferry trips across lakes such as Nahuel Huapi, Los Cantaros, Frias, Todos Los Santos and Llanquihue, each surrounded by ancient mountains, sheer cliffs, waterfalls and volcanoes - some still active.

The small town of Puerto Piramides has been a popular tourist destination since the 1960s because of the enormous number of southern right whales that migrate to the surrounding Valdes Peninsula from June to December. Puerto Piramides has a good choice of accommodation (book ahead in high season) and whale watching excursions in 2006 mostly cost about 60 Argentinean pesos for two hours.

In the north of Argentina running up to the border with Paraguay, a wonderful place to visit is Esteros del Ibera, a stunning wetland covering 13,000sqm of the northern province of Corrientes. Ibera is effectively a massive swamp interspersed with lakes harbouring huge islands of peaty silt bonded by the roots of water hyacinths that are strong enough to support fully grown trees. The wildlife, including alligators, deer, monkeys and migratory birdlfe, is spectacular. The region's only town is Carlos Pellegrini.

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