Visit the Iberá Wetlands and make the best out of your stay at Aguapé Lodge.
This mix of swamps, bogs, stagnant lakes, lagoons, natural slough and courses of water located in the center and center-north of the province of Corrientes offers a unique ecosystem. An ideal experience for nature lovers!
Estancia Río Mitre is a working family ranch and farm located 40 minutes from El Calafate and only 30 km from the Perito Moreno Glacier. Alighted on an area of risen ground and overlooking the Lago Argentino, Río Mitre provides breathtaking views all around.
So close but yet so far from modern technology, this is the place to visit to get away and make yourself unreachable for a while: no WiFi, no 3G, no mobile signal. You will surely relax visiting this far off land, spending the day or stopping by for tea on the way back from the Perito Moreno.
Animals run free here…guanacos, dogs, chickens, sheep, lambs and horses. Even a grey fox visits from time to time; you may be lucky and meet him. All of them are very friendly and are used to pose for pictures with the visitors. Take as many selfies as you like with all of them!
Besides animals and landscapes, the main attraction in Río Mitre is the horseback riding experience. The estancia offers different options, even longer rides for 10 days, but brief travellers may spend half day in the morning or in the afternoon and ride too.
In the morning, around 9 am, the estancia staff will pick you up from your hotel in Calafate and drive you for almost 60 km. Part of the road is on gravel, so the adventure begins before arriving. On the way, the Patagonian steppe at its peak will offer a unique scenery with a far away horizon and wide lands, passing by several ranches. This is also a good opportunity to observe diverse bird species in the wild.
Once arriving to Río Mitre, a warm welcome by Esteban Echeverría -the estancia´s owner and a natural storyteller- and other attentive staff members that will invite you with coffee or the traditional mate and delicious tortas fritas (homemade fried pastries).
After settling in, a guide that will join you during the whole horseback riding will take you to the stable to meet your horse for the ride. Once everyone is comfortable with the assigned steeds, the journey will begin.
Always surrounded by dreamy landscapes, the ride will take you crossing the valley and, for starters, to the first settlement of the Echeverría family at early twentieth century. Then, a visit to an ancient indigenous camp. The way back to the stable will be by the shore of the Rico arm of Lago Argentino, watching and learning about flora and fauna along the whole valley.
The significant beauty of nature and the feeling of freedom riding through these vast lands is overwhelming and hard to explain; it´s only possible to describe through the experience itself. This is a place to fall for unforgettable sunsets and long summer days in close contact with nature, feeling at ease and free.
Certainly the ride will make you hungry, but not to worry! Lunch will be waiting for you: taste a delicious Patagonian country asado and share a table full with conversation and stories. Once you’re finished, at around 2 pm we will get back to El Calafate town.
After an exhilarating morning outdoors and a fulfilling meal, the drive probably will make you fall in and out of sleep, blending the Patagonian steppe outside and the memories of a fun and unique experience at almost the end of the world.
For more information about this horseback riding experience and other options at Estancia Río Mitre, please contact your Kallpa Tour executive.
This simple yet sophisticated and charming boutique hotel is located in the neighborhood of Palermo. It was designated as Travellers Choice for 5 years in a row and is currently ranked #1 hotel in Buenos Aires (among 451) on Tripadvisor. It is accurate to say that it is a small hotel with a big heart.
A colorful and artsy facade on Soler street invites us into Fierro and to Uco restaurant. Decorated mainly in black, red, grey and white with touches of beige and brown, wood textures are ever present for a warmer look and to contrast with spreaded metal details. Art and minimalist design furniture and accessories embellish the hotel’s environment, from the lobby to the terrace.
Palermo may be more of a night living neighborhood, but staying at Fierro you won’t even notice. You will enjoy the same quietness experienced during the day on this residential area, even at the latest hour. After a long day getting to know the city, rest and relaxation are ensured at one of the 27 wide and comfy suites, or even at the common areas such as the rooftop pool or the garden in the back.
The hotel has three suite categories of at least 40 m2: Superior, Balcony and Terrace. All of them very luminous, with comfortable king size beds, fine linens, a full mini-bar and a boutique wine selection, flatscreen cable TV, dining area and writing desk, box shower, complimentary infusions and a Nespresso machine including two complimentary coffee capsules per day.
Balcony suites also have a large private balcony with sun loungers overlooking the hotel’s garden and there’s only one Terrace suite, which is the most sophisticated top floor room, including a terrace with panoramic views of the city, a jacuzzi, loungers and a grill.
You will surely want to spend some time at the rooftop terrace to have a cocktail, take a dip at the relax pool or enjoy the dry sauna.
From 7 to 11 am you will be delighted with the a la carte gourmet breakfast at Uco -the in house restaurant- that offers natural juices, coffee and tea, homemade organic yoghurt with fruits and granola, fresh pastries and a main course of your choice such as eggs or an Irish breakfast, just to mention a couple of options.
Uco is an award-winning restaurant lead by Chef Ed Holloway. It proposes menus for brunch, lunch and dinner: delicious, fresh and prepared in-house dishes everyday; gourmet cuisine for exigent foodies just steps away from your room door.
With an appealing environment inspired by wines, corks and fully decorated with wood, by day the subtle darkness of this large space provides a bright contrast with the natural lightning from the garden at the back, where you can seat and take a break, have a drink or a meal. A hidden oasis surrounded by a green lush vegetation, also perfect and charming in the evening illuminated by light bulbs.
We suggest trying the Uco Experience for dinner: a 7 step gourmet menu paired with excellent fine wines specially selected from an exclusive list with over 350 national labels, curated by the executive sommelier Andrés Rosberg. You will be guided through each course and wine by an expert and multicultural team of young sommeliers and waiters, all of them very attentive and warm.
Fierro is not only a trendy, beautiful and comfortable hotel. Guests from all over the world distinguish the service quality and warmth of the concierge team. When you check in, you receive a voucher for a courtesy in-house wine tasting: an invitation to try some wines selected by the executive sommelier, who also picks the fine wines available in every room.
If you’re looking for a relaxed stay at one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, in a stylish and cool hotel, Fierro is your choice. Please contact your Kallpa Executive for more information and updated rates.
The Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia is the popular and national harvest festivity in Argentina, very important specially in Mendoza and Salta provinces -both renowned wine regions. The harvest celebrations are a part of the folklore that brings together wine-producers, anyone else who works with the vine and soil, and the rest of the people.
The Cafayate region in Salta, within the heart of the Calchaquí Valleys, is surrounded by a beautiful natural sunny landscape that blends mountains and vineyards.
Dry alluvial grounds, sunny mornings, warm afternoons and chilly nights during the summer that allow a long aging period and also a wide thermal amplitude make of Cafayate an excellent terroir. Vineyards are located up to 3.000 meters above sea level and rain is very scarce, which permits an exceptional growth for grapevines. This microclimate and the unique characteristics of the area originate different and original wines, with a strong personality and of a long-lasting fruity and savory taste.
If you happen to visit Salta during the harvest season – from late February to the end of March – make sure to pass by Cafayate to take part of the festivity and also try a fun experience in this wine region.
Joined by wine specialists, visit a selected local vineyard to learn about the harvest and production techniques, from the grapevines to the final wine. They will explain the differences between the grape varieties, what are their characteristics and how they are trimmed and harvested. Also you will find about the work at the vineyard, who works there and what are their tasks.
Once you have learn the basics and harvesting techniques, it´s time to get your hands dirty! You will be provided with the tools required for the task: trimming scissors and a basket to keep the grapes. Now you may walk around the vineyard and relax to carry on with the task in hand. It is important to observe the fruits to pick the right ones, those that have better coloring and no visible insect bites or marks. Using the scissors, gently proceed to cut the selected bunch and place it carefully in the basket, trying not to squeeze them.
If you’re in the mood for a bit of competition, the guides will organize a game for the visitors and compete for a prize to be the one that collects the most grapes in a time frame.
After the fun harvest practice, you will enjoy a wine tasting to try the different varieties obtained from the grapevines. Generally -depending on the vineyard you visit- these are Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Torrontés, the typical fruity and dry fine white wine from this zone that currently makes of Cafayate a world famous wine region.
La Vendimia has become an annual ritual, reaching more and more fans worldwide. What was born behind doors inside every winery, in the end got the support of the government and several prestigious local institutions, becoming today an important national event and celebration and bringing together wine lovers from all over. An excellent cultural and gourmet opportunity to visit vineyards, meet local people and -of course- taste flavourful fine wines.
GENERAL INFORMATION