For those who like exclusive, fancy and well-thought adventures, this cruise ship navigation along the Lake Argentino is the best way to reach the most incredible ice walls in the Argentine Patagonia, an expedition that goes deep into nature and in the essence of this patagonic spot.
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In the porteño neighborhood of Palermo, a Chef and his girlfriend -a young couple specialized in culinary tourism- open their own home’s doors to tell you all about Argentina’s cooking & eating culture and teach you some traditional recipes that you will be able to recreate back home.
The class is pleasant and relaxed, in a private and intimate environment. The idea is to have a good time whilst drinking wine, learning about our country’s culinary customs, cooking and eating.
On this experience, you will meet other travelers and cooking apprentices and have fun exchanging facts and personal impressions of your visit to Buenos Aires. Sharing with the home´s local owners and also with other people will enrich your stay.
Learn how to prepare the dishes using the freshest ingredients and, after the class, enjoy them paired with specially selected Argentine fine wines. The menu includes: traditional empanadas from scratch -dough and all- with two different fillings and cooking techniques. Llajua, a typical northern spicy sauce used for empanadas. Flan, a classic inherited dessert traditionally served with dulce de leche, a sticky, sweet, caramelized milk and sugar sauce that you will also learn to prepare. During the class, you will try three different wines from three different wine-making regions of our country: Salta, Mendoza and Patagonia.
Once the class is finished and the food is ready, buen provecho (bon appetite) and let’s eat!
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On the first day of our adventure, we drive north from El Calafate to an authentic estancia, where we will also spend the night. La Angostura is a ranch in the Santa Cruz province that has been runned by the same family since 1916. Nowadays, the grandson of the original owner welcomes and delights tourists with home-made meals and family anecdotes of the estancia.
Day 2 of the journey takes us to the Cueva de las Manos (Hands Cave), a UNESCO heritage site and one of the most famous and fascinating displays of drawings and paintings by the primitive inhabitants of these lands, the pretehuelches. These are the first artistic manifestations known from the south-american original cultures and were originated during an extensive period from the 9300s to the 1300s before today. The drawings show different elements related to the daily life of the tehuelches, being the positive and negative spray-painted hands’ silhouettes the most recognized ones.
This day ends in Lago Posadas, located north in Santa Cruz province and in the oriental border of the Andes range.
From this point, the next day we depart towards Chile. Lago Posadas provides one of the most scenic, hard and off-the-beaten paths in southern Argentina. This day’s hike involves walking along basaltic dams and sandstone formations -volcanic remains of the Andes’ origins- with views to one of the highest peaks in the Patagonia: Mt. San Lorenzo.
Later this day, we drive through Paso Roballos -an international mountain pass to cross the Argentina/Chile border- and finally arrive in Puerto Bertrand, where we spend the night.
The next morning we drive southwest along the Chilean Carretera Austral, next to Baker River. This is a scenic drive into the wilderness of Chile, with views of the mountains and the aquamarine river waters. We finally arrive to the Pacific coast fiords in Caleta Tortel. This unique fishing village doesn’t touch the ground. It is beautifully positioned between two ice fields, in a zone with archipelagos, canals and estuaries, enclosed by steep mountains and right next to Baker River’s mouth. With more than 7 km of walkways, platforms, bridges and stairways made of cypress wood instead of concrete streets, this village was declared landmark due to its architecture and traditional way of life.
After spending the night in this magical place, day 5 awaits. We arrive at the utmost tip of the Carretera Austral in Villa O’Higgins. This village is one of the fastest growing locations in the Carretera. Actually, this is the end of the road and the beginning of a new journey. Near the city, the Mosco River Valley’s hills and wetlands are home to a large colony of huemul, the patagonic deer that is depicted alongside the condor on the Chilean coat of arms.
Day 6 brings us the Last Frontier of the trip. We navigate the emerald waters of O’Higgins Lake, along one of its eight arms, arriving lastly in Candelario Mancilla. The nature of this amazing spot, its few inhabitants and vibrant affluence of travelers impresses us.
After lunch here, we hike back to Argentina. A 3 hour walk in the middle of the forest through Candelario Mancilla and Lago del Desierto takes us to the border again, arriving in El Chaltén, Argentina’s trekking capital and final destination of this exciting journey.
The last two days ahead are at your leisure, but if you’re not too tired we highly recommend hiking on your own or with a guide to Laguna de los Tres and face one of the most impressive mountain ranges in America: the Fitz Roy Massif. We also suggest a trek to Laguna Torre, another classic hike in El Chaltén through diverse glacial landscapes, nir and lenga forests and several panoramic mountain views. The trip ends with shuttle service to El Calafate town or airport.
As you know by now, this amazing expedition provides a unique and adventurous experience across unfrequented paths enriched by the beautiful scenery and wilderness of the Last Frontiers of the Patagonian steppe. A perfect journey for nature and hiking fans.
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The National Route 40 or RN40 is the longest road in Argentina and also one of the longest in the world with more than 5000 km. Running parallel to the Andes, it crosses the country south to north across the provinces of Santa Cruz, Chubut, Río Negro, Neuquén, Mendoza, San Juan, La Rioja, Catamarca, Tucumán, Salta and Jujuy. Along the road, the natural scenery changes from patagonic steppe to forests and Andean desert at the end; crossing 20 national parks, 18 major rivers and 27 passes on the Andes.
This Road 40 Adventure takes you almost through the half of the route, over the regions of Cuyo and the North. We will describe the experience beginning in Mendoza and ending in Salta but you should know that it is possible to do it the other way around.
The journey starts specifically in Mendoza city every monday, one of the prettiest cities in our country and the most important one in the region of Cuyo. Located at the base of the Andes, this historic city preserves several souvenirs of General San Martin’s heroic deeds such as the Cerro de la Gloria, the Plumerillo, the San Martín Park and diverse museums spread around.
The first day takes us towards the neighboring province of San Juan. Our first cultural stop is in Vallecito to visit the sanctuary of a local mythical figure: the Difunta Correa. The legend goes that in the 1840s, Deolinda Correa and her baby followed the trail of the military troop that her husband was forced to join, but passed away in the San Juan deserts due to thirst, hunger and exhaustion. A couple of mule drivers passed by and found her corpse, surprising themselves because her baby was still alive and breastfeeding. She was buried in Vallecito and since then it has become a place of devotion as the popular belief is that Correa answers people’s prayers and many miracles were attributed to her.
After this mystical and folkloric visit, we continue our journey to Valle Fértil, the final destination of the day, a relaxed and quiet town in San Juan province.
The second day of the trip we visit two natural parks declared World Heritage by UNESCO.
The main attraction nearby Valle Fértil is Ischigualasto Provincial Park. Also known as the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), this park is the only place in Argentina where triassic records are well preserved and perfectly differentiated. We have a guided tour on this place with bizarre landscapes, limited vegetation and multi-colored soil.
Our next stop today is at another incredible national park: Talampaya, located in the province of La Rioja. We take de Talampaya Canyon guided tour provided by the park itself to get the most of this amazing place with natural red rock walls and diverse shapes and geo-formations that were gradually originated by erosion over millions of years.
The end of the day takes us to Villa Unión, where we spend the night.
On the morning of the third day, we leave Villa Unión towards the town of Belén in the Catamarca province. The drive begins taking the Cuesta de Miranda, a scenic slope in the RN40 that reaches 2040 m above sea level along the Miranda River. We arrive in Chilecito, the second most important city in La Rioja that dedicates mostly to wine and olive growing. Here we have lunch (included) and visit La Mejicana, a gold mine in the Cerro Famatina with a museum and a cableway (fee not included).
In the afternoon, we enter the Catamarca province and Belén at last. The guide takes us to the ceremonial and archeological center of Shincal de Quimivil. This is a pre-Columbian city in ruins, one of the four best preserved Inca facilities in the country, although the remains we see today were originally built by the Quechuas between 1471 and 1536.
After a relaxed night in Belén, the trip continues the next day along with the experience with local culture and history. The first stop today is at the Pachamama Museum in Amaicha del Valle, in the Tucumán province. This visit provides us with knowledge on local geology, ethnology, tapestries and paintings.
The second stop is at the archeological site of Quilmes, in the Calchaquí Valley of Tucumán. These are the remains of the biggest pre-Columbian settlement in Argentina; the Quilmes. The ruins have been reconstructed for preservation.
The day ends in the afternoon reaching Salta, the last province of this Road 40 adventure, arriving in the town of Cafayate.
Cafayate is a famous wine region in our country, known for the Torrontés variety, which is a white sweet wine. Given this, we can’t leave without visiting a couple of wineries to taste some on our last day.
After lunch, the driving continues through the Calchaquí Valley, considered one of the most beautiful and prominent places in Argentina with its mountains, rivers and gorges. We appreciate the enchantment of the Quebrada de las Conchas, a dazzling and amazing gorge with strange red-colored rock formations such as the one called the Amphitheatre. This geo-formations were originated by water erosion given in the past they used to be cascades.
Our journey ends today and as we continue south towards the final destination, the landscape changes abruptly to the greener countryside and the tobacco plantations of the Lerma Valley.
At the end of the ride, finally Salta city awaits with its colorful hispanic architecture, monuments and narrow sidewalks, framed and surrounded by mountains and enriched by a persistent colonial spirit.
Without a doubt, this is a short trip but with long enjoyable days, on a long road full of cultural experiences and natural beauty. This time, the Ruta 40 takes us across the diverse scenery of the Cuyo and North regions of Argentina, delighting us on every kilometer of the road. But there’s so much more to see on this road still!
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