Charming accommodation in San Telmo District

San Telmo District is famous for its antique stores, colonial architecture, narrow streets and the smell of tango music on every corner. Right in front of the most emblematic square “Dorrego” is set this charming accommodation in San Telmo District, Anselmo Boutique Hotel. The new boutique accommodation in the heart of the Tango District!

charming-accommodation-in-san-telmo-district-7Our first impression was really good, a Hotel of this characteristics and the location where it was built makes it a great option. You can be staying in the heart of the neighborhood, go for a walk and, once you step onto the street, visit the antiques fair, watch tango dancers and walk down memory lane in San Telmo Market. Just a few steps from cafes, bars and shops.

Featuring an elegant exterior that reflects the area’s traditional architecture and blends beautifully with San Telmo’s attractive, cobblestoned streets; Anselmo Boutique Hotel’s open and modern interior provides a wonderful visual contrast.

charming-accommodation-in-san-telmo-districtWe feel welcome the moment we step into the airy, light-filled lobby. The staff is friendly, professional and very polite to check travelers into one of the stylish rooms.

charming-accommodation-in-san-telmo-district-6Visiting the rooms we find elegant, modern décor which meets homelike comfort. Warm wood flooring, beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows and a striking lamp – each one unique to every room, and a piece of art in itself – make each of the room’s restful. Each room is equipped with contemporary amenities including complimentary WiFi, a 42-inch HDTV and a mini-bar.

The buffet breakfast is served with a great variety of fruits, breads, delicacies, all homemade and very enjoyable. You can also dine on international dishes, expertly prepared using only the freshest local produce in the restaurant, Café Anselmo. There is also a wine tasting room that you have to visit, in which the best wines from boutique and prestigious wineries are poured.

charming-accommodation-in-san-telmo-district-5Our Marketing Manager, Daniela Pisani stayed at Anselmo Boutique Hotel and this is her impression “Anselmo is a very nice option if it´s a boutique hotel what you are looking for in the heart of San Telmo. Its modern style includes local elements in the decoration. The staff was very friendly and helpful and I was particularly impressed by the variety and quality of of the delicatessen served at breakfast“.

charming-accommodation-in-san-telmo-district-4Good news for those travelers who love maintaining their exercise routine it is easy at the compact fitness center that is well equipped with state-of-the-art cardio, resistance and weights technology.

Take a break from exploring San Telmo’s cobbled streets and enjoy a cup of coffee in one of the traditional cafés sitting around Plaza Dorrego, home to a myriad of street performers, artisans, vendors and tango dancers. When the sun goes down, experience world-famous nightlife in San Telmo’s bustling bars, nightclubs and live music venues. Anselmo Boutique Hotel in Buenos Aires is ready to make your experience in Buenos Aires something worth sharing.

charming-accommodation-in-san-telmo-district-3FACT SHEET

Rates include
Hotel part of the Curio Collection by Hilton
Complimentary Buffet Breakfast
Free WiFi access
Access to the State-of-the-art fitness center

Fileteado, the graffiti made in Argentina

Finally we can spread the word about one of the most important aspects of our culture! fileteado! What is ‘fileteado’? Fileteado, the graffiti made in Argentina! The word fileteado comes from Latin prefix “filo“, which means “thread”.

fileteado-the-graffiti-made-in-argentina-3Thus, fileteado is an “ornamental thread” which with its shapes and colors revolutionized early 20th century Buenos Aires, when Italian immigrants who worked for carriages shops introduced new lines and shades in vehicle decoration. It emerged together with tango music and became a symbol of Argentine identity,

Like every other expresion of art, the history of Fileteado is covered with legends and is certainly uncertain. The stories are so often repeated that they almost become true.

fileteado-the-graffiti-made-in-argentina-1Either the traveler who is visiting Buenos Aires, or the locals, can track such a legacy in the streets of the city. That’s the idea behind the Fileteado Porteño Tour which took the Abasto as the emblematic neighborhood of this art and Tango

Recently the Fileteado Porteño was declared Intangible World Heritage by Unesco, the same recognition received by Tango in 2009.

fileteado-the-graffiti-made-in-argentina-5It is amazing walking on the streets of the Abasto neighborhood being able to see the houses with their walls painted in a similar way as you see with the graffiti and Street art at Palermo and Villa Crespo. 700 Jean Jaures Street you can find what can be called the best expression of the Fileteado visible to all.. A contest was organized by the House Museum of Carlos Gardel and the owners of six houses restored their facades with decorations of the Fileteado Technique.

fileteado-the-graffiti-made-in-argentina-2After the walking the tour ends with a brief lesson about the Fileteado Techniques at the Conventillo Cultural Abasto. With the guidance of an expert we had the opportunity to paint our own fileteado and share the experience with other travelers  who came to Buenos Aires with the idea of living Buenos Aires like a porteño.

If you are visiting Buenos Aires and you want to get to know our culture away from the crowded tours or traditional experiences we recommend the Fileteado Porteño Tour. Your travelers will love it as much as we love our culture.

 

Countryside and Penguins, Perfect Mix

A day in the countryside only 65 km far from Puerto Madryn on the south coast of the Golfo Nuevo, El Pedral awaits your visit. This country hotel located at Punta Ninfas is an authentic oasis immersed in the Patagonian steppe, a natural reserve of penguins, birds, sea lions and elephant seals. Countryside and Penguins perfect mix can be found here.

countryside-penguins-perfect-mixSomething characteristic of the region is the landscape of pure steppe that keeps us apart from the farm. This inhospitable scenery offers shelter to many native species, such as elegant crested tinamous, smaller rheas and guanacos. We are be able to watch them from comfortable vehicles especially fitted to enjoy the trip in full.

We arrive to the house of El Pedral. Is an original Patagonian farmhouse that also works as a museum.. This farmhouse has a history of its own and a particular design that turns out especially attractive.

countryside-penguins-perfect-mix-6
El Pedral has been built at the beginning of 20th century. Its materials and furniture have been brought on ships from Europe, which disembarked on the coasts of the proper farm. It has been inaugurated in 1923 and still keeps the aesthetics and style of those times in its cozy rooms. Ancient portraits and pictures take us to the past, evoking a glorious époque of adventurous entrepreneurs, indisputable pioneers of the development of the Península Valdés.

countryside-penguins-perfect-mix-5There are several activities included with the day in the countryside. The most amazing one is the penguin colony. Every year in September, a growing colony of friendly Magellanic penguins settles only meters from the house. A guide tour among its nests enables us to know much more about these curious animals. It is interesting that El Pedral keeps a control and cleaning program along its coasts, together with collaborating with the foundation GPS, Global Penguin Society, which monitors the Magellanic penguins’ colony of Punta Ninfas.

countryside-penguins-perfect-mix-4Some other sea fauna such as lions and elephant seals can be watched. The coast bordering Punta Ninfas is chosen by these marine mammals, like the farm neighbors, the penguins, which feel allured by the stone beaches and food obtained at a near distance.

For lunch we were delighted with a lamb roasted on a spit. Early in the morning and while we were visiting the natural reserve, Humberto, the ‘chief roaster’, with the aid of his assistants cooked a typical and unforgettable Patagonian lamb roasted on a spit. His secret to cook it, which he never shared with us, is a delicacy that delighted us after the excursion.

Another attraction is the Punta Ninfas lighthouse which is located only ten minutes away from the farm, on the high cliffs, south of the mouth of Golfo Nuevo. It is a valuable reference for sailors coming into the gulf, together with being a faithful watcher for the first whales arriving at the gulf every year, during the cold May days. The landscape from the lighthouse at Punta Ninfas overlooking the cliffs will make you feel a privileged witness of a distinct magical and incredible scenery.

countryside-penguins-perfect-mix-3Finally, we return to Puerto Madryn after having rested for awhile and having spent an extraordinary day, ideal for those travelers in love with nature. This region offers a safe and true contact with nature which will become a great memoir..

FACT SHEET

The rate includes:

Transfers to the farmhouse and back to the city.
Visit to Punta Ninfas lighthouse.
Excursion to visit the Magellanic penguins’ colony.
Bilingual guide/naturalist (English/Spanish).
Pool access.
Lunch.

Trekking at Mount Bella Vista in Bariloche

We are ready, carrying a bottle of water, a small backpack, we check our shoelaces and start hiking to Mount Bella Vista at Bariloche.  It isn’t a renowned  name in Bariloche such as the Tronador, Cerro Negro, Catedral, Cerro Lopez, and Cerro Otto, but it can be seen  from all those well-known peaks and many parts of town, especially Avenida Bustillos.

trekking-at-mount-bella-vista-in-barilocheThe climb is fairly easy, and quite popular, with a well-kept  trail leading to the summit.  The views are spectacular.  In addition to the peaks above mentioned, you can see Cerro Navidad, Cerro Campanario, Cerro Ventana, and Cerro Ñireco, as well as Lago Nahuel Huapi, Lago Moreno, Isla Victoria, and Península Llao Llao.

trekking-at-mount-bella-vista-in-bariloche-2This day´s hike is perfect for those who like gaining elevation quickly and are not afraid of a steady 2 hour uphill trek. Beginning at “Refugio Jacob” trailhead, also called “El Tambo” a slowly climb to the Southeast ridge of Bella Vista Mount. The climb starts in an old  “Coihues” grove with a dense undergrowth which offers plenty of flowers and bird watching opportunities. The landscape is amazing and we were enthralled by the colours and the work of nature during the Hike.

A couple of beautiful viewpoints are waiting for us up the road  where, like us, you will take water breaks and rest for a few minutes. We keep hiking gaining more elevation, a few minutes later we enter the deciduous “Lenga” tree forest, where it is common to see some Magellanic Giant Woodpeckers.

trekking-at-mount-bella-vista-in-bariloche-3It is impossible not to be amazed at the views of Lago Moreno that catches our eyes while continuing climbing the mountain and gaining the alpine terrain and appreciating the immensity of the Andes and the complex lake systems characteristic of this region.

At the summit ridge, we found a comfortable area where we had lunch enjoying some delicious sandwiches with some traditional Mate tea. From this point, people who want to continue the climb to the summit of Bella Vista Mount will climb for one more hour.

trekking-at-mount-bella-vista-in-bariloche-1The summit offers a 360 degrees view of the mountain ranges and valleys around Bariloche, appreciating the changes of environment of the Andes; from the rainforest at the West to the steppe toward the East with its reddish brown hues. After resting and taking pictures at the summit you will begin the descent following the same route downwards.

trekking-at-mount-bella-vista-in-bariloche-4Once at the base of the mountain, we decided that the best way to end the day is to head towards “Berlina” a craft brewery for a well Patagonian beer sharing our impressions about this amazing hike which gave us one of the most beautiful views of the region.

FACT SHEET

Level of Challenge: Medium

Recommended Season: Spring – Summer – Autumn

Considerations: During the Spring, the top of the mountains are still covered in snow.. Good hiking boots and gaiters recommended.

Duration of the activity: 6-8 hours

Length of the Trek:  7,6 kms

Starting Altitude: 860 msnsm

Max Altitude Climbed:  1770 msnsm

Elevation gained: 750mts till the skyline (at 1610 msnsm) and 890 mts if you reach the summit (at 1770 msnsm)

Service includes:

Bilingual Certified Mountain Guide (we add an Assistant Guide during Spring season for groups larger than 7 hikers)

Box Lunch + water + tea + snacks

First Aid Kit + VHF Radio + GPS

Insurance

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