CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN MENDOZA

We bring you the latest tourism and cultural project in the province of Mendoza that has already captivated locals and foreigners for almost a year.

To the wide spectrum of experiences that take place in Mendoza in the mountain and wine tourism areas, an original alternative has been added: to visit the desert and to meet native people. This full day excursion allows you to meet and interact with descendants of the Huarpes, visit the Altos Limpios and the Bosques Teltecas reserve, as well as enjoy a lunch served in a typical rustic home of the community.

From our hotel, we will start our journey going east towards La Asunción, in the town of Lavalle. On the way, we will stop for a short hike through the Altos Limpios -with Sahara desert like dunes- and the Teltecas Reserve, crossing its native forests of carob trees and observing characteristic fauna while we appreciate the great desert that is Mendoza.

We will continue our trip to La Asunción; a town inhabited by descendants of native people who practice ancestral rites and traditional celebrations according to their culture, fused with the influence of Spanish religious missions.

The Huarpes were located in the provinces of San Juan, San Luis and Mendoza in the mid-sixteenth century. They were a polytheistic community; they worshiped the sun and the stars, the moon and the lightning, the hills and the river. Currently, in Mendoza there are eleven Huarpe communities that preserve and exhibit their culture, beliefs, traditions and productive and handicraft activities. Here in La Asunción, we will learn more about them.

We will visit a family from the community, who will be waiting for us with the lunch ready: homemade empanadas, bread and chivito (goat), all cooked in the external clay oven.

After lunch, those who want to be part of an interesting cultural exchange, will be able to participate in a small workshop of loom and leather crafts to learn the different techniques and go home with a souvenir made by themselves. 

The crafts of the Huarpes are characterized by not using chemicals. Artisanal spinning, leather goods, pottery and the manufacture of bovine or goat leather footwear, in addition to hand work such as knitting with sheep or rabbit wool.

This is a unique and authentic opportunity to get closer to the history and present of these original inhabitants and their traditions; to experience a different side of Mendoza.

For more information, please contact your Kallpa Tour coordinator.

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • 9 hs private excursion.
  • Departure time at 8 am. Estimated arrival time at 5 pm.
  • Includes: Vehicle, bilingual guide, technical equipment, snack, regional lunch/gourmet tasting lunch.

 

PENGUINS UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

This full day excursion provides wildlife sightings and an authentic experience of the Atlantic Patagonia from the eyes of the pioneers who populated the area in the last century.

Only 70 km from Puerto Madryn and along Patagonian steppe, we reach the southern end of the mouth of the Golfo Nuevo where we find the Punta Ninfas lighthouse, a valuable reference for navigators entering the gulf. From the cliff we can see the breeding grounds of elephants and sea lions on the surrounding beaches.

We continue on our way to El Pedral, an authentic Patagonian farmhouse built at the beginning of the 20th century. The materials and furniture were brought from Europe by boat and landed on the shores of the estancia itself. The house was inaugurated in 1923 and still keeps the aesthetics and style of those times. 

Minutes away, there’s a Magellanic penguin colony established on the shores of El Pedral. There were 13 couples in 2008 and today there are more than 5000 penguins. We’re lucky to take a guided walk between their nests and learn a bit more about these curious animals while standing really close to them.

El Pedral takes care of a beach control and cleaning scheme, collaborating with the GPS Foundation (Global Penguin Society), which monitors the Magellanic penguin colony of Punta Ninfas.

After the walk, we taste a typical barbecue with a variety of salads, dessert and coffee. Lunch includes drinks and house wine.

In the afternoon -if the weather is right- we can enjoy the pool or the small football field, as well as walk around the property or have a tea accompanied by a typical Welsh cake before leaving the estancia. The way back to Puerto Madryn provides the right time for a nap.

This full day excursion is an excellent option for those who want to avoid long journeys to visit a colony of Magellanic penguins; an ideal family experience!

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • Full day regular excursion. Departs from meeting point in Puerto Madryn at 8:30 am and returns at 5:00 pm.
  • Departs every day from September 15th to April 15th.
  • Includes: Visit to the Punta Ninfas Lighthouse and sea elephants and lions observation. Guided walk to the Magellanic penguin colony at El Pedral reserve. A Patagonian lunch in the quincho of the old part of the estancia (wines included). Tea and coffee service with Welsh cake. Transfers to and from Puerto Madryn.
  • Free of charge for children up to 4 years old. 

 

A GOURMET CORNER IN USHUAIA

Down in the Valley of Andorra, 4 km from Ushuaia, you get to an exclusive gourmet corner in a cozy log and stone cabin. 

Ariel Ruiz Díaz -house owner and head cook at Rincón Gourmet- is a renowned local and celebrity chef. With extensive experience, Ariel trained in culinary arts at Gato Dumas school for cooks and at the Ritz-Escoffier school in Paris. He also cooked with renowned chefs such as Pablo Massey and Ramiro Rodríguez Pardo among others. He currently conducts a tv program in Ushuaia and writes a gastronomic column for USH Magazine.

But beyond his resume, Ariel surprises in the city with an original and different gastronomic concept, since it is the only home that opens its doors to local people and tourists, where everyone can share a moment with friends or a personalized intimate dinner.

Rincón Gourmet offers a very exclusive and private but familiar atmosphere, with few tables. All diners can watch the chef cook, ask him questions and make the most of this close and intimate encounter with Ariel’s kitchen.

Offering two appetizers, three main courses and two desserts, the menu is short but exquisite and gourmet. The dishes are simple and with a lot of variety according to the local and artisan products that are obtained during the day.

With the idea of ​​making the traveler feel like a local, Ariel’s food seeks to merge typical products that foreigners look for with what the local people usually eat. All kinds of grilled meats, pastas, stews, tasty desserts with fresh ingredients from the area… no matter the day’s proposal, we guarantee that nothing will be left over!

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • Available with previous reservation only.
  • Rincón Gourmet opens only in the evening, from Thursday to Saturday from May to October, and from Tuesday to Saturday from November to April.
  • The price includes an appetizer + a main course + dessert + a glass of wine + a glass of water.

 

THIS IS NOT ANOTHER CITY TOUR

This is an original cultural immersion experience, highly recommended for visitors looking for a behind the scenes encounter with Buenos Aires.

The best way to really learn a language is to live it through day to day situations. That is why we bring you this fun, unique and friendly city promenade, joined by a local person that doesn’t even seem to be a guide, but a friend that shows you around and tells you facts and stories about Buenos Aires.

Walking through the lively and charming streets of Palermo neighborhood, you will merge with locals, hop into designer shops and fascinate yourself with the current street art scene in Buenos Aires.

In the course of the walk, you will experience a different basic Spanish class, distinguished by the introduction of Lunfardo, the porteño slang. Words, expressions and/or verbs such as bondi, laburo, chabón, afanar and al divino botón might be heard and learnt.

Lunfardo was born in Buenos Aires during the second half of the 19th century, due to the contribution of immigration – specially Italian – and words of indigenous, African, and Gaucho origin.

At first, this jargon was used by criminals and soon by people from the lower and lower middle classes. At the beginning of the 20th century, lunfardo began to spread among all social classes, either by the usual use, because it was common in the lyrics of tango, or both.

Nowadays, some of its terms are part of the natural language of almost all of Argentina, Uruguay and, to a lesser extent, Paraguay. While some words of the old lunfardo of the early 20th century have been modified, new ones have also been added. In 2011 it was considered that the lunfardo already consisted of around 6000 words.

On this “city talk”, while going in and out of every kind shops, you will learn how to apply the porteño slang to feel like a local living the everyday life, and learn about the history and present of the capital city and Argentina, interacting with great venues in a real social, cultural and fun immersion.

This unique experience is not only an amusing way to get to know Buenos Aires, but  a must for everyone who wants to get an insider!

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • Duration: 2.5 hs
  • Regular excursion operates Tuesday and Thursday at 10.30 hs.
  • Meeting point: Plaza Serrano, in the corner of Honduras and Borges streets. Tour ends in Plaza Armenia.