Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
The Best of Argentina
The distance from Argentina's northern tip to Tierra del Fuego spans
3,650km (2,263 miles). And the scope of experiences you can find here is no less grand,
ranging from the cosmopolitan bustle of Buenos Aires to the tropical jungles and pound-
ing falls of I guazú or the thunder ous splash of icebergs in Los G laciares National Park.
Whether you've come to meander the quiet towns of the Lake District or dance the night
away in a smoky , lo w-lit Argentine tango bar , y our trip to the S outhern Hemisphere
won't disappoint. I n this chapter , we've selected the best that Argentina has to offer—
museums, outdoor adventures, hotels, and even side trips to Chile.
1
THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE
TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
•
Experiencing Tango in B uenos Aires:
Milongas,
or tango salons, take place
every night of the week throughout the
Argentine capital; the most famous ar e
in the S an Telmo neighborhood. M ost
visitors will be content just to watch as
dancers of all generations (most of them
amateurs) go thr ough the beautiful
paces of traditional Argentine tango
dance at all, the spectacles and the social
atmosphere make for an enter
taining
evening. See p. 149.
•
Paying R espects at a F irst-Class
Necropolis:
In a chichi neighborhood in
Buenos Air es is the beautiful
Recoleta
Cemetery,
wher e enormous, expensiv e
mausoleums compete for grandeur. It's a
place wher e the rich
can
“ take it with
them,” in a sense, and continue display-
ing their wealth long after death. Among
the scant fe w nonaristocrats buried her e
is Eva Perón, or “Evita.” Children won't
be bor ed either , delighting in playing
.
Both the dance and the complex social
ritual that frames it ar e mesmerizing.
Brave onlookers can choose to dance as
well; most
milongas
offer lessons befor e
the floor opens up to dancers.
El Niño
Bien,
H umberto I no . 1462 (
&
11/
4483-2588
), is like taking a step back
in time, as y ou watch patrons dance in
an enormous Belle Epoque-era hall. See
p. 149. To experience its history, see the
intimate tango show
El Querandí,
Perú
302 (
&
11/4345-0331
), which traces
the dance 's r oots fr om br othel slums,
when only men danced it, to its current
leggy sexiness. See p. 147.
Mano a Mano,
Maipú 444 (
&
11/15-5865-8279
[cell]),
a
milonga
r un ev ery Thursday b y I ce-
land native Helen Halldórsdóttir whom
locals have nicknamed La Vikinga, is a
perfect compromise. Even if y ou don't
with the more than 80 cats living among
the tombs. See p. 124.
•
The C apital's Best N ightlife S treet:
Whether you want to dine at a
parrilla
(grill), tr y some nouv elle cuisine, bar-
hop, or go dancing,
Calle Báez
in Las
Cañitas is the place to go . This busy
street in Palermo has great restaurants—
such as
Novecento,
Báez 199 (
&
11/
4778-1900
), and
El Estancier o,
Bá ez
202 (
&
11/4899-0951
)—and some of
the most intensely packed nightlife on
any 3 blocks of B
uenos Air es. S ee
chapter 5.
