Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Facing the Abyss at Iguazú Falls:
Two
hundred sev enty-five plummeting
waterfalls fed by the Iguazú River make
what is one of the world 's most spec-
tacular and dramatic sights. In addition
to the falls, I guazú encompasses a mar-
velous subtropical jungle with extensive
flora and fauna. See chapter 7.
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Driving the Quebrada de Humahuaca:
A taste of real South America is offered
by this rainbo w-colored mountain
range that extends all the way to Bolivia.
The windy r oad r eveals dusty adobe
villages, such as
Tilcara,
and striking
rock formations. Q uechuan women
herd goats amid I nca r uins in the dis-
tance. See chapter 8.
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Taking a Train to the Clouds:
The
Tren
a las N ubes
is one of the world 's gr eat
railroad experiences. The journey
through Argentina's Northwest takes you
434km (269 miles) thr ough tunnels,
turns, and bridges, culminating in the
locally as Caminos del Vino. The spec-
tacular high Andes form a dramatic
backdrop. A bout 80 wineries formally
offer tours and tastings, with those in
the southerly Valle de U co the most
fascinating. See chapter 10.
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Cruising to Chile with Cruce Andino:
Why fly or driv e when y ou can sail
through the Andes? With thr ee boats
and thr ee bus trips, y ou can go fr om
Bariloche, Argentina, to P uerto Montt,
Chile, in a day on the
Cruce de Lagos
tour. Turning it into an o vernight trip,
with a stay on the Chilean side, giv
es
you time to take in the beauty of the
temperate rainfor est and the magic of
these mountains. See chapter 11.
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Whale-Watching at Península Valdés:
From A pril to D ecember, the giant
Southern Right Whale heads to the
protected bays off the P enínsula Valdés
to r elax, r eproduce, and r echarge. The
boats that head out hourly from Puerto
Pirámides get remarkably close to these
friendly giants. You can spot sea el-
ephants, penguins, ostrichlike
choiques,
and sometimes even orca whales on the
peninsula. See chapter 12.
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Seeing a M illion Penguins Guarding
Their Nests:
Every autumn, over a mil-
lion penguins return to mate on a hill-
side o verlooking the A tlantic, in a
remote ar ea of P atagonia. A t
Punta
Tombo N ational R eserve,
y ou can
walk among these friendly cr eatures
and, if y ou're lucky , get to see them
guarding the babies in their nests. S ee
chapter 12.
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Watching I ce C alve O ff the P erito
Moreno Glacier:
It's worth the journey
to remote El Calafate to simply sit still
and gaz e at the majestic tongue of ice
that str etches into Lago Argentino .
When you see a giant chunk of ice (the
size of a bus!) crackle off the glacier into
the lake, you'll feel chilled by the power
of nature. See chapter 12.
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breathtaking La P olvorilla viaduct. You
will cr oss magnificent landscapes, mak-
ing y our way fr om the multicolor ed
Lerma valley through the deep cany ons
and r ugged peaks of the Q uebrada del
Toro, and on to the desolate deser t pla-
teau of La Puña. See chapter 8.
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Touring the Jesuit Ruins of Córdoba:
Magnificent colonial architecture set in
the r olling gr een hills of the Cór doba
sierras reveals a lost U topia of ar ts and
learning. It's one of the few examples of
harmonious cooperation between indig-
enous people and E uropean colonizers.
See chapter 9.
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Tasting Torrontes W ine in Cafayate:
Salta's wine r egion is a sun-kissed v alley
of pink sand and cactus-dotted vineyards
famous for producing an aromatic white
wine called Torrontes. See chapter 8.
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Traveling the Wine R oads of M en-
doza:
Less commer cialized than their
European and American counterpar ts,
Mendoza's wineries are free to visit and
easily accessible along r
oads kno wn
