Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Directory A-Z
BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE
For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet authors, check out
ht-
tp://hotels.lonelyplanet.com
. You'll find independent reviews, as well as recom-
mendations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can book online.
Accommodations
Accommodations in Argentina range from campgrounds to five-star luxury hotels. At the
tourist-oriented hotels staff members will speak some English, though at more provincial
accommodations you'll be practicing your
castellano
(what Argentina calls its Spanish).
All but the cheapest hotels have private bathrooms, and most accommodations include
breakfast - usually
medialunas
(croissants) and coffee or tea. Note that many hotels offer
discounted rates for extended stays, usually a week or more; negotiate this
before
you be-
gin your stay.
Cabañas
Some tourist destinations, especially at the beach or in the country, have
cabañas
for rent.
These are usually stand-alone cabin-type accommodations, and nearly always have a
stocked kitchen. They are a great deal for groups or families (as they often have several
rooms), though sometimes their off-the-beaten-track location means you'll need a vehicle
to reach them. The destination's tourist office is a good place to find a list of local
cabañas
.
Camping & Refugios
Camping can be a splendid way to experience Argentina, particularly the Lake District and
Patagonia, where there are many good campgrounds. Nearly every Argentine city or town
has a fairly central municipal campground, but these are hit-and-miss - sometimes delight-
fully woodsy, sometimes crowded and ugly.
Private campgrounds usually have good facilities: hot showers, toilets, laundry, barbecue
for grilling, restaurant or
confitería
(cafe) and small grocery store. Free campgrounds are
often excellent, especially in the Lake District, although they lack facilities. Municipal camp-
grounds are cheap, but can become party central on weekends.
Argentine camping equipment is often more expensive than and inferior to what you may
be used to. Camp stoves take locally available butane cartridges (which should
not
be
