The biggest change to come out of Argentina is at the highest level � the office of the President. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, a senator in her own right representing the Province of Buenos Aires, and the First Lady of Argentina, has been elected the new President. Glamorous and stylish, often compared to Evita and Hillary Rodham Clinton, Cristina is more outspoken than her shy husband. She had already embarked on an international tour before the elections to solidify international support and create a foreign policy. Cristina isn't the first female President of the country; that honor goes to Isabel Peron, third wife of Juan Peron. The difference though is that while Cristina is also a First Lady and wife to Néstor Kirchner, the current President, she was elected into the role, where as Isabel semi-inherited it as the Vice President when Juan Peron died in 1974. The elections pitted woman against woman with Elisa Carrió as the runner up to Cristina. Cristina received about 45% of the votes with Carrió receiving about half of that. In other words, something like 70% of the voting population of Argentina voted for women, a remarkable fact in a country once considered uber-macho. Putting that history behind itself, it seems a woman's place is in the house, and it seems in modern Argentina that means the Pink House, the Casa Rosada. A song about another famous First Lady here says Argentine men call the shots and someone has altered the rules. She sure has! Cristina's inauguration where her husband hands off the Presidential sash like a baton in a marathon is December 10, 2007.
While the power of women in Argentina is on its way up, so are prices. Officially, and just before the elections, the government put inflation at under 1% but no one believes these rates are true at all. Real inflation is running closer to 6-8%, in spite of government price controls on food products. While this is a problem for locals, it impacts you as a tourist. Remember that whatever prices we have in the Frommer's Buenos Aires and Frommer's Argentina books are likely to be under what you should expect to pay now. In fact, it is the success of tourism, driving up real estate values as well as the raw material for the country's fantastic cuisine Â? beef Â? that has been fueling the rampant inflation.
Planning Your Trip to Argentina
The recent U.S. travel warning to American citizens coming to Argentina (particularly Buenos Aires and Mendoza) was met with plenty of consternation there, especially in the city of Mendoza which is traditionally a very safe place. The alert was followed swiftly by similar travel warnings from governments in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Undoubtedly there has been a rise in street crime (daylight street snatching seems to be the most prevalent) yet it is important to put it all in perspective. A recent International league table rated Argentina safer than the U.S. and the safest country in South America after Uruguay. The Global Peace index voted Argentina 52, only 3 places behind the UK.
The tourism boom in Argentina continues with statistics showing a 7.65% increase on last year. The influx of visitors is reflected in a recent airline agreement between the Argentine and American governments, promising to double flights between both countries. American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) has swiftly accepted the invitation and a new direct route from Chicago to Buenos Aires came into operation in fall 2007. This new flight is in addition to their already existing direct connections with Buenos Aires to Dallas, New York or Miami. LAN Airlines (www.lan.com) plans to open up the Southern cone further with direct flights from New York and Los Angeles to Chilean capital Santiago and onward flights to the Argentine cities of Mendoza and Cordoba. Many Andean tourists are finding Santiago a useful hub to enter the Argentine interior; Santiago is a 40 minute flight from Mendoza. This year, LAN also introduced two-weekly flights from Santiago, Chile to Puerto Madryn's local airport at nearby Trelew.
Analie Tours, based in Miami, appears to have closed its doors. This had always been one of my favorite discount agencies to use for Argentina. Meanwhile, another of my favorite agencies, the upscale Borello Travel (tel. 800/405-3072; www.borellotravel.com), owned by Buenos Aires native Sandra Borello, has expanded, adding staff in Buenos Aires and in New York. In addition, they are adding more areas of South America to their roster.
Buenos Aires
For the past few years, Buenos Aires has reigned as the most important gay destination in Latin America, outshining Rio de Janeiro which once held the title. The newest sign of this is the opening of the Axel Hotel in San Telmo, Venezuela 649 (tel. 11/4136-9393; www.axelhotels.com). The Axel is a luxury hotel, modeled on the main one in Barcelona, Spain. While the starkly modern building is extremely out of place in historical San Telmo, it made a welcome splash on the city, opening at the end of October 2007. This opening followed on the historical hosting by Buenos Aires of the International Gay World Soccer championships in September of 2007, adding to the city's gay friendliness. The hotel has 48 rooms, beginning at about $180 dollars a night, two pools and a patio and gym, and a restaurant, bar and business center. One of the pools, with a glass bottom looking into the floor below is particularly breathtaking.
The Alvear Palace Hotel, the ultimate in Buenos Aires luxury, has completed its new 800 square meter La Prairie spa, Av. Alvear 1891 at Ayacuchol (tel. 11/4808-2100; www.alvearpalace.com). One of the largest in all of Buenos Aires, lymphatic treatments and hydrotherapy are among the specialties. On the moderate end, a new hotel is the apart-hotel Loft y Arte, in the Monserat area off of Avenida de Mayo, Hipolito Yrigoyen (tel. 11/4381-3229; www.loftyarte.com.ar). The hotel is a conversion of an apartment complex into hotel rooms, so most rooms come with kitchens. Most rooms also have balconies. Breakfast and parking, if you're crazy enough to bring a car with you to Buenos Aires, are included. The location, near historical Avenida de Mayo, is perfect for those who have come to Buenos Aires for history, tango and architecture. Doubles begin at about $100.
A gastronomic capital like Buenos Aires is always full of changes and openings and closings. Count among them the closing of one of my favorite restaurants in Buenos Aires, the Latin fusion Central, which had been owned by Federico Olabarrieta. In the same location, Ceviche, Costa Rica 5644, at Fitzroy (tel. 11/4776-7374; www.ceviche.com.ar), an upscale Peruvian restaurant owned by Jorge Schwartz, will open. The restaurant will of course feature its namesake, ceviche, a Peruvian fish dish, as well as other Peruvian delicacies.
Salta & the Northwest
The famous Train to the Clouds in northwest Argentina has finally opened in fall 2007. The spectacular railway journey (know in Spanish as Tren a Las Nubes) is one of the world's great railroad experiences and travels 434km (269 miles) from the city of Salta to the Chilean border. The journey takes you through tunnels, turns and bridges, climbing to an altitude of 4220m (13,842 ft) and culminates in the stunning La Polvorilla viaduct. Once a popular tourist attraction, the 14 ½ hour ride was cancelled in 2005 due to problems with the tracks. After several false starts it looks like finally the train is ready to leave and should not be missed. For more information contact the Salta Tourist board on Buenos Aires 93, Salta City. (tel. 387/431-0950; www.turismosalta.gov.ar).
Salta continues to attract travellers for more than great railway journeys. The area's booming wine industry is making it a top destination for wine lovers too. They come for dusty, multi-colored mountain ranges and rolling vineyards punctuated by giant cactus. The newly opened Estancia Colomé, 4419 Molinos, Salta Province. (tel. 3868/49-4044; www.estanciacolome.com) is a luxury boutique hotel set in the stunning valley of Calchaqui. Here you'll find 9 suites done with a masterful mixture of tradition and modernity and facilities include a spectacular outdoor pool and tennis courts. Also at hand is one of Argentina's oldest wineries with 150-year old vines producing rich, concentrated malbec. The lodge is located 185 km south of Salta City (approximately four hours drive) and 2300m (7544 ft) above sea level.
Mendoza
With more and more vino mendocino hitting shelves around the world, the word is out that this lovely location beneath the snow-capped Andes offers superb food and wine, quaint inns and great wine touring. Tourism here is booming. The Province of Mendoza, however, has been experiencing some serious security problems, including a commando-style robbery at a well-known and upscale local hotel. Travelers are urged to leave valuables at home and keep in close contact with hotel staff at all times.
Many local hotels and touring agencies have now imposed strict 3- or 4-night minimum stays during the annual Vendimia Wine Harvest Festival, held in early March. Rooms are often booked up to a year in advance, and go for as much as twice the regular high-season rate. Still, all the festivities make this an exciting time to visit.
The newest boutique hotel in downtown Mendoza is the exclusive Villaggio Hotel, 25 de Mayo 1010 (tel. 261/524-5200; www.hotelvillaggio.com.ar), with 26 exclusive Italian-inspired rooms and a great downtown location. Opened in 2007, doubles here start at $119. If you want to live and breathe the wine experience, the stunning Carlos Pulenta Vineyard, Roque S. Peña 3581, Vistalba, Luján de Cuyo (tel. 261/498-9400; www.carlospulentawines.com) has opened two luxurious rooms to guests in the same building that houses their bodega, tasting rooms and acclaimed restaurant, La Bourgogne. Doubles start at $280. Another new and very upscale option is at Bodega Antucura, Barrandica s/n, Vista Flores, Tunuyán, Mendoza (tel. 261/425-5324; www.antucura.com) in the lovely Valle de Uco. The family that owns the winery is clearly living the good life, and has invited travelers to share their good fortunes. Doubles start at $500.
A new quality lodge has opened in Argentina's wine capital Mendoza. It thoroughly fills a gap in boutique style accommodation which until now was lacking in the downtown area of this charming city. Posada de Rosas, Martinez de las Rosas 1641 (tel. 261/423-3629; www.posadaderosas.com) is an attractive townhouse beautifully restored and converted into 6 well appointed rooms. Travel writer Ellen Hoffman and artist Ricardo Asti have put their talent and experience to good use in creating a warm and welcoming lodge with a fantastic pool and garden. The inn is conveniently located halfway between the city center and the elegant municipal park Parque San Martin.
One of the newer wine tour companies, Ampora Wine Tours, Sarmiento 647, Mendoza (tel. 261/429-2931; www.mendozawinetours.com) is offering daily small group English-language bodega tours for an affordable $115 per person. It's a high-end tour for a good price. If you can't decide which Â? and how many Â? bottles to take home with you, drop by the Vines of Mendoza tasting room, Espejo 567 (tel. 261/438-1031; www.vinesofmendoza.com) in downtown Mendoza, where the knowledgeable staff will help you select, package and ship bottle straight to your door.
The Argentine Lakes District
San Carlos de Bariloche's newest lake front hotel is situated right down town. Cacique Inacayal Lake Hotel, J. M. de Rosas 625 (tel. 2944/433888; www.hotelinacayal.com.ar) opened in 2007. It's attempting to sell itself as a boutique hotel, but with 57 rooms, it's quite large. Views, though, are superb and it's steps away from the shops, restaurants, cafes and discos of Bariloche. Doubles start at $198.
In the quiet lakeside village of Villa Traful north of Bariloche, there's at last a cozy and comfortable mid-range hotel. Marinas Puerto Traful (Ruta 65 s/n on the coast, Villa Traful; tel. 2944/47-9117; www.marinaspuertotraful.com.ar) has lovely lake-view rooms, good service and doubles that start at $90 in high season (December-February).
For a stunningly peaceful get-away, the new Rio Hermoso Hotel, km 67 Ruta 63 (tel. 11/4005-0050; www.riohermoso.com) on Lago Meliquina, on the Seven Lakes Road near San MartÃn de los Andes, is fantastic. Part of the exclusive NA hotel chain, it's open year-round (with ski packages in winter), and has six deluxe rooms that run $240 in high season.
The Cerro Catedral Ski Resort (www.catedralaltapatagonia.com) installed the last lifts in its ambitious three-year modernization plan, making it the most expansive and developed ski resort in South America. The new Nubes lift takes intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders up for views of Mt. Tronador. There's also a new terrain park. In Villa La Angostura, growth in the tourism industry continues to impress. In 1986, there were 241 rooms on the market; in 2006, the town counted 3,321 guest rooms. New owners have big plans for the quaint Cerro Bayo (www.cerrobayoweb.com) ski resort, including re-branding itself as a boutique ski hill. There have been upgrades at the base, a new kids' zone, and a funky new on-slope bistro. Plans for much-needed upgrades in all lifts are also in the works.
Peninsula Valdes & Southern Patagonia
The spectacular peninsula sticking out into the south Atlantic coast of Argentina continues to be a popular draw for wildlife viewing and sweeping coastal views, particularly in the whale-watching season of June through November for international travelers en route to the glaciers of Southern Patagonia.
More and more tour operators and hotels are staying open year-round in Southern Patagonia. Aerolineas Argentinas (www.aerolineas.com.ar) now has daily direct flights from Buenos Aires to Patagonia 12 months a year. The main tours to Perito Moreno Glacier are available even in the cold winter months of July and August. Mini-trekking on the glacier itself, run by Hielo y Aventura (www.hieloyaventura.com) now opens in mid-August.
Although the main tours here remain a full-day on Peninsula Valdes and another full-day to the Punta Tombo penguin colony, Flamenco Tours, Avda Roca 331 (www.flamencotours.com) now offers alternative ecotours like scuba diving with sea lions, sea kayak tours, and Chubut River birdwatching.
El Calafate, the former frontier town at the end of the world continues to boom thanks to tourism. Flights are often full months in advance; although often seats are booked by wholesalers who hold on to them and then eventually cancel. If you find no availability, be patient and try again. The best idea, though, is to book early. For trips in November-February, you should reserve your flight in May or June.
If you're short on time and want to see the Torres del Paine National Park in one day from El Calafate, join the excursion organized by Cordillera del Sol Tours, 25 de Mayo 43, El Calafate (tel. 2902/492-822; www.cordilleradelsol.com). It's a long but unforgettable day.
There is a constant slew of new hotels opening, including new ones with spas, suites and great views. Los Sauces Casa Patagonica, Los Gauchos 1352, El Calafate (tel. 2902/49-5775; www.casalossauces.com) is a small and stylish inn on the edge of El Calafate, with just 18 rooms on a 10-acre property. It offers upscale rural hospitality, with a spa a lovely garden, and fabulous views of the Patagonian nothingness. Three-night packages start at $1,350 per person and include transfers, tours, and meals.
The paving of the road to El Chaltén should finish in late 2007, shaving another hour off the trip from El Calafate. It's now a 3.5 hour trip to the El Calafate airport. The pavement of the entire town is also now underway, which will curb El Chaltén's notorious dust complaints, but will also bring more and more tourists. It remains to be seen if the town has the other infrastructure needs sorted to handle this kind of growth.
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