Situated on Argentina’s stunning Rio de la Plata coast, Buenos Aires is a thriving portside capital defined by a rich history, vibrant culture, and strong European influence - thus nicknamed the Paris of South America. Countless museums covering a cornucopia of subjects; an active theatre culture; carnivorous buffets second to none; sensuous tango performances; a mosaic of architecture; and shops to fit all fancies – all these facets and more make up the seductive blend that is Buenos Aires. Some of the city’s highlights include the buzz of the La Bombonera Stadium; tango and milonga venues like the Bohemian La Catedral; and heritage architecture such as that at the Cementerio de la Recoleta, where visitors can wander through a ‘city’ of massive statues and marble mausoleums. Don’t miss the International Festival of Independent Cinema and the vibrant annual Pride Parade.
Dubbed 'Argentina's Private (and Secret) Answer to The Galapagos' by the New York Times, Bahia Bustamante is a nature lover's nirvana. This pristine seaside village is a habitat for an overwhelming array of coastal wildlife and forms part of two separate but overlapping conservation areas - Patagonia Austral National Park and Blue Patagonia UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is also a designated IBA (Important Bird and Biodiversity Area). Out of the 14 aquatic avian species in Patagonia, 12 are found here - including Magellanic Penguins and Blue-eyed Cormorants, while frequently sighted marine mammals include dolphins, Southern Right Whales and elephant seals. While away, the days here are best spent wandering along the beaches and secluded coves dotting the coast and soaking up spectacular sunsets as dusk falls.
Resting beneath sand-coloured cliffs on an azure bay, the beguiling hamlet of Puerto Piramides is the sole settlement of the Valdes Peninsula Nature Reserve in Argentina’s Chubut Province. Situating its visitors in the heart of coastal nature, Puerto Piramides is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the prime whale-watching spots on the planet between August and December when Southern Right Whales gather there to breed. At other times of the year, kayaking trips around the coast are a great way to take in the town’s exceptional scenery from a different angle and experience its wider coastal wildlife, including penguins, orcas, sea lions and myriad aquatic birds.
A sweeping expanse of 360 000 hectares on the Atlantic Coast just off central Argentina, UNESCO-listed Peninsula Valdes is an arid and barren landscape connected to the mainland by the narrow isthmus of Carlos Ameghino. The terrain may be harsh, but its shores and protected ocean bays support a profusion of marine life, a key breeding site for the endangered southern right whale, as well as the southern elephant seal, southern sea lion and Magellan penguin. In addition to gulfs and rocky cliffs of up to 100 metres in height, there are shallow bays and shifting coastal lagoons with extensive mudflats, sandy and pebble beaches, and small islands.
