Recommend March 2011 - (Page 40)

PATAGONIA PARTNERS FAST FACTS: GETTING THERE: From the U.S., nonstop air service to Santiago ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: U.S. passport, valid for six months after entry. U.S. visitors pay a reciprocity tax of $140 for a tourist visa on arrival on international ﬂights; the multiple-entry visa is good for the life of the passport BEST TRAVEL TIME: Anytime, but almost everywhere at its best November through May ARGENTINA Argentina brings to mind images of gauchos, the tango, world-class soccer and the world’s thickest steaks. Of course, the country’s attractions are far more numerous, and from its subtropical north to its sub-Antarctic south, they are spread over an area nearly one-third the size of Europe. Presently, the darling of South American cities, BUENOS AIRES is full of capital pleasures, including palatial hotels and chic B&Bs. When out on the town, tour the gilded interiors of the Teatro Colon, stroll art-ﬁlled El Caminito promenade in La Boca, spend Sundays at the ﬂea market on Plaza Dorrego in San Telmo, sample the world’s thickest steaks in a parrilla, and step out to tango at a milonga nightclub. + Outside the capital, explore EL TIGRE on a cruise along the waterways and around the islands of the Parana River delta. + Another day away from “B.A.,” make yourself at home on the range at an estancia, a working ranch offering a chance to ride with the gauchos, herd some sheep, play polo, and enjoy an asado bbq. + Gaucho traditions are strong in the village of SAN ANTONIO DE ARECO, which hosts the country’s biggest gaucho ﬁesta (Dia de la Tradicion) each November. + Heading north from B.A., everyone falls for IGUAZU FALLS, whose 275 cascades stretch along a 2.5-mile crescent to spill down the cliffs between Argentina and Brazil. During a visit, go birding in the national park and rafting right up to the falls in Devil’s Throat Canyon. + The string of shimmering glacial lakes of ARGENTINE LAKE DISTRICT meet those of the Chilean Lake District close to SAN CARLOS DE BARILOCHE, an Alpine-style resort town, full of sportswear boutiques and chocolate shops. The ﬁnest inns and lodges are out of town, offering activities including biking, whitewater rafting, ﬁshing, golf, good skiing on Cerro Catedral (July-October), hiking around and boating on gorgeous Nahuel Huapi Lake. + Nowadays, wine-lovers are toasting MENDOZA, home to Argentina’s signature wine: Malbec. The surrounding vineyards lie along Los Caminos del Vino, wine routes framed by the snow-capped Andes and bordered by more than 600 bodegas—some 80 offering tours of their vineyards and wine tastings. Many wine estates now have very ﬁne restaurants and/or lovely lodgings. Mendoza is the gateway to world-class LAS LEÑAS, the country’s ﬁnest ski area and resort. + Head to the scenic northwest to see Grand Canyon-like landscapes, colonial churches, Indian artifacts and pre-Incan fortresses. The hot destination of the moment is SALTA, with its ﬁne Andean Archaeological Museum, ﬁne hotels right in town and lovely inns—actor Robert Duvall’s HOUSE OF JASMINES the most coveted—dotting the surroundings. + Another northwest essential is JUJUY, with its colonial cathedral, Mitre Theater and artisans market. This most Indian of towns is the gateway to splendid rift valley of Quebrada de Humahuaca. + Head to the Atlantic coast for PENINSULA VALDES, a marvelous wildlife area that serves as a breeding ground for sea elephants and sea lions, as well as penguin colonies on land and whales cavorting offshore. + Farther south in PATAGONIA—basically the region covering the southern third of the country—is the booming town of CALAFATE, gateway to GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK and PERITO MORENO glacier, a vast, towering and cracking mass of translucent blue ice that spills out of the mountains into an arm of 600-sq.-mile LAGO ARGENTINO. Visitors cruise among the icebergs to Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers and to Onelli Bay, and with appropriate footwear, hike on the glacier. + At the “bottom of the world” you’re in TIERRA DEL FUEGO, en-route to USHUAIA, the bustling port that is the departure point for cruise ships headed to Antarctica. However, this southernmost city, with its handful of good hotels and its Museum at the End of the World—dedicated to Indians, nature, and a local history full of shipwreck lore—is appealing in itself. Here, travelers can hike or horseback ride in the forests and paddle the lakes of Tierra del Fuego National Park or take a local boat ride for penguin and fur seal viewing along the Beagle Channel, or stop at Haberton Ranch, which has its own museum of whales and dolphins. HOTEL HIGHS: In Buenos Aires, boutique hotels are bursting out all over in the Palermo districts (Hollywood/Soho/Viejo), from NUSS in Soho and the LEGADO MITICO in Viejo to just-opened FIERRO HOTEL in Palermo Hollywood. The ALGODON MANSION is the new elegant star in the Recoleta neighborhood. TOUR SAMPLE: AVANTI DESTINATIONS’ (AVANTIDESTINATIONS. COM) 10-night Ultimate Argentina visits Buenos Aires, Calafate and Glaciares National Park, Bariloche, and Iguazu Falls. Rates start at $1,566 pp dbl, featuring moderate hotels and hosted tour; internal air extra. FAST FACTS: GETTING THERE: From the U.S., nonstop air service to Buenos Aires ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: U.S. passport, valid for six months after entry. U.S. visitors pay reciprocity tax of $140 for a tourist visa on arrival on international ﬂights; the multiple-entry visa is good for 10 years BEST TRAVEL TIME: Year-round in B.A., October/November to May in southern Patagonia ● L14 recommend.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend March 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk
Tour Talk
Disney Dream
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico
Baja Airventures
Central Gems of Japan
2011 Guide to Latin America
The Tastier Side of Central Japan
Ireland With Brian Moore International Tours
Exploring Antiquity: Egypt, Israel & Jordan
Sailing Into Antiquity on the Nile
Florida's Ever-Changing Hotel Landscape
Riding North America's Rails
Small Ships in the Old South
Turks & Caicos Keeps Expanding
St. Lucia—Beyond the Pitons

Recommend March 2011