Argentina Travel Guide

Perito Moreno Glacier is the most famous glacier in Los Glaciares National Park and one of the world's rare glaciers still 'advancing'. About 5 km wide, with an ice wall rising nearly 60 m above the lake, its blue-white mass spreads from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field to Lake Argentino—awe-inspiring. Multi-level metal walkways stand before the glacier, letting visitors admire the ice-wall texture up close and often witness the stunning moment when huge ice blocks crash into the lake. Easily reached and needing no long trek to see a world-class glacier up close, it is El Calafate's well-deserved number-one sight.

Plaza de Mayo is the political and historical heart of Buenos Aires, where the city was founded in 1580; Argentina's independence, major rallies and protests all played out here. On the east side, the pink Casa Rosada is the presidential palace, its balcony the place where the Peróns addressed the people; around it stand the May Pyramid monument, the cathedral and the city hall, among other historic buildings. Every week the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo still march to mourn the disappeared—a stop impossible to skip for understanding modern Argentine history.

Obelisco de Buenos Aires is the most iconic landmark of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Built in 1936 for the 400th anniversary of the city's founding, this 67.5 m obelisk stands at the intersection of Avenida 9 de Julio (one of the world's widest avenues) and Avenida Corrientes, with its clean geometry, symbolic city-origin meaning, and as the center for gatherings, celebrations and photography, it is the spiritual symbol of this South American metropolis and its most photogenic landmark. Designed by architect Alberto Prebisch, built May 23, 1936 for the 400th anniversary (1536-1810) — completed in just 31 days. The obelisk is 67.5 m tall, square section, clean Neoclassical geometry. It stands at the intersection of Avenida 9 de Julio (~140 m wide, one of the world's widest) and Avenida Corrientes. The site is Buenos Aires's kilómetro 0 — the origin point for all Argentine road distances. The obelisk is the center for gatherings, celebrations and protests — hundreds of thousands gathered here when Argentina won the World Cup. Visiting to feel Argentine urban vitality and gathering culture beneath the spiritual symbol of a South American metropolis is an iconic, lively landmark experience.

Tierra del Fuego National Park lies west of Ushuaia at the southern tip of the Argentine mainland—the only national park in South America combining mountains, forest, lakes, peat bogs and coast. It is the southern end of the Pan-American Highway (where Route 3 stops), with the tranquil, picturesque Lapataia Bay, Lake Roca mirroring snow peaks, and subantarctic beech forests alive with birds and beavers. The park's trails range from easy coastline walks to long forest treks, and the End of the World Train reaches the park—a must-visit near Ushuaia for the wild 'end of the world'.

Iguazú National Park in Argentina's Misiones province, together with its Brazilian counterpart, protects the Iguazú Falls, a natural World Heritage site. Within the park, 275 separate drops plunge through subtropical rainforest, the most spectacular being the Devil's Throat, a U-shaped wall of water roaring into the abyss; boardwalks wind through verdant vegetation where coatí often scurry past. A paradise for falls-viewing, birdwatching and rainforest ecology, a little train carries you to the very brink of the main cataract. Rich in biodiversity, guided walks reveal the frogs and butterflies of the falls' rainforest.

Ushuaia, capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, nestles between the snowcapped Martial mountains and the Beagle Channel — the southernmost city on Earth, and the jumping-off port for most Antarctic cruises. Built on the slope, the town climbs from the harbour along Avenida San Martin, lined with timber houses, outdoor outfitters, wool shops and king-crab restaurants. The local centolla crab is a must, ideally with a mug of hot wine. Beyond town, the End of the World Train carries you into Tierra del Fuego National Park, the southernmost railway on the planet, past lakes, beaver dams and primeval forest. Antarctic season runs November to March; in winter (June-September) skiing and snowmobiling take over — the end of the world is never quiet.