Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital city, lies at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata which, depending on who you ask, might be the widest river in the world. Or it could be a tidal estuary, a gulf, or marginal sea, and not the widest of anything. The city is a bustling metropolis of about three million with lots to explore.

Buenos Aires & Colonia

I arrived in Buenos Aires on a Thursday morning. Getting through customs and immigration and picking up our luggage was pretty easy, but bad traffic meant we didn’t get to our hotel until early afternoon. After dropping off our bags, we walked through the charming Recoleta neighborhood to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, which houses an excellent collection of Latin American art.

Returning our lodgings, the Sofitel Buenos Aires Recoleta, we checked into our room for a quick recharge. Then we set out to see the Palacio Barolo. Built from 1919 to 1923, the building was commissioned by one of a number of wealthy Italian expats living in the city and designed by Italian architect Mario Palanti. It’s an office building modeled after the story of Dante’s Divine Comedy, with the lower floors representing hell, the middle floors purgatory, and the top stories heaven. The decor reflects that to some extent, though it’s much more ornate in the lobby and on the lower floors and plainer on the higher floors. Though the building is beautiful on the outside and interesting on the inside, it’s the incredible views that are the real attraction.

As the sun set, we continued strolling through the city and out to Roux for a fabulous dinner. Then we stopped by Presidente Bar for some creative cocktails for a nightcap before retiring to our hotel.

We spent the next day exploring Buenos Aires on a walking and car tour. We started at the Plaza de Mayo, the city’s main square, which is named after the May Revolution of 1810. The May Revolution kicked off the process of gaining independence from Spain, though Argentina wouldn’t actually become a sovereign nation until 1816. We visited the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral, which sits on the square’s north side, was once the seat of Pope Francis, and houses the mausoleum of General José de San Martín (an independence hero for Argentina, Chile, and Peru).

Next we drove out to La Boca, a neighborhood near the river. More working class than Recoleta, La Boca still boasts buildings made of scrap salvaged from the port that once dominated its economy (the port eventually outgrew the neighborhood). We visited Caminito, a colorful pedestrian street where local artisans hawk their wares. We got lunch at El Gran Paraiso, a delicious grill with a patio overlooking the bustling street.

The final stop on our tour was Recoleta Cemetery. A remarkable necropolis, the cemetery is a dense maze of mausoleums for prominent families and national heroes, including Eva Perón. We thanked our tour guide and then visited the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, an enormous mansion housing an impressive collection of art and furniture that gives visitors an idea of how the wealthy of Buenos Aires lived in the early twentieth century.

We strolled down the broad Avenida del Libertador, which abuts several of the city’s main parks. We peeked into the Japanese garden and wandered the rose garden. It wasn’t the season for roses, but some were still in bloom, and we enjoyed a nice walk along the pond. Then we returned to the area around the cemetery for some beers at Buller. The beer was good, but the star of the show was the awesome view of the cemetery from the terrace. We sipped our drinks as the sun set behind the roofs of the mausoleums.

Dinner was at the excellent La Carnicería, an Argentinian steakhouse that serves up delectable meats alongside a great wine list. Full and happy, we returned to the hotel.

We woke up early the next morning to catch a ferry across the Rio de la Plata to Colonia del Sacramento, an Uruguayan town that oozes charisma. Our tourist ferry ticket included a tour, so that’s where we started. A bus took us out of the main town to see a former bullfighting arena that’s now a concert and arts venue, as well as the town sign on the coast.

Back at the main town, we walked through the historical center. Colonia was founded in 1680 by the Portuguese to challenge Spanish dominance on the river. Over the next two centuries, control of the town passed back and forth between the two European powers. What is now Uruguay was briefly held by Brazil after its independence from Portugal, until Uruguay gained its own independence in 1828.

Today Colonia is a tranquil spot full of history, art, restaurants, and bars. We ate a tasty lunch at Calma Coco and tried some Uruguayan wines at Vinoteca De La Colonia. Then we explored some of the artisan shops and stalls and a few of the (small but interesting) historical museums. We climbed the lighthouse for a view of the town and the river, and then hurried back to the harbor to catch the ferry back to Buenos Aires. We wished we’d stayed longer—Colonia is known for its beautiful sunsets, and it seemed like there was plenty more to explore.

Iguazú Falls

We began the next day by driving out to Jorge Newbery International Airport, the smaller of Buenos Aires’s two airports. A flight of about two hours took us north, near the border with Brazil, to Cataratas of Iguazú International Airport. Both countries have airports that serve one of the world’s most stunning waterfalls, but it’s hard to find flights from one country to the other. So we flew into the Argentinian airport even though we planned to stay in Brazil.

Stepping out of the airport, we were hit with a blast of tropical heat and humidity. After the pleasantly cool weather in Buenos Aires, it was a shock. It was still early afternoon, though, so we decided to explore the Argentinian side of the falls before crossing the border.

Iguazú Falls, one of the largest (perhaps the largest, depending on how you measure) waterfall systems in the world, is a series of waterfalls created as the Iguazú River tumbles off a plateau from Argentina into Brazil. The Argentinian side offers views from atop the falls, while the Brazilian side lets you get a more panoramic view from below. We entered the Argentinian national park (Parque Nacional Iguazú) and took a train and a hike out to the top of the Devil’s Throat, the largest part of the waterfall that captures about half the river’s flow.

Drenched in mist from the falls, we walked back to the train station and returned to our car. We drove into Brazil—the border crossing can be a nightmare at times, especially in the mornings (entering Brazil) and evenings (entering Argentina), but we caught it outside rush hour and only had a short wait. We continued on to the entrance of Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Brazil’s national park for its portion of the falls.

Private vehicles aren’t allowed into the park, so waited for a shuttle to take us our hotel, the absolutely stunning Hotel das Cataratas. Located about a twenty-minute drive inside the park, the Hotel das Cataratas is the only lodging inside the park and offers guests early access to the waterfalls before the park opens to the public. We ate dinner at the hotel restaurant and went to bed.

We got up early the next morning and set out see the falls. A short walk along the canyon—offering great views of the minor falls along the way—took us to the main attraction: a series of board walks near the Devil’s Throat. The paths are normally swarmed with tourists, but because of our early start, we had the place to ourselves. I spent about an hour and a half walking around and enjoying the amazing views of the falls. I walked back to the hotel, meeting a family of coatis along the way, and had breakfast.

After breakfast we went on a zodiac safari. Our boat cruised up the river towards the falls, giving us views of the minor falls and a glimpse of the Devil’s Throat. The pilot took the boat directly under one of the smaller falls, thoroughly drenching all of us.

Then we exited the park and saw the falls from yet another angle. We boarded a helicopter for a ten-minute flight that, despite its brevity, gave us an expansive view of the width of the Iguazú River above the falls, the long canyon the river pours into, and even of our hotel.

When we returned to the ground, we walked over to the Parque de Aves, a huge bird sanctuary outside the national park. The aviary houses all kinds of tropical birds, like harpy eagles, macaws, parrots, and toucans. Then we returned to the hotel for dinner.

The next day was a long travel day. We drove from the hotel back across the border into Argentina to catch a flight to Buenos Aires. There we connect to a flight to El Calafate, completing our journey from the far north of Argentina to the far south. In El Calafate we picked up a rental car and drove about two hours to El Chalten. As we approached El Chalten the sun began to set, and we were lucky enough to get a breathtaking view of the mountains—including Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre—as we approached.

We weren’t sure what to expect from El Chalten, but it turned out to be a lovely town in the heart of Patagonia. It’s dotted with hotels, restaurants, and shops, and some of the world’s best hikes are walkable from almost anywhere in the city limits. We checked into our lodgings, the absolutely lovely Los Cerros del Chalten, and we ate a delicious dinner at the hotel restaurant.

After dinner we needed to decide on our plans for the next day. We knew we wanted to go hiking, but we weren’t sure which hike to do or when to start. Fortunately, the hotel’s hiking guide, Ygnacio, joined us at the bar as we sipped cocktails. Ygnacio confirmed that we should hike to Laguna de los Tres, but he recommended that we start around noon.

We were shocked; we’d expected to be on the trail by 8 am or so. But Ygnacio told us the weather forecast called for clouds early in the day. He said the hike would take about 4 hours each way, and that if we reached the lake by around 4pm, the sky should be clearing. We were still worried; Ygnacio said the hike would take about 8 hours total, and if we started at noon, we might not back before darkness fell. Ygnacio told us we could start at ten, but that we might need to wait at the lake for the sky to clear—the view of the mountains behind the lake is reason to do the hike. He also told us that most people hike the trail out-and-back from town, but that another option is to take a taxi out to the Rio Electrico trailhead, hike from there to the lake, and then back into town. The distance is about the same, but starting at Rio Electrico cuts off some of the elevation and offers views of mountains and glaciers you don’t see from the main trail.

So at about 9:30 the next morning we caught a taxi out to Rio Electrico. The weather forecast called for chilly temperatures and a slight chance of a brief rain shower in the morning. It turned out to be colder than expected, and we felt the first snowflakes falling just as we started walking. There was no snow on the ground when we began hiking at 10am, but the flakes fell steadily over the next few hours. By noon, there were two or three inches of fresh powder on the ground.

The trail climbed gently for the first two hours or so. Unfortunately, the weather was so cloudy and foggy that we couldn’t see the mountains and glaciers from the viewpoints. The last kilometer or so of the trail climbs steeply, and it was slippery from the snow and ice. But by about 1:30 I was standing at the lake, and this time the forecast was pretty accurate: the snow had stopped, but the low clouds blocked our view of the mountain entirely.

Lauren arrived about half an hour later. We walked around the lake, ate a quick lunch, and walked up a small hill to see another beautiful lake, Laguna Sucia, spread out below, an incredible deep blue color that contrasted with the greenish hue of Laguna de los Tres.

Just as Ygnacio had predicted, the sky started to clear shortly before 4pm. Trying to keep warm, we willed the clouds to disperse as we caught surreal glimpses of the peaks behind. By around 5pm, conditions were mostly clear, and we had an awe-inspiring view of the lake and the stunning mountains beyond.

Shortly before 5pm, I finally left the lake. As we hiked back to town, the sky continued to clear. Every time we turned around, we got another spectacular view of Fitz Roy and the mountains.

We got back to the hotel a little before 8pm, showered quickly, and headed to The Azadores for a truly excellent steak dinner.

The next morning we got an earlier start, again on Ygnacio’s advice. Leaving the hotel around 7am, we started hiking the trail to Laguna Torre. By 8am, I reached the Mirador del Cerro Torre, which offers an excellent view of Cerro Torre. As I stood there, the sun rose, casting the mountains in a beautiful orange-pink alpenglow.

We kept hiking, through rolling meadows. Around 10:30 we reached Laguna Torre, the lake below the angled spires of Cerro Torre. The lake reflects the mountains, and we ate a snack while enjoying the amazing view.

Returning the way we’d come, we got back to El Chalten around 1pm. We checked out and packed the car, then had a tasty lunch at La Cerveceria Chalten, a brewery in town that also has good food. Then we left El Chalten, driving back through El Calafate and to El Galpon del Glaciar, a picturesque estancia on the shores of Lago Argentino. We had dinner at the estancia and went to bed.

After breakfast at the estancia we drove out to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. The park’s main attraction is the Perito Moreno Glacier, a massive river of ice that flows down from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field (the world’s third-largest freshwater reserve). Upon arriving in the park, we boarded a boat that took us across the lake to the base of the glacier.

We donned crampons and helmets, and a pair of guides took us on to the ice. We got to see the stunning pure blue ice at the bottom of the glacier, surface streams, and all sorts of wild ice formations. At the end of the walk, we enjoyed a glass of whiskey chilled with glacial ice.

On the way back to the dock, the boat cruised by the foot of the glacier, giving us a great view of the enormous wall of ice. When we returned to our car, we drove out to the “balconies,” a series of walkways above the glacier that offer amazing views of the ice.

Leaving the park, we drove into El Calafate and tried some local beers at La Zorra Taproom (the highlight was an excellent smoked porter). Then we had a great dinner at the cozy La Zaina Cocina before returning to the estancia for the night.

Sunrise the next morning was a breathtaking orange and yellow performance over the fields of the ranch and the lake beyond. We had a leisurely breakfast and walked some of the trails on the property. Then we drove into town and explored the shops. We also enjoyed an excellent wine tasting at The Wine Shop, a wine merchant in El Calafate that offers wines from all over Argentina.

Back at the estancia, we joined one of the owners of the estancia for a tour of the land on horseback. We rode along the lake and a creek, enjoying beautiful views of the lake and the mountains. Our education on life on the ranch continued, as the staff demonstrated using horses and dogs to round up the sheep. Then a professional shearer demonstrated how the sheep get sheared. We finished the day with a traditional barbecue dinner.

At this point, we’d explored some of the highlights of Argentinian Patagonia. The Chilean side is spectacular as well, but unfortunately it’s not easy to travel between the two. Many visitors pick one country or the other, because transiting the border means either hiring expensive private transportation or taking a long series of buses (and a substantial risk of missing a connection) and suffering through long lines at the understaffed border crossing.

We had a large enough group that we opted for a private transfer. It was still a very long drive. Thankfully, we were late enough in the season—the end of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere—so the roads weren’t crowded and we didn’t have to deal with lines at the border crossing. By the late afternoon, we’d reached Torres del Paine, the heart of Chilean Patagonia, and the gorgeous EcoCamp.

A group of geodesic domes nestled in the national park, EcoCamp offers comfortable accomodations, great views, and remarkable views. We ate a late lunch, hiked some of the nearby trails, joined a yoga class, and then returned to the hotel for dinner.

In the morning we started our modified version of the W-trek, one of the two main trekking routes in Torres del Paine. A bus ride and boat took us to Refugio Vertice Paine Grande, one of the refugios that serves hikers on the treks. We walked toward the French Valley, a narrow canyon between the mountains. The hike rewarded us with great views of Cuernos del Paine (“Paine horns”), one of the park’s distinctive natural features.

We stopped for lunch at the Italian Camp, which (confusingly enough) is at the base of French Valley. W continued up the valley, where we got a close-up view of the mountains and the glaciers at the top of the valley.

Reversing course, we hiked back to Refugio Vertice Paine Grande, arriving in the early evening. We stashed our gear in our tents and at a (very disappointing) dinner at the refugio. Then most of our group joined one of our guides for a fun evening at the refugio bar where tried some local cocktails, beers, and (our guide’s favorite) fernet and coke.

The morning dawned with a surreal sunrise, wisps of pinks and orange slipping through the fog that blanketed the mountains above us. We set out after a quick breakfast, hiking northeast along Lago Grey. Today’s hike was shorter, and we arrived the next refugio in time for a late lunch. This refugio was on the eastern shore of Lago Grey overlooking the Grey Glacier.

After lunch, we descended to the water to catch a catamaran. The boat took us along the face of the glacier, drawing us very close to the ice. Then we cruised back to the road, where a bus took us back to the EcoCamp. We enjoyed a cocktail and a shower, and then a delicious dinner before turning.

Another early start the next morning. This time we ascended the trail toward Los Torres (“The Towers”), a series of three improbable spires and the park’s best-known feature. The trail was long, and the last mile quite steep, but we tried to move quickly. We reached the towers in the early afternoon and beat most of the crowds.

We descended back to EcoCamp and arrived, exhausted but exhilirated, in the early evening. Another happy hour and another delicious dinner took us through the evening. We stayed up late chatting with our trekking group before heading to bed.

Our last morning in Torres del Paine dawned clear and sunny. We were sad to leave the park, but we stopped on the way out for an awesome view of the entire massif. Then we continued on to Puerto Natales, the closest airport.

From Puerto Natales we flew to Santiago. There we rented a car and drove to Valparaíso. We checked into our hotel, the Casa Higueras, tried some local beers at Babel Valparaíso, and then returned to eat dinner at the hotel restaurant.

The next day we explored the city. Valparaíso sits on Chile’s Pacific coast, and street art covers buildings and stairways almost everywhere. A walking tour showed us some of the highlights, as well as some of the passenger lifts that take pedestrians up some of the city’s many hills.

After the tour we went out to Viña del Mar, a city just north of Valparaíso. Viña del Mar is a resort city with sandy beaches and plenty of bars and restaurants. We strolled along the beaches, sampled some beers at Kunstmann Craft Bar and tried a cocktail at Mirror Bar. Then we returned to Valparaíso for dinner at Restaurant La Concepción.

The following day we set out to explore Chile’s wine country. We drove out to Casablanca Valley—which reminded us very much of California wine country—and began our day at Villard Fine Wines where we sipped delicious vintages while enjoying the pretty views. Then it was on to Bodegas RE, a larger winery that still uses a traditional clay-pot aging method for some of its wines. Our last stop was at Attilio & Mochi, a tiny winery run by a husband-and-wife team. We returned to Valparaíso for an outstanding dinner at La Caperucita y el Lobo.

We left Valparaíso in the morning, returning to Santiago. We walked around the city, checked out the squares and the central market, and rode the famous funicular up San Cristóbal hill. We ate dinner at Bocanáriz, a cozy wine bar that served excellent food alongside a fantastic wine selection.

A morning flight took us back to Buenos Aires. We arrived around 1pm, but our flight back to the U.S. wasn’t until 9pm. So Lauren and I rode into the city to see the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, which has a really interesting collection of modern Latin American art. We had lunch at the museum cafe, which was quite good, before returning to the airpot to catch our flight home.