Argentina

Understand

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina), is in South America, and is the eighth-largest country in the world. The highest and the lowest points of South America are also in Argentina: At 6,960 m, Cerro Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in the Americas while Laguna del Carbón, at 105 m below sea level, in Santa Cruz Province is the lowest point in South America. At the southern tip of Argentina there are several routes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans including the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, and the Drake Passage – as alternatives to sailing around Cape Horn in the open ocean between South America and Antarctica. The name Argentina derives from argentinos, the Ancient Greek diminutive (tinos) form for silver (argentos), which is what early Spanish explorers sought when they reached the region in the 16th century.

Climate Buenos Aires and the Pampas are temperate; cold in the winter, hot and humid in the summer. The deserts of Cuyo, which can reach temperatures of 45°C, are extremely hot and dry in the summer and moderately cold and dry in the winter. Spring and fall often exhibit rapid temperature reversals; several days of extremely hot weather may be followed by several days of cold weather, then back to extremely hot. The Andes are cool in the summer and very cold in the winter, varying according to altitude. Northwest Argentina's climate varies by altitude with lowland areas experiencing hot summers and mild winters while icy conditions prevail at the highest altitudes. Salta and San Salvador de Jujuy are in valleys and are characterized by a pleasant climate year-round. Mesopotamia to the northeast has a humid climate with abundant rainfall year-round and high temperatures. Patagonia is cool

See

For many visitors, Argentina as a country has the same seductive appeal as the tango for which it's famous. Just like that iconic partner dance, Argentina embraces you, constantly moving to the rhythm of the streets and improvising every step of the way.

Urban life Its large cities all bustle with life. The famous capital, Buenos Aires, is the most visited city in South America and a place like no other. Of course, there's fancy cosmopolitan boutiques, top of the line nightlife and gourmet cuis

Getting there

Visas

Passport holders of the following countries do not need a visa to enter Argentina when the purpose of the visit is tourism for up to 90 days (unless otherwise noted): Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica (30 days), Japan, Kazakhstan (30 days), Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia (30 days), Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela. Citizens and residents (if their nationality is mentioned under visa exemptions applicable to normal passport holders) of the following countries can enter with their National ID card: Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Citizens of India and China (including Macau) who also hold a valid visa issued by the United States or a Schengen visa can obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (AVE) at a cost of US$50 prior to travelling to Argentina. The validity of Schengen or U.S. visas must be more than 3 months. The processing time is 10 business days.

At arrival You may bring in goods worth US$300 without paying

Getting around

Argentina is a colossal country. With a land area of 2,780,400 square kilometres (1; 073; 500 sq mi), travelling from one region to another can take a lot of time. It is a government requirement that travellers produce identification when buying plane or long distance bus tickets. You are always asked for identification when buying bus tickets and many bus drivers ask again to see your passport as you are boarding. Some of the provinces have restrictions on the transport of fresh fruit and vegetables. Police will occasionally search buses and check the luggage of plane passengers when they disembark.

By bus Argentina boasts an outstanding short and long-distance bus network however long distance buses often run late. It is not the end of the earth if your overnight bus is a few hours late but can be a problem if you join a long distance bus mid route for what should be a 3 hour trip and find that it is 4 hours late. Try to book short distance buses for shorter trips, if you must join a long distance bus mid route give yourself as much leeway as possible for connecting services. Since regional train service is limited and plane tickets are more expensive, bus travel is the most common way to travel from city to city within Argentina. It is not as cheap as it was before, with about US$4-5 for each hour of travelling (Puerto Iguazú to Buenos Aires about US$100). In Buenos Aires, a city bus is called a colectivo or bondi while a long distance, intercity bus is called a micro or omnibus; this is not always true though, usage varies somewhat in provincial areas.. The hub of this network is definitely Buenos Aires' Terminal de Omnibus de Retiro; it has up to 2,000 bus arrivals and departures per day, and multiple companies serve most destinations. Buses arrive and depar