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Trip Report
Three Weeks in Argentina
Three weeks in the beautiful Argentina
+ 6
South AmericaArgentina, Chile18 days / January - February 2022
Highs & Lows
Mendoza bike wine tour
Spent pretty much all of my time in cities
Itinerary Overview
Argentina was my very first stop of my solo travel experience and so I didn’t really know what to expect. I was so nervous and scattered and quite honestly expecting failure but I was pleasantly surprised. The first hostel I went to in Cordoba was the most perfect place to start my journey and plant my feet for a week. After I felt comfortable, I moved North to Salta and then to Mendoza. I was shocked by the gorgeous landscapes all around the country and even more shocked that the cities were able to be both so beautiful and yet so busy all at once. I ate tons of empanadas and took in the sights. It was such a great place to start my travels, especially as Argentina is a quite a bit more Western than other South American countries and so the shock wasn’t quite as extreme as it could’ve been. However, I will say, I was completely alarmed when I first heard natives speaking Spanish. As somebody who has studied Spanish for 8 years, I barely got a few words out of each sentence due to their thick accent. Be prepared for this and don’t be too hard on yourself when you don’t understand. In my experience the locals were more than happy to slow down or enunciate more when I expressed interest and lack of understanding. Last thing to note is the money exchange rate here is horrible. Never use your credit card (it automatically doubles the price) and avoid using ATM’s. Instead look into using the online banking app Western Union which gives you a much better rate for your money!
Córdoba Lots to see in Cordoba
I loved Cordoba. It was my very first location during my gap year and I quickly found a great group of friends through my hostel to explore and hang with.
There was a huge list of activities I planned on doing but the truth is, I think I visited none of the places. However, I really enjoyed just walking around the city. I highly recommend the free city walking tour. I learned a whole lot and got to visit a few incredible places along the way.
In addition, there is some great night life in the area. I really recommend the club/bar Maria Maria. You do have to pay a small fee to get in, but it’s worth it and you get a free drink included in commission as well. Check it out!
And please, if you stay at Hostel Cordobes. PLEASE tell Eric that Willow says hello!
Salta My friend dragged me to Salta
Two friends I made from the hostel in Cordoba wanted to go to Salta, so that’s where we went. I will say, I was personally quite unimpressed. Perhaps, the time would have been better if we weren’t staying in the city because i’ve heard many say that they really enjoyed Salta.
The city itself is alright and there are a few museums to visit if you’re into that sort of thing. But other than that there isn’t much to do. However I loved that it was a city in the mountains, it was the first experience I had with that and so it was a super cool contrast that went together really well in the end.
I do highly recommend attending a Pena, local concert type of thing. We saw one at a restaurant and it was incredible!! We got such a glimpse at culture and got to enjoy some great drinks while doing it, I definitely recommend.
Mendoza Wine and Mountains in Mendoza
I loved Mendoza. It was my favorite my location in Argentina without a doubt. While I loved the city, I do wish that I had also stayed on the outskirts of the city or in smaller towns for some time as well.
There is great nightlife in Mendoza and there’s this one district/area where all of the bars are and it’s always buzzing no matter the time. I forget the name but I want to say it’s something like Las Artisanales or something like that but I’m sure if you ask around you can find it.
I HIGHLY recommend doing a bike wine tour with friends. This was a hilarious highlight and such a great memory (or lack there of). We did a self guided one where we were given a map with all the wineries and their hours and had to find them ourselves. It actually proved to be really difficult to navigate, even without the wine, but I’m glad we did a self guided one so we could take as long as we wanted at each winery and have plenty of time to goof off on the bikes.
Q & A
What would you have changed?
I would have gone to the South and seen Patagonia but I unfortunately didn’t have timeRestaurant recommendations?
El Mercadito Friendly and Fresh. Super yummy food and super reasonably priced as wellTips you would give a friend?
try to avoid staying in all of the cities. I think it’s great to get a mix of city life and town vibes which is not what I did
Lodging
Hostel Cordobés. Highly recommend, best hostel environment i’ve ever had. I especially recommend the BBQ dinners they offer, great way to meet and spend time with others. Facilities are sub par but the social environment and hostel owner, Eric, make up for it completely
Hostel Prisamata. Totally fine. Nothing to write home about but I loved how they had so many bathrooms and the outdoor space was nice as well
Hulu B & B. I had major problems with booking this hostel. I accidentally booked it twice because there was a problem with my credit card and I practically had to beg them not to charge me twice until they listened. They have great breakfast and facilities but it’s a horrible environment for meeting people. Nice if you just want a chill time in a nice spot and great area