Beach Time

Our original vision was to become the company who knew the most about Argentina, then, as so many routes naturally flow through the country, we added Chile, but never intended to expand beyond those destinations. Instead, our idea was to build on our current knowledge and learn to be able to tailor our trips to different types of visitors, with all sorts of different needs and requirements. And we have done so, we now offer our services to a much wider variety of people, and we are continually looking for ways to adapt our services to accommodate every type of request. However, over the years, we’ve organized a lot of trips (particularly honeymoons) when our guests have requested exciting adventures in Chile or Argentina (or both) and then some time to relax on the beach, which led us to a bit of a conundrum:

Argentine and Chilean Patagonia have some strikingly beautiful coastlines and, for marine wildlife and some spectacular scenery, they’re hard to beat but they are not exactly your typical beach destinations. They do have a version of those styles of beaches but they are in each country’s central coastal regions, which tend to have short seasons of good weather and due to their proximity to larger cities, they are often very crowded. They have their charms outside the seasons but, if you’ve flown by the Caribbean, Mediterranean or many of the coasts of Oceania and Asia to get here, you would likely be disappointed.

In the end, we decided the priority must be to tailor the trips to the wishes of our guests so we headed north, along the eastern coast, first to Uruguay (which we know best due to its proximity to Buenos AIres) and then, as we got requests for beach time outside our Summer months, up into Brazil.

Where to go & What to do

Despite what I’ve written above, there are some beaches we love to send people to in Chile and Argentina, three of those are as follows:

Pichilemu: 3 hrs south of Santiago de Chile, rated as one of the best surfing spots on the continent. The best waves are in the winter when they regularly go over 20 ft/6 m, though in the Summer months, from December to February, they consistently come in at a respectable 8ft/2 m and there are all sorts of other interesting activities to get up to along the area’s pretty beaches. It’s a great place for families.
Copiapo: Atacama, the northern region of Chile, is rarely thought of as a beach destination, though it has some sections of rarely visited, breathtakingly beautiful coastline. Each year, the fabulous hotel Wara sets up a luxury campsite on one of the region’s most secluded beaches. It only has three en suite safari-style tents so it takes exclusivity and luxury Glamping to a level rarely seen, not just here but anywhere. They also tailor their excursions for each of their guests so it is a very special experience.
Puerto Pirmades is another spot you’ll not likely see listed as a beach destination. However, this charming village, on the northern coast of Argentine Patagonia, has a lovely long sandy beach that stretches out from the village, and its bustling community is bursting with a warm friendly character and several good restaurants. It is also the only village on the Peninsula Valdes, an area known as one of the best places in the world to see a wide range of marine wildlife. There are no whales, for which the area is best known, in the summer though there are Sealions, Sea Elephants, Penguins along with a mass of other sea birds, possibly Dolphins. And In land it’s a low scrub arid land though, as it’s protected, it has a surprisingly abundant wildlife, with loads of Guanacos 8wild llamas, Patagonian foxes, armadillos, and Mara (misnamed) hares along with a variety of others.

URUGUAY

Colonia del Sacramento: not really a beach destination, but it’s well worth the stop, if you’re taking the ferry over from Buenos Aires, and the beach on the river is nothing to write home about but perfectly pleasant. Much more interesting is the town which has maintained much of its Portuguese Colonial style and has some good restaurants and local wineries to visit.
Jose Ignacio is a laid back beach town of Uruguay, with some fantastic restaurants and our favourite spot on the Uruguayan coast, it also has some of the best hotels in the country and it’s only a short drive from some wineries that have been making big waves in the industry in recent years.
Cabo Polonio, is a perfectly preserved traditional Uruguay coastal village, it is located in a protected area and there is little to no access to any mod cons, including mains electricity and water, which comes purely from solar panels and bore holes so if you’re looking to totally disconnect, it’s the place to be. It also has some huge (up to 30 m) sand dunes (through which you travel by to get there) and a colony of sea lions who have set themselves up a short walk from the village
Punta del Diablo is a fun, chilled out surfer town that attracts a younger visitor and, unlike much of the Uruguayan coast, it has a slope coming up from the beach so most houses have great views.

BRAZIL

Florianopolis is the closest to Buenos Aires and one of the few places, with some more exclusive accommodation options as well as a nearby airport with a direct flight to the Argentine capital.
Rio de Janeiro: is the ultimate city beach experience, with a great nightlife. However, there are also a variety of options of accommodation in smaller towns, close enough to the city to experience it but far enough away to have a break from the bustle when you need it.
Trancoso: jumping much further north, and coming from Chile or Argentina you’d need to fly via Rio or Sao Paulo, from where it would be another hour and half flight.It is however one of the most beautiful towns on the Brazilian coast and home to possibly the most incredible beach hotel in South America.
Boipeba and the Cairu Archipelago, a beautiful, very excluded archipelago off the coast of northeastern Brazil.
Fernando do Noronha is an island off the northeast coast of Brazil, declared a marine national park in 1988, and now a only 420 tourists are allowed on the island at any time. The island lies within a volcanic archipelago of 21 islands, and the waters are teeming with colourful fish, dolphins, lobsters, turtles, sponges and corals, making it a favourite diving and snorkelling.
Jericoacoara: the most northern destination in which we work in, known for its stunning sad dunes and, as well as relaxing, IT is has some excellent windsurfing and kitesurfing options.

Travel logistics

Excluding the Patagonia coastn, which is dependent on the wildlife, high season for beach time is mid-December to mid-March though for a more chilled out experience there are options for both Spring (October/November) and Autumn (March/April.
By including the coast of Brazil we are able to offer time on the beach all year round. If you are looking for a more private experience, an interesting nightlife, or a certain activity, the dates are more important. However, if you let us know your preferences, we’ll make sure to send you to the beach that fits you best.
Between Uruguay and Brazil we are talking about a very long stretch of coastline and weather can be varying, though, as a very general rule, in the Autumn/Winter months (April to September) head north and in the Spring/Summer ones (October to March) head South.
The most accessible beaches from Buenos Aires are in Uruguay, which you can get to by ferry across the River Plate.
The Iguazu Waterfalls can link well with Rio de Janeiro and Sau Paolo, as there are direct flights from Foz de Iguaçu, which is just over the border from Argentina’s Puerto Iguazu.
There are also direct flights from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro and Florianopolis.
Unless you are happy to charter flights, many of the destinations further north in Brazil are trickier to get to, particularly those situated on islands, some of which require several flights, boats, and even tractor-taxis to get to. We always do everything we can to alleviate the stress of traveling, though at times there is little we can do, and it is important to factor in at least a day’s traveling when going to more remote regions. We can only say that, if you have the time, these regions are worth every inconvenience to get to.

Things to keep in mind

The obvious is of course the rising temperatures around the globe. Irrelevant of your skin type the sun can be very powerful and you want to make sure you have good protection and access to shade.
The Brazilian government has a habit of changing their visa rules so, during the planning of any given trip, we would advise on any updated information and do everything can to help to make the process as stress-free as possible.
As we only work with a very select group of accommodations along the Uruguayan and Brazil coasts, availability is more of an issue, so the more time in advance you give us, the better the chance we have of getting you to the beach destination of your dreams.
The Brazilian government has a habit of changing their visa rules so, during the planning of any given trip, we would advise on any updated information and do everything can to help to make the process as stress-free as possible.

Example Itineraries

Some examples of our favourite trips that we’ve organised over the years:

Long Adventures

Over 7 days

Short Breaks

Up to 7 days

What our guests say

May K

Lovely vacation Argentina and Chile. Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company: Perfect trip, it was lovely experience working with Paulo and his team very helpful in all ways and responsive for any questions or concerns he created WhatsApp group for fast respond that was very helpful, all the accommodation, he suggested it was perfect as far as location service kind from desk assistance very nice breakfast, and all the transportation was perfect on time and very professional. It was lovely, working with Paulo and his team and definitely we recommend his business for future traveler, thank you Paulo, and everyone for a wonderful trip we had an amazing time sending you our best regards from Los Angeles What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip? Everything was top-notch from beginning to end If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently? Actually everything was perfect. I wouldnt change anything Thank you so much for everything

Terry Tower

My experience with MacDermott's was wonderful. They set up all the ground transportation, hotels, and excursions for three locations in Argentina. I had different people meet me at airports with my name on signs for easy identification. The link to my own portal outlining my trip in detail was extremely helpful and comforting to my family since I was traveling alone. I was even met at my first hotel and given a booklet with artist sketches and maps for walking tours around Buenos Aires, and he wanted to make sure I was comfortable with my itinerary and to answer any questions. Thanks to MacDermott's my excursions were easy to join and I felt very safe. I went kayaking in El Chalten and ice trekking in El Calafate. The hotels were lovely and in good areas, so I never felt unsafe walking around. When I go back to Argentina, I will definitely be using this agency again to help organize my trip. I highly recommend them to all travelers.

Karen Mielke

We found MacDermotts through Zicasso and they planned our fabulous anniversary trip to Argentina. They listened to what we were looking for and found us unique experiences and awesome boutique accommodations. Highly recommended.

Alan L

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company: Our trip to Argentina was absolutely phenomenal in a huge part due to MacDermotts and their careful selection of local experts! What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip? The hike down the mountain from Estancia Christina and the boat trip (captained by the boat brothers) from Llao Llao to Las Balsas were incredible, but truthfully, every single excursion was simply fantastic.

David Sprows

We spent a month in Argentina & Chile and it was a perfect trip !!! Hugh was a great partner helping us plan the best bespoke trip based on our personal preferences. They made all of our complex logistics completely stress free and arranged many unique experiences that we never would have found on our own. The hotels were all luxury and each one was unique which made the trip extra special. We would especially recommend all 3 Awasi resorts, Eolo and Jasmine (near Salta). We normally do our own travel planning but I am so glad we connected with MacDermott's to plan this amazing month. We will be going back and will definitely reach out to Hugh and his team again.

Lauren Marlais

My friend and I decided to plan a trip to Argentina. Argentina is a huge country with many sights to see, and we wanted to see as much as possible in the two weeks that we had alotted ourselves. We knew that our adventure would involve many hotels and airplane trips. We wanted our trip to be safe and comfortable and as efficient as possible. I spoke with several travel planners, but I felt most comfortable with Adriano from MacDermott's. He really listened to what my friend and I wanted from the trip. I could not be more pleased with how our trip worked out. We felt completely taken care of the whole time. We were promptly met at each airport ( we saw 5 cities all the way from the very north to the very south of the country) and brought to our accommodations. Each night we would get a text to let us know the itinerary for the next day and when we would be picked up. If we had a question, we would get a response from someone at MacDermott's within a few minutes. Each staff member went out of their way to make sure that we were completely comfortable. If I go back to Argentina again in the future, I will definitely contact Adriano, and I will definitely try to encourage anyone I know to use MacDermott's!

Jennifer Kidd

Mariana and her team at MacDermott's Argentina helped my family plan the perfect itinerary to Argentina! This was our first international trip as a family and we had two weeks to see and do as much as we could. Other than our flights to and from Buenos Aires, everything was taken care of by the Mariana. She coordinated our flights between Iguazu Falls, Bueno Aires and El Calafate with all the necessary transfers and hotel bookings. She selected the perfect tours and guides for all our excursions. She made certain we had excellent service every step of the way and was responsive and accessible for help or questions at any time during our stay. We never had to worry about anything while we were there and everything went so smoothly during our 2 week stay. There was clear and appropriate communication all throughout the planning stages leading up to the departure and throughout our trip. I can't say enough great things about this agency and how wonderful they made our experience. I would highly recommend MacDermott's Argentina to anyone looking for excellent service from a travel agency!

Claire Schoen

Cannot say enough good things about McDermott’s - Paulo organized a fantastic trip that took us to remote areas in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. Fabulous overnight in the salt flats! They did an excellent job working in a variety of experiences for us, based on our own interests. Highly recommended!

Tommy Heydinger

We could not have had a better honeymoon. From the day we arrived in Buenos Aires, to the trips to Mendoza and Bariloche, everything went so smoothly. Hugh planned out an incredible itinerary for us that was exactly what we were looking for. We had days where we had activities and were able to learn more about the culture and cuisine in Argentina, but we also had days where we could rest and relax. It was truly one of the most memorable trips we will ever take. Hugh and his team were also incredibly responsive whenever we had a question about any activity we were doing. I can't recommend him enough! The most enjoyable part of the trips for us was staying at Peuma Hue and Las Balsas. They were both beautiful properties and had no shortage of things to do. We loved having the opportunity to relax at both of these places. But, it was great to be able to hike at Peuma Hue and the meals we had there were unbelievable. We also loved the day we spent out on the boat. Our guides were amazing, especially with how accommodating they were for my wife. I am also so happy we were able to experience a Tango show. Although that is something we normally wouldn't do, it was great to experience the arts culture in Buenos Aires. In Mendoza, the property was absolutely beautiful and hanging out by the pool with a glass of wine was tough to beat. My favorite part of that was the cooking class! There is not much that I would change. Every domestic flight we took was so easy, with transportation to and from each airport, it really helped us feel comfortable in a place where we had never been. Every bite of food we had was exceptional. There truly is nothing I would change. I hope we are able to get to Argentina again, because there are so many other areas we would love to explore! We cannot thank Hugh, and everyone else, enough for making this a trip of a lifetime.

Gay Gasser

These guys managed to put together a memorable trip for 4 very different personalities! We gave them many challenges and were given just as many viable solutions. I can not imagine using anyone else when traveling to Argentina.