Many people have an image of Patagonia which only covers its Lake District: a land of mountains crowned in snow and lush valleys woven with crystalline rivers and lakes. It seems this is also what the 153 hardy Welsh coal miners and shepherds had in mind when they left Wales in 1865, in search of […]
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The Calchaquí valleys stretch up along the foothills of the Andes in the northwest of Argentina and Cafayate, situated roughly half way up, is their best known town. The valleys are home to a variety of habitats that change dramatically as you travel along the quiet, dusty roads. In just a few days you’ll pass […]
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Like most Antarctic territories Argentine Antarctica is currently only a claim – parts of which are disputed by other countries. For now all claims and disputes have been put on hold by the Antarctic treaty but with over 200 people living in six different bases all year round on the territory Argentina seems pretty confident […]
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La Boca is a neighborhood in the southeast of Buenos Aires city, it lies near the old docklands at the mouth of the Riachuelo river and has a fascinating history. The neighborhood has long been a center of radical politics. At one point it even seceded from Argentina, prompting the infamously tough President of the […]
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The Colón theatre is the Opera house of Buenos Aires whose acoustics are considered to be some of the best in the world – Pavarotti, who had a love affair with not just the Opera house but with all of Buenos Aires, remarked they were too good! The theatre was small and unassuming until the […]
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The festival of Jesus Maria is the final of Argentina’s national rodeo competition, held in January. It is a whopping ten days of music, rodeo and parties and for most gauchos it is the biggest date on their calendars. Each province (along with Uruguay & Chile) has a regional competition to choose a riders for […]
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Cuarteto is a music born and bred in Cordobá and it is considered a cornerstone of the provincial culture. It is famous for its catchy rhythm and outlandish singers. The name comes from the mini (usually four musicians!) orchestras who played at small rural parties in the countryside. It has a fast tropical rhythm, similar […]
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A lot of Argentine folk music is about a gaucho sitting alone on the Pampas lamenting the loss of his woman / job / horse or all of the above, Chamamé – in general – is the exception. It is a really jolly, fast paced music; danced in pairs, very close together – literally, cheek […]
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The Jesuits had missions all across South America though the most famous, thanks to Jeremy Irons and Robert De Niro, are close to the Iguazu falls in the northeast of Argentina, Misiones province. Though the Jesuit missions and missionaries are a controversial topic, wandering around the ruins you cannot help but marvel at what the Jesuits achieved. […]
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The Incas were partial to sacrificing people on the top of very high or pyramid shaped mountains. Llullaillaco Volcano is the second highest mountain in the Americas so Dr. Johann Reinhard, who led the expedition to its summit, had a pretty good hunch that there was something up there. The expedition and subsequent discovery of […]
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