Turn a corner in Buenos Aires and you could arrive in a completely different neighbourhood, a different vibe, and different look. Cross Avenida del Libertador from plush Recoleta to Retiro train station and you’ll move from mansions and embassies to the hugger-mugger of street stalls, pastry sellers, cut-price asados and fake football shirts. Here is a guide to the main barrios (neighbourhoods) of Buenos Aires, each totally distinct…
Meat, meat, meat. There is no doubt that Argentina can do the Best Steak in the World ™ but there is one food that porteños adore almost as much as their beloved bovine: pizza. If you want to start a heated debate between two porteños (not tricky), either ask them to define Peronism, or ask them where to find the best pizza. It’s in their blood you see. The majority of Argentines claim Italian ancestry, significantly more than Spanish, which is why you’ll find fresh pasta outlets on every other block and pizzerias everywhere. But if you are looking for an authentic thin crust Roman pie, I’m afraid you are going to be disappointed. In Buenos Aires, pizzas are bready, smothered in an inch of cheese and loaded with toppings…
The first time I tasted Fernet I hated it. I was young (and for legal reasons I will not say how old, just in case the alcohol police are reading) and just starting to go out with friends to “los Boliches” (discos) and bars around Mendoza, Argentina. That black bitter drink, strong as hell and sweetened with Coca Cola, was not my ideal dancing partner. Diluted lager beer served in a simple plastic tumbler was more agreeable with my inexperienced liver and empty pockets, until…
The sky turns white with torn newspaper. The clattering of drums heightens. Machines blast out blue and yellow smoke. “Ole, ole, ole, ole” 40,000 of the world’s nosiest fans scream. They bounce – the shaking stadium is felt more than two miles away. Many have their shirts off in the heat and are swinging them around their heads. The horn section can be heard through the melee. And the fans continue singing: “Soy de Boca/cada dia te quiero mas”, I’m Boca/everyday I love you more. Boca Juniors have just appeared from the tunnel…
February marks the beginning of the harvest in South America, and nowhere is this more celebrated than Mendoza, one of the world’s great wine capitals. Tucked into the foothills of the Andes, Mendoza and its people have a long history viticulture and wine making and have been producing wine since the 1550s. Vendimia — Mendoza’s wine harvest festival, takes place on the first weekend of March each year. This event has been aptly described as a ‘Eurovision Song Contest rolled up with a North American beauty pageant, served up with a South American street carnival and washed down with lots of wine.’…
If you have made it all the way to Argentina, you really should try and find time to visit Salta – home of the highest and perhaps most spectacular vineyards in the world. But be patient – arriving in the provincial capital of Salta after the flight north from Buenos Aires is barely the start. It is a good four hours drive to the town of Cafayate and the fertile Calchaquí Valley – the main wine region of Salta. Along the way you will probably despair of ever seeing a vineyard. The fields of maize and tobacco that surround Salta soon give way to desert where nothing grows save giant cacti flicking V-signs at the sky…
It is fair to say that the southern cone of Argentina is not immediately synonymous with wine. Instead, for those that know it, Patagonia – conjures up images of wide prairies, isolated sheep farms, lakes and forests. It is landscape of lonesome beauty scoured by the constant wind, which stretches south until it finally reaches the frozen tip of Tierra del Fuego. Here the great Latin American landmass tapers into the sea, its spectacular glaciers pointing the way to the South Pole. For millions of others however, Patagonia is simply just a brand of outdoor clothing…
Mendoza is a charming city with a small-town atmosphere. The friendly locals, superb setting and gastronomic delights make it a perfect vacation spot with something for everyone. Born and bred in Mendoza, I’ve spent my life keeping track of all the developments in the Mendoza hospitality industry. Some of my favorite hotels in town are very well known; others are secluded, secret little boutique bed and breakfasts…