Argentina Facts is a guide for tourist, it offers all you need when coming to Argentina; travel tips, what to expect, what to eat, what to do and see in Argentina and Buenos Aire. And all is illustrated with pictures....
Page 1
Few facts about Argentinians
It will be hard to understand Argentineans without knowing something about them.
So before you board the plane to the Capital Federal de Argentina – Ciudad de Buenos Aires, please carefully read the following notes.
After some thinking I realized that the best way to introduce you to the Argentinean capital is to tell you something about its inhabitants.
So - who are Argentineans?
And the answer is (quoting local city tour guide):
They are Italians, living in Argentina, speaking Spanish, thinking of themselves as being English living in Paris.
Wow! I agree, it sounds quite complicated and at first it may be difficult to comprehend this “mixture”, but these words are probably well reflecting the atmosphere “on the streets”….
In fact, it is really a good starting point to understand Argentineans, especially these living in Buenos Aires. But before going farther let me make it clear – they are proud but warm and friendly, “easy-going” but stylish and elegant, loving late night dining (and food in general) but still slim …..devoted to tango and practicing it almost everywhere around the city.
Now - if you are looking here for the information about visa requirements or last year’s temperatures, then definitely you are in the wrong place. There are literally thousands of websites providing this information. What they miss however is the first-hand practical information and tips you need to know from the first moment you land in the BA’s airport.
So especially for visitors like you, the Argentina Facts present the following:
Parrilla (grill)
Lamb prepared traditional "gaucho"- way.
Argentinean food for vegetarians:
Freshly squeezed Orange juice (Jugo de Naranja Exprimido"
... and green salad.....
Fortunately most restaurants offer a small basket of bread usually served shortly after you made an order (at your cost of about 8 to 12 AR-pesos). With an excellent local olive oil (aceite de oliva) it may do the job when waiting for the main meal.
More for vegetarian "gourmands": Rolls, toasted bread... with some extras like cream-cheese, humus, etc...may "save your life" if you are very hungry.
Ask for olive oil (made from Argentinean olives - it's great!)
Guide for tourists : Left - consider Argentinean red wine as a mandatory part of the meal. It is great and you will find enormous choice of local wines in every restaurant. Here - photo from "Botega Del Fin del Mundo"
Bohemian restaurant in San Telmo
One of the most famous restaurants in Buenos Aires - Tortoni. Here you need reservation unless you want to spend time waiting in the line..... This is also the place of great Tango Show!
If you would like to have a lunch break, then you can try picadas (kind of tapas). To have an idea please visit:
Tasca Restaurant (this one is in Patagonia!) or mentioned earlier Cafe Tortoni - this one not only for delicious food but first of all - for the "taste" of old bohemian times.....
But if you are not hungry (yet) then please follow the travel tips for tourists visiting Argentina as presented below:
Good news – things are changing and after a long “suffering” I found the chain of bakeries offering healthy bread operating in BA under the name – Casa de Pan “Hausbrot”.
For tea-lovers: Mate-Gourd in its elegant leather-covered version.
You
will often find local people with characteristic mate gourds in hand
sipping the tea. However, to my surprise you would not easily find
places offering such traditional mate. Some bars will eventually offer
tea-bags mate served in regular tea-cups but this is definitely not the
same experience. To my disappointment it seems that “mate” is more a
home tradition.
For lovers of Ice Cream: Argentinean Dulce de Leche
There is a good chance that you will become ice-cream lover. Keep in mind – these goodies came here with Italian immigrants and since then the recipes were only improved (many consider Italian ice-creams as the best in the world, but this is only because they never visited Argentina).
Sweets in Argentina: Hot chocolate and mousse of chocolate in Rapa-Nui
Chocolateria in Bariloche - Rapa-Nui
It looks so good that my wife took a "bite" before I was able to take the picture :-)
Argentina indisputable facts: Cafe con leche con - well, this time "mousse au chocolate". Please note that typically medialunas (croissants) will be served for morning breakfast)
Most coffee houses serve it with medialunas (croissants) and a glass
of water (cafe con leche con medialuna). Cafeterias are on every
corner, often expending on sidewalks. And this adds to the coffee fiesta
as there is nothing better than coffee’s aroma stimulating your sense
of smell combined with a fresh croissant, local newspaper (diario) and
the street life unfolding in front of you….
I hope that this page of Argentina Facts and Pictures offered you a lot
of useful information about Argentina and Buenos Aires. But this is just
the beginning.
If you want to read more travels tips to prepare
yourself for vacation in Argentina then please select one of the
following links:
Public Transport in Argentina (page 2)
Security and Financial Tips in Argentina (page 3)
Capital of Argentina - Buenos Aires (page 4)
Buenos Aires People (page 5)
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Not sure yet where to go and what to see in Argentina? You may find help selecting: Tourist Destinations in Argentina
However if you are falling in love with Buenos Aires (I do not blame you for that as it happened to me) then please select: Buenos Aires Walking Tours
Related pages on Amazing World.....
Argentina
Travel tips:
Tourist Destinations
Food & Restaurants tips
Public Transport tips
Safety and Financial tips
Intro to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires People
Buenos Aires and around..
Buenos Aires Walking Tours
Palacio Barolo (2 pages)
Teatro Colon Tours (2 pages)
San Martin Plaza
General San Martin Monument
Anchorena Palace
Basilica of Blessed Sacrament
Kavanagh Building
English Tower
Plaza of Congress (3 pages)
Recoleta Cemetery (4 pages)
Church Our Lady of Pillar (2 pages)
Buenos Aires Cathedral (2 pages)
Puerto Madero (2 pages)
Delta Tigre (3 pages)
Plaza de Mayo Tour (2 pages)
Plaza del Congreso Tour (3 pages)
Colonia del Sacramento-Uruguay (4 pages)
Park "La Flor"
Reserva Ecologica Costanera
Buenos Aires Zoo (2 pages)
Botanical Garden (2 pages)
Food and restaurants
Café Tortoni Buenos Aires
La Tasca Patagonia
Hotels
Loi Suites-Iguazu Falls (3 pages)
Hotel w/Infinity Pools
Travel Destinations
Arrayanes Park (2 pages)
Bariloche Lake District Info (4 pages)
Isla Victoria Bariloche (2 pages)
Valle Encantado
Limay River Anfiteatro
Iguacu Falls Map & Info
Iguacu Falls (6 pages)
Cerro Campanario
Lake District
Puente del Inca (2 pages)
Mendoza-Santiago Rd
Mt Aconcagua
Cristo Redentor
Transandino Railway
Atuel Canyon (2 pages)
Atuel Adventures
Parque das Aves
Map and facts
Rainforest Aviary
Toucans
Hummingbirds
Paranal Aviary
Macaws Aviary