Exploring Buenos Aires

Where to Stay: Hotel Bobo. Buenos Aires is divided into many different parts, with Palermo being the super hip, trendy part of town. Hotel Bobo is in Palermo, which means you are close to plenty of great restaurants and shops. The hotel itself is modern and clean, with a restaurant that offers a great breakfast as well as coffee and pastries in the afternoon and dinner in the evening.
What to Do:  While exploring Buenos Aires, I recommend first and foremost wandering around the city.  Buenos Aires is a wonderful, cosmopolitan city.  Palermo is filled with cafes and bars where you can have coffee, and then transition to evening cocktails and late night dinner (no one eats before 9pm at the earliest in Argentina!) Once you are acclimated to your neighborhood, there is much to explore:

• Centro: Exploring Buenos Aires would not be complete without visiting the center of the city. See the Obelisk, built in 1936, the Plaza de Mayo, where the President’s pink mansion is, and the Opera House, which is just an amazing work of architecture. The Opera House is located on the widest avenue in the world: Nueve De Julio.

• La Boca: This neighborhood is where the huge influx of Italian immigrants settled early in Buenos Aires history. They brought with them the colors and flavor of the Mediterranean, and the buildings reflect every color in the rainbow. Very funky, fun to wander around.

• Recoleta Cemetery: This is one of the most famous cemeteries in the world. Eva Peron is buried here, as is one of Napoleon’s granddaughters. It has been in existence since the 1700s. The Recoleta neighborhood is like the Upper East Side of Buenos Aires, feel free to take a stroll after you visit the cemetery.
• San Telmo: When exploring Buenos Aires, don’t forget about San Telmo.  The oldest part of the city is characterized by colonial buildings. Check out one of the area’s open air antique markets!
• El Tigre: This is where the rich and famous have their summer homes. You can take a boat trip up the Delta River to El Tigre, where you will board another boat to see the gorgeous delta and its islands.

Where to Eat: When exploring Buenos Aires, one of the highlights is indulging in all the great eats throughout the city. Some of my favorites:

• Café Tortino: This French style bistro is wildly popular with tourists and locals, for good reason. The fare is simple, sandwiches and salads, but the pastries are fantastic, as is the coffee. Treat yourself to a crispy croissant, lemon pie, or black forest cake. The venue also hosts tango shows in the evening, which is an absolute must if you are in Buenos Aires. See their website for a schedule of shows.
• Freddo: The best gelato in town! Be sure to sample the dulce de leche flavor (dulce de leche is the famous caramel sauce of Argentina!).
• La Cupertino: It’s a homey spot where empanadas are an art, and the owner, Cecilia Hermann, is a legend. La Cupertina’s empanadas are half the size of street versions but much more delicious; try the humita y cebolla y queso empanada, which is corn, onion and cheese.
• Quimbobo: Located in the heart of Palermo, this charming venue has a great rooftop where you can have an awesome dinner highlighting dishes from around the world. Sample housemade ravioli, wok fried vegetables, an Indian thali, or a cheese quesadilla.
• Pizza Morelia: Pizzas are different in Argentina than in Italy and the US; they have thicker, chewier crusts, are super cheesy, making them quite delicious. The ones at Pizza Morelia are typical of the country. In addition to pizza, they have pasta, and of course, empanadas.

Exploring beyond Buenos Aires:

EL CALAFATE

Where to Stay: Hotel Esplendor. This gorgeous hotel has an upscale bar, a wonderful restaurant, and a cozy heated indoor swimming pool. Service is impeccable, and the views from the hotel are gorgeous. It is also walking distance from the main town, where you can enjoy food, drinks, and shops.

What to Do: You will have to fly to Patagonia from Buenos Aires, but it is well worth the trip. El Calafate is named after a berry that is native to the area; so be sure to sample el calafate gelato, liquor, and syrup!

• Glaciar Perito Moreno: This massive glacier, located in the Parque Nacional Glaciares, is one of the most beautiful sights you will ever see in your life. Once you arrive at the National Park you will take a boat around the glaciers, for a close up look. It is an absolutely unforgettable experience.
• The Glaciarium: The world’s only museum dedicated to the study of glaciers is not only interesting and educational, but it also has an ice bar! Put on a cape and treat yourself to a beverage in this below-zero bar.

• Off-Roading: Take advantage of the stunning Patagonian scenery by going off-roading.

Where to Eat:
• Restaurante La Cocina: Argentina is known for their great Italian food because of the high number of Italians who immigrated to Argentina. At this cozy spot enjoy housemade pastas, salads, great bruschetta, and plenty of wine.

IGUAZU FALLS

Where to Stay:  La Cantera Jungle Lodge. With a focus on protecting the environment, this lodge is right next to the famed Iguazu Falls. The lodge has a pool and a restaurant.

What to do: Visit the waterfalls! These gorgeous waterfalls are the 5th biggest in the world. Your hotel can arrange a guide to take you to the falls via a small open-air train. At the waterfalls you can walk and hike all day. Be sure to bring your camera!

The Verdict: There’s plenty to see, do, and eat when exploring Buenos Aires and beyond.  Have you been to Argentina? What are your recommendations? Leave them in the comments!

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There are few places in the world as amazing as Argentina. I went on a wonderful two week trip there, and one of the major highlights was a romantic weekend trip to Mendoza with my husband. Mendoza is Argentina’s wine producing region, where the dominate grape is Malbec. Malbec wine is rich, deep purple wine with luscious berry notes. Mendoza produces 75% of the world’s Malbecs, so this is the place to sample it! My husband and I took full advantage, and organized our trip around food and wine.

Where to Stay: Posada El Encuentro. This charming bed and breakfast is run by three brothers and one sister. It is located in a cheerful little neighborhood called Chacras de Coria. Downtown Mendoza is a few miles away. The advantage of this location is that you can easily walk to restaurants and get around without having to take a taxi everywhere. The bed and breakfast itself is simple, clean, and quiet. Breakfast is included, and offers such as chauffeured wine tasting tours are very reasonably priced.
What to Do: If you are going to have only one weekend in Mendoza… Drink wine!! You can bike to the wineries, but most are pretty far apart and the terrain is hilly, so I would recommend hiring a driver. Here are the three best wineries we went to:

• Bodega Roberto Bonfanti: This delightful, family-run winery is the perfect spot to experience the wonders of Argentinian wine and hospitality. The Malbecs produced by Bonfanti are impeccable; dark and fruit forward with bursts of blackberry and plum. One of the owners will give you a detailed tour and tasting, and the passion that the family has for wine and wine-making will endear both the family and the winery to you. Bonifanti wines are only distributed in New York, so enjoy as much as you can while you are in Argentina! They also make wonderful olive oil, which you can sample as well.

• Belasco de Baquedano: This grand winery is in some ways the opposite of Bonifanti, so it is a great way to get a sense of the different kinds of wineries they have in Mendoza. The view of the mountains from the massive estate is a sight you won’t ever forget. The winery has a tasting lounge to sample wines, as well as a restaurant where you can indulge in a decadent wine-paired meal. The wines they produce are exceptionally bold and fragrant. Especially notable about this winery is their aroma room, where you can blind smell dozens of scents. It is one of only four in the world.

• Bodega Ceccin: This rustic vineyard produces several different kinds of organic Malbec, which means their technique of wine production is geared towards protecting the environment. They offer tours, tastings, and lunch as well in their casual restaurant.

Where to Eat: As I am sure you know, Argentina is famous for their food, largely because of their Italian heritage. Gorgeous, housemade pastas, decadent sauces, delicious breads and fresh salads are all in abundance. Of course, there is also Argentine cuisine: empanadas, cheese, beans, and corn are all in abundance. Keep in mind they eat late, so restaurants will be empty until about 9pm. Once you start dining however, meals go on for hours. The restaurants mentioned below will give you a sense of the profound Argentine love of food and wine.

• Clos de Chacras: Lunch at this winery was one of my most memorable meals in Mendoza. They offer a phenomenal multi-course lunch and wine tasting for just $20 a person. The restaurant is small and cozy, and provides a romantic venue for dining while sampling the winery’s delicious wines. The garlic crème brulee I had there is still one of the best dishes I have ever pleasure of tasting!
• Dantesco: My husband and I had a spectacular meal at this multi-roomed restaurant, which has an lengthy menu and wine list. To our surprise wine bottles were offered for as little as $4, and we were even more surprised to discover that regardless of price, every wine we tried was unbelievably good. For dinner, we indulged in a decadent cheese plate, grilled tomato bruschetta, salad with corn and avocado, marinated peppers and artichokes, potato gratin, pumpkin and mozzarella pasta, and mushroom risotto. We were stuffed to the gills and took a stroll around the neighborhood after dinner to try and digest! Don’t miss this gem if you go to Mendoza.
• 1884 Restaurant: We decided to do one super fancy meal while in Mendoza, so we went to 1884, which is run by one of Argentina’s most famous chef’s, Frances Mallmann. The luxurious meal was full of grilled provolone cheese, burrata with pears and honey, flaky empanadas, pasta, housemade breads, and more. The wine list is extensive, but staff can help you pick something to complement your meal.

The verdict: Must add a weekend trip to Mendoza to your trip. It’s a haven for food and wine lovers. Eat, drink, and relax like the Argentines do with your significant other!

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