Ultimate Travel Guide for Retirees Who Want to Explore Argentina
So you’re finally retired, yippee! It’s the most perfect time for you to fully embrace travelling. Now that you’re officially retired, you can travel the world without worrying about your mean boss who never grants you a long break or your tedious working schedule each day. With much freedom on your hands, you should totally max out your travel adventures.
You should start your around-the-world adventure with the retiree-friendly destination, Argentina. Millions of tourists, especially those who absolutely love nature, come here each year.
Related: Top 5 most comfortable travel pillows
Why go to Argentina?
There are hundreds of beautiful countries around the world that you can visit depending on your preferences. One of the best destinations so far, according to travel aficionados, is Argentina. It’s a South American country best known for its jaw-dropping landscapes, rich flora and fauna, and super-friendly locals. It attracts innumerable tourists each year for a variety of reasons.
First of all, it’s a totally unique South American destination that offers a myriad of things to its visitors.
It’s a South American Country like no other
Argentina became a melting pot of cultures after it was colonized by Spain back in the 16th to 18th century. After gaining independence, the country welcomed its doors to thousands of immigrants coming from numerous countries.
The population in Argentina largely comprises of Spanish and Italian folks, so you can expect to find strong influences of these two foreign cultures in every part of the country.
Aside from the interesting cultures and traditions in this country, you will never run out of things to do here thanks to its varied topography.
This 270 million hectare country has four distinct topographical regions namely the Patagonia, the Pampas, the Northern subtropics and the Andean. Each region offers a wide array of activities you can enjoy even when you’re physically disabled.
Yes, it’s a wheelchair friendly destination
Unlike other destinations in South America, Argentina is made extra accessible to travellers who use mobility equipment such as electric-powered wheelchair or scooter. Majority of the routes in the main tourist attractions feature wheelchair lanes. This means that you can enjoy marvelling at the best sights in Argentina without having a hard time squeezing yourself in the crowd.
It’s the best destination to include on top of your bucket list. If you’re planning on travelling soon to this wonderful country, you must take note of a few things.
Travel preparations
To fully immerse yourself in the rich and vibrant culture of the Argentinians, learning the language should be included in your travel preparations. A few months before your intended travel date, I recommend taking up a Spanish Language course to learn the Rioplatense dialect.
The Rioplatense dialect is the language spoken by majority of the Argentines. Some of the words used in this dialect are slightly similar to Italian words such as ciao for goodbye.
Aside from taking the language classes, don’t forget to check out the local weather so you know what type of clothes you need to pack.
Related: Compression packing cubes are your ultimate travel companion. Find out why
As for the travel documents, be sure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your departure date. Also, I suggest availing comprehensive travel insurance so you’re well-protected against unexpected costs and untoward incidents.
What to do in Argentina
Once you have everything ready, you can proceed to create your travel itinerary. Now, if you’ve never been to Argentina, you should check out my list of favourite activities below.
Be amazed by the icebergs in Argentina
Thought you need to fly to Alaska or the Antarctic to see icebergs in real life? Think again chap! There are hundreds of hauntingly beautiful icebergs in Argentina. Santa Cruz province. I recommend hiring a local guide to help you find your way to the glaciers. It would take you hours to drive around the Patagonia region until you find the perfect spot for glacier hunting.
The glaciers in this part of the globe are so enormous that they will definitely take your breath away. Make sure to capture everything on camera so you can share these marvellous sights to your friends and family when you get home.
Roam around the Plaza
Every South American country comes with a Plaza where people gather during the weekends or fiesta. If you want to meet a lot of locals while in the capital city, Buenos Aires, you should head to the Plaza de Mayo on a Sunday afternoon. You’ll find plenty of food stalls where you can buy local delicacies like empanadas, choripan, milanesa, and asado.
Aside from being a favourite hangout place of the locals, Plaza de Mayo is also world-famous for its historical value. It is used often used as a venue for a wide range of public events that draw in a large crowd each year.
See the Casa Rosada
Love the colour pink? Check out the Casa Rosada, which literally translates to “pink house” in English. This light pink mansion holds the seat of power of the country. Aside from the Casa Rosada, one of the popular buildings in Argentina is the Casa de Gobierno. Thankfully, it’s not as brightly coloured as the first building. The Casa de Gobierno is the official residence of Argentina’s head of state.
Get lost in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
The museum first opened its doors to the public back in 2004. The 2,500 square metres museum has four exhibit areas with 215 masterpieces. Some of the famous pieces you can find in the MNBA includes Allegory of Fortune and Virtue by Ruben, Saint Francis in Meditation by Zubaran and Portrait of Manuelita Rosas by Pueyrredon.
Watch a Football match in La Bombonera
Love football? Argentines love their futbol too! The locals take football quite seriously thanks to their world-renowned players Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. When you visit Buenos Aires, Argentina, make sure to drop by the La Bombonera to watch a match. The fandom of the locals here is quite a sight to behold.
Take a selfie with a Llama
Llamas are quite adorable creatures. They’re also very kind and gentle. They come in various colours including white, brown and black. You can find a large herd of llamas freely roaming around in the Patagonia region and Pampas plains. When you see these amazing animals walking, try taking a selfie with them.
Feast your eyes on the Iguazu Falls
The Argentinian-side of the Iguazu Falls is definitely a must-see for every tourist. The Iguazu is not your ordinary type of cascading water because it is comprised of 275 falls that stretches for three kilometres. The wall of water serves as a natural barrier between Brazil and Argentina.
As much as possible, you should try to view the Iguazu falls up close and personal. You will need to hike for a few minutes until you get to the viewing deck. You can also take a boat ride to see the Devil’s Throat on a different view – just be sure to bring a raincoat with you if in case you don’t like to get wet.
Taste the finest Argentine Wine
Argentines are known as the world’s 5th largest producer of wine. Argentinian wine has distinct flavours and aroma. So, if you’re going to fly to this country, you have to join a wine tasting tour or at least order a bottle of wine when you dine in one of their Michelin star restaurants.
Explore the world-class El Chalten
El Chalten, the quaint mountain village in Argentina is known all over the world for its amazing hiking trails. The small village sits at the base of the Cerro Torre and Mount Fitz Roy. If you’re eyeing on a nature-tripping adventure, El Chalten is definitely the best place to go to. Locals recommend coming here from December to March, but if you want to avoid the crowd, I recommend visiting any time between March to April or in November.
Take many photos when you visit the Salta and Jujuy
The two towns of Jujuy and Salta are recognized all over the world for their breathtaking landscapes. Because of the unique composition of the rocks in these two towns, you will find plenty of out-of-this-world rainbow-coloured outcrops and other rock formations.
While in the area, see to it that you visit the Serrania de Hornocal to see surreal v-shaped mountains of limestones and the Quebrada de las Conchas to take photos of the colourful rocks.
Discover the European-inspired town of Bariloche
Bariloche is a world-class destination sitting at the base of the Andes mountain range. Taste their mouthwatering chocolate and explore their European-inspired buildings. Also, you should check out their picturesque trails. There’s plenty of trails to choose from – in fact, there are trails specially designed for noobs and old folks. Regardless of what you trail you choose, I’m pretty sure that you will definitely enjoy adventure and the view.
It’s just but right to spend a bit of your hard-earned money on travelling, most especially if you spend most of your life behind the desk. It can be a wee bit daunting to explore the world for the first time, but I guarantee to you that it will totally pay off. Use the retiree travel guide I created above so you can fully enjoy your vacation in Argentina!
Author Bio
Elizabeth Queen is a professional social media marketing expert. She works with top brands from all over the world. She currently works for a company that gives out Spanish language courses. During her leisure time, she travels the world, learns different languages, and bakes all sorts of mouthwatering treats. She loves sharing her adventures to the world.
The owner of this website is a participant in the Amazon Affiliates Program. Therefore, the links here might be affiliate links and sales from them may earn a small commission for us – at no extra cost to you. Since we only recommend stuff we have faith in, you’re in good hands.
