Argentinian North West: Salta to Cachi
To describe the drive from Salta to the beautiful colonial village of Cachi, a journey which takes you through the Parque Nacional Los Cardones, as anything less than stunning would be to do it a...
View ArticleArgentinian North West: Cachi
If the route to Cachi over the twisting mountain roads of the Cuesta del Obispo is dramatic, so is the setting of this beautiful and tranquil village. Located at 2280 meters above sea level, Cachi’s...
View ArticleArgentinian North West: Cachi to Molinos
I wasn’t sure we’d have time to stop for a night in Molinos, it’s only a short journey from Cachi and pushed for time it was tempting to continue on to Cafayate. In retrospect, that would have been a...
View ArticleArgentinian North West: the Ruta 40 to Cafayate
Jumping back into the car after breakfast in Molinos, we got back on the Ruta 40 and headed south to Cafayate and its fabled high altitude vineyards. I’d been looking forward to this part of our...
View ArticleWine tasting and Quilmes (the pre-hispanic fortress, not the beer)
The dramatically situated pre-hispanic fortress of Quilmes lies a short distance south of Cafayate and is a fascinating place to visit, especially if you get there before the tour groups start to...
View ArticleQuebrada de Cafayate…home of the Monk, the Toad and the Devil’s Throat
In a region full of surprises the Quebrada de Cafayate must count as one of the finest. Driving north following the Rio de las Conchas, the road heads out across a fertile valley given over to vine...
View ArticleArgentinian North West: Purmamarca and the Cerro de los Siete Colores
After a long, long drive from Cafayate all the way north to Purmamarca, a journey that took us through beautiful countryside but which also took the best part of a day, we were delighted to finally see...
View ArticleArgentinian North West: Quebrada de Humahuaca to Iruya
An alternative title to this post might be The longest day in a Volkswagen Gol, ever. Although that shouldn’t take away from the spectacular landscapes we passed through to reach Iruya, or the lovely...
View ArticleSalinas Grandes…grande? really?
If you’ve ever been to the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia you know the true meaning of the term ‘salinas grandes’. So enormous is the Salar de Uyuni (the world’s largest salt flat) no one, not even at the...
View ArticleArgentinian North West: Susques
After the luminous white of the Salinas Grandes, we hopped back into the car and headed west towards the Chilean border and the picturesque village of Susques. This was a journey made on a whim rather...
View Article2013, a year of extremes in pictures
I’m gazing out of the window, the rain is lashing down in ‘sheets’, driven by high winds that are bending trees at an alarming angle. Although only early in the afternoon, the light has already started...
View ArticleMendoza, into Argentina’s wine country
I have a couple of very memorable memories from our first visit to Mendoza a dozen years ago. One is that the city famed as the epicentre of Argentina’s wine industry was still reeling from the...
View ArticleDrinking with the pinguino in Mendoza’s historic streets
The funny thing about Mendoza is that, despite being founded in 1561, thanks to a series of earthquakes that have periodically flattened the city, few historic buildings have survived into the 21st...
View ArticleValle de Uco, wine tasting in the shadow of the Andes
Nestled in the foothills of the Andes, the vineyards of the Valle de Uco stretch across a vast landscape under an immense sky. This is one of the premier wine growing regions in Argentina, producing...
View ArticleBodega hopping in the Valle de Uco
There are still parts of the Valle de Uco that resemble the semi-arid desert that existed here before vineyards and fruit trees blazed colour across the valley floor. When you see the landscape as it...
View ArticleOn the shores of Lago Nahuel Huapi, Bariloche
What to do in Bariloche when you have a broken toe? This is the outdoor capital of Argentina, where hiking, cycling and climbing activities abound. I’d planned to walk some of the nearby mountains, but...
View ArticleMountains, lakes and beautiful views, Bariloche’s Circuito Chico
If Bariloche, the town, is disappointing, the surrounding countryside certainly isn’t. We had a car and planned to head to San Martin de los Andes along the Ruta de los Siete Lagos, but first we spent...
View ArticleSpectacular Andean landscapes on the Ruta de los Siete Lagos
The Ruta de los Siete Lagos is one of the most dramatic and beautiful road trips in the world. The sheer grandeur of the spectacular Andean landscapes through which you pass en route from Bariloche to...
View ArticleLago Huechulafquen and the glorious Lanin National Park
There can be few more magnificent sights than the incredible landscapes of the Lanin National Park. The Vulcan Lanin, a 3,776 metre high snow-capped conical volcano, is the most dominate feature of the...
View ArticleSerenity along Ruta de los Siete Lagos
We spent our last night in the lovely Andean town of San Martin drinking locally made beers and talking politics in the Fass Bier bar, before having some typically Patagonian food in one of the town’s...
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