Among the great draws of popular tourist attractions in argentina. It covers everything from arid deserts to humid rainforests, vast coastal beaches to the high Andes. Drawing on influences from all across the globe, stretching from the subtropical north to the subantarctic areas of gorgeous Patagonia in the south, Argentina’s cultural, artistic, and architectural legacy is equally as varied.
Buenos Aires often feels more like Europe than Latin America with its fantastic barrios, which include vibrant arts neighborhoods like La Boca, Old-world Recoleta, and chic areas like Palermo. Starting sightseeing is best done in this energetic capital city; likewise, learning to tango, the most famous of Argentinean dances, is here.
Apart from its several cultural attractions, the natural beauties of the nation including the magnificent Iguazú Falls, the biggest collection of waterfalls worldwide have considerable interest for certain visitors.
Use this helpful list of Argentina’s top tourist attractions to ensure you discover all the finest sites to visit and activities to engage in.
Top 10 Popular Tourist Attractions in Argentina You Can’t Miss
1. Iguazú Falls
With Iguazu National Park on the Argentine side and Iguaçu National Park on the Brazilian side, the breathtaking Iguazú Falls stretch beside Argentina’s border with Brazil. Clearly one of the most amazing vistas in South America, these massive waterfalls are safeguarded as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A system of easily accessible walkways and observation platforms meant to offer the greatest possible views — including those at the bottom of the falls, a region known as the Devil’s Throat — allows visitors to get rather near to these thunderous falls.
Actually, Iguazu consists of between 150 and 300 distinct falls along its almost three-kilometer edge; the height varies depending on the season and ranges from 60 to 82 meters and each as breathtaking as the next. Served by an international airport in Argentina (and one in surrounding Brazil), visiting is very simple, especially if you are traveling from Buenos Aires.
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2. Perito Moreno Glacier
The primary center for visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Patagonia’s Los Glaciares National Park, the little town of El Calafate has many of lodging choices and other conveniences.
Most people take trips to view the prominent glaciers of the park, most notably the breathtaking Perito Moreno Glacier, a colossal 30-kilometer-long ice formation (and the third-largest freshwater reserve) approximately 78 kilometers from the town center.
Inspired by a 19th-century adventurer, it’s only two hours from El Calafate to the sizable tourist center, from which one can simply stroll to the glacier. Ice trekking trips ranging from an hour’s stroll over the ice formation to lengthier five-hour excursions are accessible for individuals wishing to ascend the glacier.
The 3,359-meter-tall Monte Fitz Roy, a breathtakingly gorgeous peak straddling the Chilean border and supposedly more difficult to climb than Everest, is another key attraction of Los Glaciares National Park.
3. Recoleta, La Boca, and Tango in Buenos Aires
One of South America’s most attractive cities (also one of the largest), Buenos Aires is often the first glimpse of Argentina most visitors will have before heading off to popular tourist destinations such as Patagonia.
But the smart ones will linger here and take in the many delightful museums and art galleries housed in the splendid old colonial buildings spread across the city’s districts or barrios.
Be sure to visit La Boca, Buenos Aires’ most colorful neighborhood and home to the quirky Caminito Street Museum, a splendid pedestrian zone and open-air museum popular for its brightly painted houses, amusing sculptures, cafés, music, and tango dancers in the streets.
Fashionable Recoleta is another must and is where you’ll find the Recoleta Cemetery, with its elaborate mausoleums containing the remains of such famous Argentinians as Eva (Evita) Perón, along with numerous public gardens, museums, art galleries, cafés, and boutique shops.
Other districts to explore if time permits are Palermo and Belgrano with their wide boulevards and palatial mansions, and, in the downtown core, the delightful Plaza de Mayo.
4. Tierra del Fuego National Park
The 156,000-acre Tierra del Fuego National Park extends all the way from Beagle Channel to the Chilean Border and northwards to Lago Kami. It’s a paradise for hikers, with trails for all experience levels.
Using the town of Ushuaia as a base, adventurers head out onto the park’s hiking trails or along the coastline to explore its dramatic scenery, which includes everything from tall waterfalls, dense forests, and mountains, to beautiful glacier-fed lakes such as Roca and Fagnano.
One of the most popular routes is Senda Costera, a coastal path to Lake Roca from Ensenada Bay that offers a chance to see a rich diversity of wildlife including Andean condors.
Those who prefer to see the sights in comfort can take a ride on the superb Southern Fuegian Railway, an elegant antique steam train through the park to Cañadon de Toro.
5. Puerto Madryn and the Valdés Peninsula
The city of Puerto Madryn lies on the shores of Golfo Nuevo in one of the most sheltered places on the Patagonian coast. Founded by Welsh settlers in 1886, the city’s deep-water port and abundant nature reserves make it one of the most popular cruise destinations in Argentina.
Its rugged coastline attracts water sports enthusiasts, particularly windsurfers who enjoy defying the strong Patagonian winds. Nature lovers find plenty of things to do on the Valdez Peninsula, an important nature reserve listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its diverse wildlife.
Guided tours of the reserve are a must, and visitors normally leave having seen everything from right whales (here to mate and calve), along with elephant seals, sea lions, and orcas. It’s also an important breeding ground for migratory shorebirds, in particular Magellanic penguins.
Learn more about the environment of this beautiful coast at the Natural Science and Oceanographic Museum, set in a beautiful heritage building overlooking the harbor. The museum features displays of Patagonian flora and fauna, including a whale skeleton and a fascinating exhibit about giant squids.
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6. Ushuaia: The End of the World
At the southern end of Argentina, Patagonia is famous for its spectacular landscapes: a dramatic mix of the Andes and long stretches of plains and plateaus. Most adventures here start in Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city.
Established as a penal colony in the early 20th century and now a popular jumping-off point for trips to Antarctica or around Cape Horn, this town on Beagle Channel is surrounded by a unique landscape of mountains, sea, glaciers, and woods on the edge of the Tierra del Fuego National Park, with its spectacular scenery and diverse flora and fauna.
Popular places to visit include the San Juan de Salvamento Lighthouse — also known as the End of the World Lighthouse — built in 1884 on the Isla de los Estados, and the End of the World Museum. Here, you’ll find exhibits relating to the region’s natural history, aboriginal life, and early penal colonies.
The Maritime Museum of Ushuaia is housed in the town’s notorious former military prison, is worth visiting for its many maritime artifacts and scale models of famous ships such as Darwin’s Beagle.
Named for Darwin’s ship, the Beagle Channel cuts through the heart of the national park, and you can board a boat in Ushuaia to cruise through this historic waterway.
7. Bariloche and the Route of the Seven Lakes
Usually just called Bariloche, San Carlos de Bariloche is a vibrant city located in the northern Lake District of Patagonia among Nahuel Huapi National Park.
Particularly those from the Northern Hemisphere looking for snow in the height of the northern summer, skiers swarm to Bariloche for adjacent Cerro Catedral, the highest of its mountains and a well-known ski resort.
With more than 100 kilometers of ski terrain and especially great views over Nahuel Huapi Lake, in the midst of the national park, Cerro Catedral is among the biggest ski resorts in South America.
Center for active adventure and mountain exploration of the park, Bariloche boasts glaciers, extinct volcanoes, lakes, waterfalls, and woods. A driving circuit called the Route of the Seven Lakes connects visitors to the alpine lakes of Nahuel Huapi, Espejo, Escondido, Falkner, Villarino, Correntoso, and Machónico, yet the area is rich in chances for trekking, rafting, cycling, and climbing.
8. Mendoza
Undoubtedly one of Argentina’s most attractive cities, Mendoza is as well-liked with outdoor enthusiasts in winter as in summer thanks its Art Deco architecture. Skiers from all across South America enjoy some of the greatest Andes ski slopes at the well-known resorts of Las Leñas, known for their steep terrain, and Los Penitentes, barely 25 kilometers from the border with Chile, when the snow flakes.
Many of the hikers and climbers in the summer target the top of the 6,960-meter-tall Aconcagua peak, so these same locations are also popular among them. Whitewater rafting and trail riding are among the other outdoor pursuits; some riding stables provide overnight trips with sleeping under the stars.
Mendoza, which is well-known for its olive oil, has many other attractions as well, including many museums and yearly celebrations as well as a busy Central Market (Mercado Central) where residents purchase fruit, meat, and fish and where visitors may find eateries.
9. Historic Córdoba Cathedral
In central Argentina, a five-hour drive from Buenos Aires, Córdoba is the country’s second-largest city and is often used as a stopover on trips into the Andes. Most of the city’s finest old buildings date back to the early colonial period of the 16th century.
Explore the historical center of the city around Plaza San Martin, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, you’ll find the beautiful Cathedral of Córdoba, a splendid mix of Baroque and Neoclassical styles that can trace its roots back to the original Roman Catholic church built here in 1580.
Highlights of the structure, much of which dates from the 18th century, include an ornate interior with exquisite 20th-century frescoes and murals painted by leading Argentinian artist Emilio Caraffa, a native of Córdoba.
Note also the unique silver altar and an important collection of gold votive offerings. Below, the crypts are the final resting place of a number of important Argentinians.
One of the favorite things to do in Argentina is learn to tango, and you can take classes at the Cabildo, a cultural center, and mix with locals who go there to dance.
10. Beaches of Mar del Plata
On the Atlantic coast 400 kilometers from Buenos Aires, the very contemporary city of Mar del Plata boasts some of the most exquisite beaches in South America. Here, windswept dunes and steep cliffs define the lovely beaches that span more than eight kilometers of shore.
The Chica and Grande beaches, which are particularly popular among sea lions many of whom hang out in the seas around the city’s fishing wharves, are the nearest Mar del Plata’s contemporary cruise ship ports.
Once a playground for the wealthy, the city is a combination of elegant ancient homes mixed with modern resorts along the city’s magnificent shoreline with its several parks, squares, and gardens.
Comprising more than 100 vehicles and 500 trophies, the outstanding Juan Manuel Fangio Museum in Mar del Plata honors one of the world’s best Formula One racers. One feature is a display honoring the first car, an 1876 Daimler.
