Seeking Laid Back Towns in Argentina

[Joe]

I just arrived in BsAs last week. I am seeking recommendations for other towns in Argentina that are more relaxed. I am planning to visit Mendoza next month as well as Montevideo.

I tried the expat thing in Thailand a couple of years back and had to quickly escape Bangkok for the cleaner air of Chiang Mai in the mountains or the coastal towns. I gave up on Thailand because I tired of the heat - and that's why I came here for the cooler season.

Any recommendations for smaller cities with good restaurants, etc? Any thought on Mendoza?

 

[diego7david]

if you dont care for heat you need to head further south mendoza and ba get very hot in the summer i spent last summer in ba and it was 104 for quite a while and its a very rare restaurant, store, atm, or anything that has a fan or ac.

 

[soulskier]

Northern Patagonia and the Lakes district is very chill.

 

[djlinse37]

I was given dire warnings about moving to BsAs about the heat. Yes, AC is not universal, and the humidity can be stifling at times, but everything needs to be judged relative to what you are used to. I found the most recently completed summer quite acceptable, given our move in Sept 2008 from Washington DC. Granted we are near Av. Libertador, so get winds off the water that may cut the humidity, but the maximum temperature (not thermic temp, including humidity) recorded at EZE was 35C (95F) for the just completed summer, while the summer before it was 33C (just over 91F). [Data from http://www.wunderground.com/].

 

[Joe]

104 with the high humidity. Ouch!

I am just researching now so I probably will leave before the summer.

What are some nice towns for the winter months?

 

[syngirl]

For winter months -- do you like skiing? I would say Mendoza if you want a city, and then there are plenty of towns surrounding and the Las Lenas ski resort is near by. Malargue, La Rioja, San Rafael etc. Mendoza is also the heart of one of the wine regions of Argentina, I haven't been out to the smaller towns apart from a day tour, but could be very nice.

Bariloche is very nice as well, and there are very small towns all around there -- San Martin de los Andes, Villa la Angostura etc.

 

[Recoleta Carolina]

I just arrived in BsAs last week. I am seeking recommendations for other towns in Argentina that are more relaxed. I am planning to visit Mendoza next month as well as Montevideo.

I tried the expat thing in Thailand a couple of years back and had to quickly escape Bangkok for the cleaner air of Chiang Mai in the mountains or the coastal towns. I gave up on Thailand because I tired of the heat - and that's why I came here for the cooler season.

Any recommendations for smaller cities with good restaurants, etc? Any thought on Mendoza?

Mendoza has alot going for it but do your homework in advance. Mendoza has high crime and it is rarely published in the travel media.

 

[Joe]

How would you say crime in Mendoza compares to BsAs? I was expecting since it is a smaller city security would be less of a concern.

My last job was near skid row in LA, and of all the places in the world I have been to, that was definitely the scariest!

 

[perry]

I agree with Recoleta Carolina that crime is growing in Mendoza and Mendoza province . Saying that it is a gorgeous city well planned green and silent . The nightlife is also a huge plus.

 

[Joe]

Bariloche seems like a great destination. I am thinking Mendoza in July and Bariloche in August or September.

But on another thread I read that non-residents have to pay double price for airfare and the fare mentioned for Bariloche was around U$S500. Ouch! I imagine if I flew from Mendoza to Bariloche it would be even more...

The overnight bus sounds like fun for Mendoza, 180 degree chair, comfy.

But Barioche is 24 hour bus trip if I read the schedule correctly and I didn't see an option for a 180 degree chair. And 24 hours is so long...

Alternatively are there interesting places to stop on the way to Barioche to break up the trip?