Travelling in the north

[Matt123]

My wife and I are planning a 11 night trip in the north of Argentina from Dec 12th to Dec 23rd. We will be going to Iguazu, Salta and Mendoza before returning to Buenos Aires. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to spend our time? Our itinerary will be as follows:

Dec 12th to 15th Iguazu
Dec 15th to 18th Salta
Dec 18th to 23rd Mendoza

Also we are looking for suggestions of good quality, but cheap accommodation, preferably family-run, on a B&B basis. We will not have a car so it needs to be accessible by public transport.

Thanks,

Matt & Loli

 

[senorsuitcase]

Similarly interested in Salta and Mendoza recommendations....

 

[dutara]

I don't know if you're aware of it, but it is a long way by bus from Iguazu to Salta. I did this in 2004, starting out from Jujuy (via Salta, about an hour away). I don't like to take buses at night, and with the schedule of buses as they were I ended up stopping in a town that was maybe six hours out of Jujuy (sorry can't recall the name, and looking at the map didn't help), the next bus continued east-southeast on rte 16 to Corrientes, stayed there then on to Iguazu. I wasn't in a hurry so I spent an extra day at each stop. Coincidentally it was the week before Easter, but the buses were not as fully booked up as I would have expected. (YMMV on this one, folks!) I arrived in Argentine Iguazu on Easter, the only other people on the bus the final hours was a bunch of French uni girls behaving like little kids.

Looking at the map, there is another road westward that passes through a town called Las Lomitas. The scenery may be more interesting that way, but that's just a guess.

Let us know how it works out!

 

[elhombresinnombre]

I don't share Dutara's dislike of overnight buses: in certain other countries in Central and South America I'd agree that there are dangers but in Argentina the biggest danger is of missing the view of hour after hour of unchanging pampa. I've written elsewhere of the excellence of cama and ejecutivo services and you already will know from reading there that I prefer to travel by Andesmar when I can (even though I don't own any shares and they don't pay me for saying this).

Wine tours don't really interest me (though I love drinking the stuff) so the time you have allocated to Mendoza is more than I would have done. I love to travel past Puente del Inca on my way over the Andes to Santiago but in my opinion a day trip all the way from Mendoza to PdI and back again isn't a very good use of time - if indeed you had even been thinking about it in the first place. No, I'm just saying that it it were me and I had the same time available I would spend more of it in Iguazu or maybe Salta.

To see the amazing landscapes around Salta you really need a car or to sign up with one of the many tour companies. On the other hand if arts and architecture and culture are your thing, Salta city could keep you amused for days without either - though I'd recommend checking out what's on before you arrive because otherwise you could miss an absolute gem.

I'm a Brit so I'm not subject to the reciprocity fees charged to nationals of some countries, so my delight at wandering across borders at Iguazu to see the falls from different perspectives could be an expensive enjoyment for others. Search the articles in this forum to see how it may or may not affect you. I've stayed at the relatively cheap and cheerful and spacious motel-style place immediately over the road from the Puerto Iguazu bus station pedestrian entrance (name escapes me, sorry) and they - like most others - will arrange reasonably-priced tours if you ask them. There's much more to see at Iguazu than -say- Niagara so it's worth allowing enough time to do it justice. Unlike (Canadian) Niagara there's no ghastly, plastic, amusement city at Puerto Iguazu - I hope that news doesn't disappoint

 

[Sanda]

I too am planning a trip North in the coming weeks to the Salta/Jujuy/Humahuaca area and would love any tips about tours to take or guides to use (ideally who speak some English as my Spanish is still quite limited), as I will not have a car, as well as any other recommendations about the best way to experience and enjoy these parts of the country. many thanks! Sanda

 

[dutara]

I don't share Dutara's dislike of overnight buses: in certain other countries in Central and South America I'd agree that there are dangers but in Argentina the biggest danger is of missing the view of hour after hour of unchanging pampa.
...

I didn't say anything about danger, I don't take buses at night because there is nothing to see.