In this section, you will find our personal recommendations on places to go in South America during June-July. Keep in mind that it will be Winter in the Southern Hemisphere. That is why we are not recommending Patagonia at this time, even though it is one of our favorite places on earth (with the exception of Bariloche and Esquel, in northern Patagonia, for skiing). 

Buenos Aires’ weather at this time of the year is usually chilly, in the 50s and 60s, so bring layers.

For those interested in domestic travel, including Chile and Brazil, below are trusted travel agencies and contacts with whom we have worked in the past. They can offer specific recommendations and make flight, hotel and restaurant bookings for you. 

Porte Maillot: Vicente Palazzo - amazing travel agent. Our family has been working with him for decades. vicente.palazzo@portemaillot.com.ar. Mention our names when you reach out to him. 

Venturance: Gabriela Mori, gmori@venturance.ar. Serious and professional agents. One of the main travel agencies in the country. Works with many corporate clients. We have worked with Gabriela and her team several times in the past and they are great. Also mention our name.

NOROESTE

The Northwest of Argentina is arid, barren, splendid, set in a desertic landscape, lunar and rocky, its earthy colors are closer in comparison to Arizona and Utah. Its roads are endless, you barely see any trees or people for miles and miles, and more miles. It is truly remote and other-worldly. Spectacular. It is the area in Argentina most influenced by its Indigenous populations, and it is where most of them still live. 

A few recommended areas in this region: 

Tucumán

San Miguel de Tucumán is the capital of Tucumán Province and a great base point to explore the surrounding area. It has a special significance for Argentinians because it is here where Argentina officially declared its independence from Spain on July 9th, 1816. Flight time from Buenos Aires is about 2 hours, and 1:30 from Mendoza. 

Salta

Another great base point to explore the area. It is the capital of the province of Salta and it is known for its Spanish colonial architecture and Andean heritage. The city centers on Plaza 9 de Julio, an elegant, cafe-lined square bordered by the neoclassical Salta Cathedral and El Cabildo, an 18th-century town hall turned historical museum. 

It is a 2 hour flight from Buenos Aires, and 1:45 minutes from Mendoza. 

Valles Calchaquíes

(Salta, Tucumán & Catamarca)
Gorgeous valley stretching across the provinces of Salta, Tucumán and Catamarca in northwest Argentina. The valley is known for its  rugged landscapes, striking red rock formations and high-altitude vineyards. Southwest of the colonial city of Salta, Route 33 runs through the Escoipe Ravine. It takes a winding route, known as Cuesta del Obispo (Bishop’s Slope), up to a mountain pass with far-reaching views.  Activities available in the area include horseback  riding, 4x4 tours, trekking, windsurfing, paragliding and visits to churches and estancias.

There are many unforgettable sites, ruins and towns in this area. 

To name some of our favorites: 

Tafí del Valle:

(Tucumán)
The 2 hour drive from San Miguel de Tucumán to Tafí immerses you in the Tucumán jungle-like forest and passes through the Quebrada de los Sosa nature reserve. One of the passes you go by on this route is called "The End of the World", and it truly feels that way.

On the East of the Tafí valley is the town of El Mollar, where you can visit the  Parque de los Menhires (the setting of indigenous monoliths, some of them bearing still visible carvings). Through the valley there are a variety of canyons and waterfalls, and the winding road is full of stunning panoramic viewpoints of the valley below. 

Cafayate

(Salta)
Northwest Argentina’s wine region, producing some of Argentina’s well known brands. 

Quilmes:

(Tucumán)
The Ruins of Quilmes is an archaeological site in the Calchaquí Valleys. The site was the largest pre-Columbian settlement in the country.

Cachi 

(Salta)
Cachi is a small forgotten town in the Calchaquí Valleys, known for its adobe houses and white colonial buildings. At its center sits the Iglesia San José, a Spanish colonial church. 

Quebrada de Humahuaca

(Jujuy) 
Truly spectacular. North of Jujuy, the memorable Quebrada de Humahuaca snakes north toward Bolivia. It’s a harsh but vivid landscape, a network of dry river-scoured canyons overlooked by mountains with sedimentary strata that have been eroded into spectacular scalloped formations revealing a spectrum of colors in undulating waves. The palette of this World Heritage–listed valley changes constantly, from shades of creamy white to rich, deep reds. 

A 2:30-hour drive from San Salvador de Jujuy (the capital of Jujuy Province), a 4- hour drive from Salta and a 7-hour drive from San Miguel de Tucumán. 

Memorable towns in the Quebrada:

Tilcara

(Jujuy)
Magical, slow paced towna forgotten by time, with an indigenous and earthly vibe.

PURMAMARCA

(Jujuy)

Tiny village set on the foot of the majestic ¨Paleta del Pintor¨ or ¨Cerro de los Siete Colores¨(Painters’ Palette or Seven Colors Hill), which as it states, is a mountain of seven colors. You can clearly distinguish each color stripe. You don’t want to miss it. From the village, the Paseo de los Colorados trail leads into the surrounding desert landscapes for views of the mountain. Adobe houses line the streets, and 9 de Julio Square hosts a popular crafts market.

Iruya

(Salta)
Tiny charming village, great base for hiking.

Tren de las Nubes

(Salta)
The ¨Train to the Clouds¨ is a train that runs along the eastern part of the Salta–Antofagasta railway line of the Belgrano Railway that connects the Argentinian Northwest with the Chilean border in the Andes mountain range, over 4,220 meters (13,850 ft) above sea level. It is one of the highest railways in the world. Originally built for economic and social reasons, it is now primarily of interest to tourists as a heritage railway. 

Although we’ve never taken it, I’ve always been intrigued by it and wish we could take it one day.  The train runs four days a week, departing from San Antonio de los Cobres (where passengers arrive from Salta by bus) to La Polvorilla viaduct. Most tourists do the 8-hour one-way trip and return by other means. The roundtrip is 13-hours, 434-kilometers (270 mi). There are numerous stops along the way, some with markets selling artisan goods and locals offering regional cuisine.

Valle de la Luna (San Juan) & Talampaya National Park (La Rioja)

Ischigualasto Provincial Park (Parque Provincial Ischigualasto), also called Valle de la Luna ("Valley of the Moon" or "Moon Valley"), due to its moon like appearance, is a protected area in the north-east of San Juan Province, limiting to the north with the Talampaya National Park, in La Rioja Province. Both areas belong to the same geological formation, the Ischigualasto-Talampaya Formation), composed of rare rock formations and otherworldly scenery.

If you are planning on joining us in Mendoza after the party in Buenos Aires, this could be a good segway for your trip, since Valle de la Luna is about a 3:30-hour drive from where we will be staying. From Valle de la Luna to Talampaya it’s another 3-4 hours.

Desierto de Atacama

(Chile)

this is an area we are dying to visit. It is a desert plateau stretching over a 1,600-kilometer-long strip of land west of the Andes Mountains, it covers an area of 105,000 km², which increases to 128,000 km² if the barren lower slopes of the Andes are included. It is the driest place on earth. It is also supposed to be one of the best places in the world for stargazing because of its clean skies. 

There are amazing resorts  in this area. We recommend Explora, Awasi and Terra.

It is a bit of a logistical challenge to get there from Argentina, because even though it is so close, especially from the Northwest region, it still requires flying through Santiago (Chile) to San Pedro de Atacama, the nearest town. But it is worth it for sure!

Salar de Uyuni

(Bolivia)

A continuation of the Atacama desert to the North, in Bolivia, it is the biggest salt flat in the world, the legacy of a prehistoric lake that went dry, leaving behind a desertlike, nearly 11,000-sq.-km. landscape of bright-white salt, rock formations and cacti-studded islands. Its otherworldly expanse can be observed from central Incahuasi Island. Though wildlife is rare in this unique ecosystem, it harbors many pink flamingos.

You can combine both (this is what we are actually planning on doing at some point).