WE'D BOOKED A FLIGHT with Aerolineas Argentinas straight out of BA to Iguazu on the day we arrived from England. Our international flight arrived at Ezeiza at 1000, and we cleared immigration by 1100, which gave us three hours to get to Aeroparque Jorge Newberry(to check in for the 1505 flight) which turned out to be plenty of time. There are regular Manuel Tienda Leon buses from Ezeiza to Aeroparque, with a stop downtown. The fare is 35 pesos, and the scheduled journey time is 90 minutes, though it actually took nearer to 75. You buy your ticket from the Manuel Tienda Leon kiosk which is also where the bus leaves from. Once you have left international arrivals, bear left around the block and you’ll see it, it’s a few minutes walk.
Before leaving the international arrivals building, there are two HSBC cash machines, next to the post office, on the left just before the exit. A good tip to avoid ATM charges is to load up a pre-paid credit card at home. I loaded up a Caxton FX Mastercard and had no trouble getting upto 800 pesos out from any main bank’s ATM on a daily basis(sometimes twice in a day). Though you don’t have to pay any ATM charges, you ARE charged by the Argentine bank network, Banelco. It is just under 12 pesos per withdrawal, so it makes sense to withdraw your maximum whenever you can.
Credit cards aren’t universally welcomed in Argentina. Traders prefer cash, and you can hardly blame them after the economic meltdown of a few years ago. Even hotels bearing credit card logos sometimes will only accept a credit card under duress. Only the smarter restaurants accept them. Most upmarket shops, especially in Palermo BA, will accept them, though even they will offer a generous discount – upto 15 per cent – for paying in cash.
We arrived at Aeroparque in plenty of time, and had prepared for the fact that Aerolineas Argentinas’ hold baggage allowance is a measly 15 kgs per passenger(compared with the 23 kg of LAN and most other airlines). Bear this in mind if you are arriving off an international flight with your free 23kgs of hold luggage. You’ll have to do some re-packing – or wear a photographer’s-style waistcoat with loads of pockets, that was my tactic - if you want to avoid excess baggage charges. Alternately, book all your internal flights with LAN, the prices are pretty much the same as AA on most routes. Our flight to Iguazu, booked a month earlier at home, cost £102 inc. taxes. The LAN website showed roughly the same price(but their timings weren’t as convenient for us)
A word about Argentina’s airports – Ezeiza, Aeroparque and Salta. Even allowing for the inevitable airport “mark-up”, they are shockingly expensive. Drinks and food cost at least three times what we would have paid outside. It was the only time we felt ripped off during our trip.
Once our flight to Iguazu was airborne, the captain kept the seatbelt sign on for the whole 90 minute flight which meant the cabin crew stayed chatting behind a drawn curtain without serving any drinks or snacks(despite there being no turbulence at all)!
At Puerto Iguazu, we thankfully avoided the mad scramble for taxis by being met by the free transfer supplied by the Panoramic Hotel. Otherwise, the taxi fare is around 90 pesos.
We’d booked a stay at the Panoramic simply because we thought we’d be in need of some luxury after our epic 32-hour journey from home(without sleep) and, apart from the intrusive piped music around the pool(which drowned out the birdsong) and a lack of chairs for the balcony, it didn’t fail to deliver(see Hotels, right).
Before leaving the international arrivals building, there are two HSBC cash machines, next to the post office, on the left just before the exit. A good tip to avoid ATM charges is to load up a pre-paid credit card at home. I loaded up a Caxton FX Mastercard and had no trouble getting upto 800 pesos out from any main bank’s ATM on a daily basis(sometimes twice in a day). Though you don’t have to pay any ATM charges, you ARE charged by the Argentine bank network, Banelco. It is just under 12 pesos per withdrawal, so it makes sense to withdraw your maximum whenever you can.
Credit cards aren’t universally welcomed in Argentina. Traders prefer cash, and you can hardly blame them after the economic meltdown of a few years ago. Even hotels bearing credit card logos sometimes will only accept a credit card under duress. Only the smarter restaurants accept them. Most upmarket shops, especially in Palermo BA, will accept them, though even they will offer a generous discount – upto 15 per cent – for paying in cash.
We arrived at Aeroparque in plenty of time, and had prepared for the fact that Aerolineas Argentinas’ hold baggage allowance is a measly 15 kgs per passenger(compared with the 23 kg of LAN and most other airlines). Bear this in mind if you are arriving off an international flight with your free 23kgs of hold luggage. You’ll have to do some re-packing – or wear a photographer’s-style waistcoat with loads of pockets, that was my tactic - if you want to avoid excess baggage charges. Alternately, book all your internal flights with LAN, the prices are pretty much the same as AA on most routes. Our flight to Iguazu, booked a month earlier at home, cost £102 inc. taxes. The LAN website showed roughly the same price(but their timings weren’t as convenient for us)
A word about Argentina’s airports – Ezeiza, Aeroparque and Salta. Even allowing for the inevitable airport “mark-up”, they are shockingly expensive. Drinks and food cost at least three times what we would have paid outside. It was the only time we felt ripped off during our trip.
Once our flight to Iguazu was airborne, the captain kept the seatbelt sign on for the whole 90 minute flight which meant the cabin crew stayed chatting behind a drawn curtain without serving any drinks or snacks(despite there being no turbulence at all)!
At Puerto Iguazu, we thankfully avoided the mad scramble for taxis by being met by the free transfer supplied by the Panoramic Hotel. Otherwise, the taxi fare is around 90 pesos.
We’d booked a stay at the Panoramic simply because we thought we’d be in need of some luxury after our epic 32-hour journey from home(without sleep) and, apart from the intrusive piped music around the pool(which drowned out the birdsong) and a lack of chairs for the balcony, it didn’t fail to deliver(see Hotels, right).
IGUAZU FALLS
Puerto Iguazu, meanwhile, turned out to be a pleasant, friendly, laidback little town. Getting to the falls is easy. There are half-hourly buses from the bus station in the centre of town, and the half-hour journey costs 4 pesos and takes you right to the entrance. The return buses leave from the same place at 10 and 40 mins past the hour up until 1940.
Entrance to the Iguazu National Park for the falls is 85 pesos for non-South American tourists. February is the height of the season, which meant it was hot, humid and mobbed with visitors. The train which runs on a narrow gauge railway between the visitor centre and the furthest extremes of the park(with a change of trains halfway!) couldn’t cope with the demand, so we did more walking than planned, and actually gave up on even trying to get to the viewing point for the Garganta del Diablo as the crowds were so dense and the paths so narrow. It didn’t diminish our experience though. It was my second time to the falls, and the sheer scale and sound was still impressive.
The free ferry to Isla San Martin has been suspended since last year because of the high water level, which meant the paid-for boat trips were doing a roaring trade. We paid 100 pesos each for the 15-minute “Nautical adventure” which takes you right to the bottom of the falls.(It leaves from the Circuito Inferior) You get EXTREMELY wet. It’s a good idea to have your swimming costume on under your clothes, then you can pack your clothes away with your valuables in the waterproof bags you are supplied with. You do two passes at the falls. The first is a photo-opportunity, and then you are reminded to stow away your cameras before the boat steams full speed into the clouds of spray which look so picturesque from a distance. Exhilarating.
Apart from the waterfalls, and despite the crowds, we saw a toucan and the friendly anteater-like coati, plus loads of giant butterflies.
Back at the bus stop, because it was high season, we waited an hour and watched three buses depart full before we decided to take a taxi back to town for 60 pesos. I had a date with a slab of bloody meat….
In town, we ate at El Quincho de Tio Querido, on a side street just a couple of blocks downhill from the bus station. Fantastic parrilla, great wine and excellent live music(including a Spanish rendition of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina which had grown men weeping into their steaks). Over the course of two nights we tried the bife de chorizo – brick-size slab of rump steak – brochette of chicken, pork and kidneys, surubi (river fish) and side dishes of sausage and morcilla. We paid around 160 pesos for two, including beer and wine.
The ATMs are at the big Macro bank just downhill from the bus station. Also on this road is a good selection of shops selling cheap handicrafts, foodstuffs and outdoor equipment.
Entrance to the Iguazu National Park for the falls is 85 pesos for non-South American tourists. February is the height of the season, which meant it was hot, humid and mobbed with visitors. The train which runs on a narrow gauge railway between the visitor centre and the furthest extremes of the park(with a change of trains halfway!) couldn’t cope with the demand, so we did more walking than planned, and actually gave up on even trying to get to the viewing point for the Garganta del Diablo as the crowds were so dense and the paths so narrow. It didn’t diminish our experience though. It was my second time to the falls, and the sheer scale and sound was still impressive.
The free ferry to Isla San Martin has been suspended since last year because of the high water level, which meant the paid-for boat trips were doing a roaring trade. We paid 100 pesos each for the 15-minute “Nautical adventure” which takes you right to the bottom of the falls.(It leaves from the Circuito Inferior) You get EXTREMELY wet. It’s a good idea to have your swimming costume on under your clothes, then you can pack your clothes away with your valuables in the waterproof bags you are supplied with. You do two passes at the falls. The first is a photo-opportunity, and then you are reminded to stow away your cameras before the boat steams full speed into the clouds of spray which look so picturesque from a distance. Exhilarating.
Apart from the waterfalls, and despite the crowds, we saw a toucan and the friendly anteater-like coati, plus loads of giant butterflies.
Back at the bus stop, because it was high season, we waited an hour and watched three buses depart full before we decided to take a taxi back to town for 60 pesos. I had a date with a slab of bloody meat….
In town, we ate at El Quincho de Tio Querido, on a side street just a couple of blocks downhill from the bus station. Fantastic parrilla, great wine and excellent live music(including a Spanish rendition of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina which had grown men weeping into their steaks). Over the course of two nights we tried the bife de chorizo – brick-size slab of rump steak – brochette of chicken, pork and kidneys, surubi (river fish) and side dishes of sausage and morcilla. We paid around 160 pesos for two, including beer and wine.
The ATMs are at the big Macro bank just downhill from the bus station. Also on this road is a good selection of shops selling cheap handicrafts, foodstuffs and outdoor equipment.
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