4 months after coming back, here is the full tale of our World Trip! We used Polarsteps as our journal, writing down all our adventures for our friends and family. We now have printed a book (332 pages) with some photos and graphics. Just a small teaser:
(more…)Category: Argentina
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Budget for a World Trip
We travelled for 14 months and gathered all the prices thanks to TravelSpend application: Here is the detail of how much did we pay the planes, accommodations, activities, transportations, food… You will know all about what you should expect to spend on a World Trip!
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Budget to travel to Argentina
We’ve spent a first week in Argentina from December 29th to January 6th, and went back to Salta from January 19th to January 27th where we rented a car (again I’ve split this spending in accommodation + transportation).
Note: We are a couple travelling for 1 year and we’ve already spent half of our time and budget and time (20000€ total for the year). The prices mentioned in this post are PER PERSON, except for the taxis and accommodation (usually private double rooms).
Prices are indicated in Euro as we were using the Blue rate (see the yellow post).
Food
Restaurants are kind of fency. We had a great breakfast in Mendoza for 6€ and a great bbq meal for 16€72 with meat and a bottle of wine to share.
- Burger: 7€ in a restaurant
- Full breakfast: 3€
- Coctails: Ron coca 2€65
Drinks
- Water: 0,70€
- Beer: 2€20 a 500cl bottle
- Juice: 1€60
- Alcool: in a shop we paid only 10€ for 4 beers and 2 wine bottles!
- Cocktails: Ron coca 2€65
Transportation
- Bus Mendoza – Buenos Aires 51000clp (Julien’s drone has been stolen in his bag locked in the suit). Buenos Aires-Iguazu (See the detail of the trip)8500ars. Night bus Salta – la Quiaca 10€.
- Train Buenos Aires-Tigre 0,30€ with return!
Accommodation
Country Minimum Maximum Average Argentina 2200ars 4200ars 2981ars € 18,60€ 35,50€ 25€ Blue rate 9,70€ 18,50 13,11€
Activities
Tigre 3€90, Cataratas 12€30, Quilmes 1€80, Serranias 0,20€
Extras
- Phone: 4€84 tourist pack
- Laundry: 2€20
Click on the title of the post
To follow those spendings we used TravelSpend App. Looking back…
The BEST TIP we ever had (thanks Morgan!) was to use Western Union to get the Blue rate which basically double our purchasing power.Total spent: 34€ per day per person.
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[VIDEO] Salar Sunrise
During our road trip around Salta, we decided to sleep in the middle of the desert and enjoy the sunrise on this amazing salty desert!
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Road trip around Salta
After a quick trip in Brasil we arrived in Salta from where we started a 4 days road trip.
Note: When we talk about “Salta Valley” we are often mistaken: in this North Western part of Argentina you have Salta but also Tucumán and Jujuy regions.
Quebrada de las Conchas
First day we rented a car in Salta and took the road direction to Cafayate (on road 68). After 2h driving through vineyards and green mountains we arrived in this magical valley of colored mountains and crazy points of view. It took us around 4h to get there (with a lot of stops!). We slept at Tierra de Vinos Hostel.
Garganta del diablo
Anfiteatro
Los Castillos
Quilmes Ruins
After a night in Cafayate and 1h30 drive (part of road 40 in a good shape), we arrived in Tucumán region and visited the sacred city of Quilmes (entrance to the site: 400 pesos including a nice museum plenty of information about the story of this place and people).
We crossed the mountains to go to Tafi del Valle where you have the huge Angostura lake. Sadly we didn’t have time to stop by as we needed to be in San Salvador de Jujuy for the night… We crossed the Parque Aconquija: after the desert you are here in a huge rainforest! We arrived in our hostel (Patricia’s 381) by night after a long national road (5h from Tucumán).
Tip: From Cafayate if you have a 4×4 I advise you to take North and go to Cachi and San Antonio de los Cobres by road 40 and join directly the Salineras Grandes. You can still visit the ruins (1h30 from Cafayate), and you will only loose Tafi del Valle and the nice forest but you have an other one between Salta and Jujuy on road 9).
Quebrada de Humahuaca
1h north of San Salvador de Jujuy you have this marvelous valley to visit! Only entrance fee to pay: at Garganta del Diablo (150 pesos, time spent there: 40min).
Purmamarca & Los Colorados
Small but so cute village at the feet of colorful mountains. You can park your car at the entrance fence and climb to the Belvedere to have a full view on the city. You can also drive (or walk) into the colored canyon right behind and go to the Mirador los Colorados.
Maimara & Cerro Paleta del Pintor
This small city is again at the feet of crazy stribed mountains. You can climb the Mirador el Monolito to have a nice global view.
Tilcara & the Garganta del diablo
Tilcara is a beautiful andinian city with a famous celebration in january: Enero Tilcareno.
From the town you can go up to Garganta del Diablo (30min driving) offering a huge view on the city and the valley. You also have a small Tilacarian Pucara to visit.Quiaca & the Quebrada de las Senoritas
Cute but very small village, it’s the entrance to a small trekking where you will walk into a reddish canyon and white and gold picks. Total: 4km, 1h30 walk (easy).
> More pictures on Facebook
Humahuaca & Serrania de Hornocal
Nice city and stop of most of the tours (a restaurant didn’t accept us because we were not part of a group). It’s also where your start your 40min ascension to the magical Serrania where the access is managed by the community of Hornocal.
Entrance: 10h-18h, 50 pesos/person
Tip: Remember to bring water and to climb in zigzag if you don’t want to feel the 4300m high.
Salineras Grandes
We slept there to see the sunrise and enjoy the place when it’s still peaceful, before the tourists arrival! On the north side you can go freely. Between the salar and Purmamarca you also have the beautiful Cuesta de Lipan road with a lot of Miradors.To access to the southern part of the salar you need to ask a guide or to take a tour.
Our best moments
Summary of our trip:
Day 1 – Salta, Quebrada de las Conchas, Cafayate
Day 2 – Ruins of Quilmes, Tafi del Valle, Parque Aconquija, San Salvador de Jujuy
Day 3 – Tilcara (garganta del Diablo), Humahuaca, Serranias de Hornocal
Day 4 – Salineras Grandes, Purmamarca back to Serranias, Quebrada de las Senoritas, Tilcara, back to San Salvador de Jujuy
Day 5 – Back to Salta via the nice Caldera road (needed to be there at 1pm for the car)About the car:
– To rent a car you will need a credit card for the garantee! We didn’t but we negociated with Ô Carrol to use my mother’s one (7500 pesos/day).
– We did all those roads with a compact car, no need 4×4 (only for the road 40 we didn’t take).
– Only parking we paid was in San Salvador de Jujuy: 700pesos a night (with our hotel).
– Only toll: 80pesos from Tucumán to San Salvador de Jujuy -
From Iguazu to Rio
After visiting Iguazu falls from the argentian side, in Puerto Iguazu, we decided to cross the border and enjoy a Brazil East coast! From Foz de Iguaçu we went to Florianopolis, Paraty, Ilha Grande and finally Rio for a total 13 days. I share with you the detail of the trip and transportation!
Puerto Iguazu
Coming from Buenos Aires (after the visit of Tigre), the direct bus was full so we had to take a bus from Retiro to Posadas (8500RS per person – 14h in a night bus) and an other to Puerto Iguazu (100ARS – 6h). You also have the WAY BETTER OPTION: take a national flight (only 2h with Jet Smart or Aerolineas Argentina).
We visited the waterfall park in one day: by bus it’s only 30min (17ARS one way)and the entrance costs 5500 or 4675 ARS if you pay online.
How to cross the border Argentina => Brazil
It took 4 hours to cross the border by ourselves:
- 11h40: We take a bus from Puerto Iguazu bus station.
- 11h55: It stopped first for the people who were only crossing for one day (in that case they check your vaccines and give you a simple paper).
- 12h15: We crossed the argentinian custom to get our exit stamp (here they usually ask for the “declaracion jurada”, the same to get into the country).
- 12h30: Our bus left us at the Brazilian border (telling us we’ll need to get the next one). Here you only need to fill in a simple information form to have your entry stamp (no vaccine neither PCR documentation has been asked).
- 15h: The next bus finally arrived! It was supposed to be every hour but not this day apparently…
- 15h30: We arrived in the Rodovaria (bus station).
Price: 500 ARS with Rio Uruguay (you can also take a cab which will charge you 7500 ARS with return for one day, or R$ 150 from the border to the center)
Foz do Iguaçu
We had the entrances booked on internet at 8h30 for the bird parc and at 11am for Iguazu. Timing was perfect! The city bus left us in front of the bird parc and we only had to cross the road to arrive in Iguaçu falls. A guide tried to sale us the boat tour but the water is so low that I don’t really see the point (you couldn’t really get close to the falls because there was not enough water…). The visit of the falls in Brazil is very fast (only 1km50) and you cross the parc by bus, but it gives you a nice view of the falls you can’t have in Argentina.
After this nice visit we were back in town at 2pm and had some difficulties to get our bus online to go to Florianopolis (they ask for CPF, a national number we didn’t have). Hopefully the guy from the hotel sent us to Ambatur agency were we get our tickets (see detailed transportation).
To sleep: Pousada El Shaddai R$ 140 private triple room.
To go to the parcs: Bus number 120 from all over the city center, every 20min, R$ 10 with return (around 1h trip)To book your tickets:
> Parque das Aves (R$ 102)
> Iguazu falls (R$ 68)
Florianopolis
After a quite good night in the bus we arrived to the Rodovaria (in the city center of Florianopolis). At 300m of this arrival, you have 2 others terminals for city buses to go everywhere you want! We chose a central position: Lagoa da Conceçao (bus ticket: R$ 11). We found a dorm in Vizoo guest house for R$ 60 per person/night.
First day: Joaquina dunes and beach
We walked around 1h30 (with a nice stop at Marquês da Lagoa, a bar I totally recommend with live music) and found a path to the dunes: Trilha Dunas da Joaquina. We had lunch on the beach full of bars and music. We went back by bus (only R$ 9).
Second day: Barra da Lagoa
We took a bus at the Rodovaria for R$ 9 to go to this nice beach and walked into the hill where you have smaller beaches (follow Trilha das Piscinas) but also a beautiful view from the Farol da Barra (lighthouse). The path is kind of wild: very good experience!
Street of Paraty Paraty
After a night bus to São Paulo and a second 5h bus (see the details) we finally arrived in Paraty and found the first hostel available. We discovered a little paradise here: small colonial streets, no car, and a lot of tours you can book for the day to discover the islands around. As we had booked our plane to go back to Argentina we only had one night there, but it definitely worth more time!
To sleep: Janlu Hostel, R$ 120 double room
Ilha Grande
We took a public transport from the bus station for only R$ 17 (no need to book in advance, you pay directly to the driver and it’s almost every hour). After 2h we arrived in Angra dos Reis and waited for the ferry (see the details). We booked 2 beds at Ocean View hostel for R$ 72 per bed).
1st day:
Playa Lopes Mendes walking through the jungle for almost 3h. We went back by taxi boat (R$ 40 you can take on Pouso beach every hour).
2 day:
Meia Volta (half tour of the island by boat) R$ 120 from 10 to 4.30pm to do snorkeling in Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul, have a lunch break and enjoy Praia Amor and Praia Feiticeira.
Street of Ilha Grande
Marcelo and Maria Isabel place Rio de Janeiro
We took the ferry back at 10am and the bus at 12.30. We arrived in a luxuary house in Santa Teresa: At Marcelo and Maria Isabel.
> Check what to do in Rio
To sleep: You can contact Marcelo directly on WhatsApp as they have plenty of options: +55 21 98461-1339
After 4 nights there we went back to Argentina by plane (with Flybondi to Buenos Aires and Aerolineas Argentina to Salta)… TO BE CONTINUED
Our best moments
Bus transportation details
From To Duration Type Price (R$) Company Where to buy Foz do Iguaçu Florianopolis 13h Semi leito 241 Nordeste Ambatur Agency (contact: +554530281502) Florianopolis Sao Paulo 14h Semi leito 155 Catarinense In bus station Sao Paulo Paraty 6h Basic 80 Reunidas Online Paraty Angra dos Reis 2h City bus 17 – Directly to the driver Angra dos Reis Ilha Grande 1h30 Ferry boat* 18,5 CCR Barcas To the peer Ilha Grande Angra dos Reis 1h30 Ferry boat* 18,5 CCR Barcas To the peer Angra dos Reis Rio de Janeiro 3h Semi leito 66 Costa Verde Online *price will be raised from February 2022 to R$ 20,50. One per day during the week at 15h30, and a second at 13h30 during week-end and days off. -
How to visit Tigre
Tigre is a very nice city outside of the capital you can reach by train in only 1h. There you have plenty of stuff to do, lot of restaurants, shops, fisherman life and gorgeous houses nearby the river. The boat tour is a must do to fully discover this delta and the famous Rio de la Plata!
Visit Tigre
Coming from Atacama, in Chile, we arrived in Buenos Aires for the New Year’s eve, and visited Tigre the 2nd of January. As a bank holiday, it was really full of local tourists in a family ambiance.
If you need more calm, avoid the week-end, otherwise it’s a very nice place you can visit in only one day and go back to Buenos Aires in the evening, to take a bus or plane to Iguazu or Salta!
El Retiro train station How to go to Tigre?
EASY PEASY: By train!
From Buenos Aires, there is a very simple and cheap way to explore this beautiful city of Tigre: The train (only 30km, 1h)!
You need to go to El Retiro train station, buy a ticket at the old counter (74 ARS) and get on the first train (leaving every 30min, starting from 5am to 9.30pm)!
From the train station of Tigre, you only need to walk 5min to find the main canal where all the boat tours are (between 70 y 185 ARS depending the tour you pick).
Don’t forget to take a look on the Puerto de frutos, very nice area where you can have lunch by the river.
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