On the east bank of Río de la Plata, lies the peaceful Uruguayan settlement of Colonia del Sacramento. The majority of the 23,000 strong population live, work and shop in the modern city of Colonia, however, it’s the compact and beautifully preserved Barrio Histórico, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is the big crowd pleaser. We felt like we were stepping back in time entering the rebuilt 17th century city gates (Porton de Campo) with colourful colonial houses, whitewashed churches, art galleries and quaint cafes lining the cobbled streets. The area oozed traditional charm and we couldn’t wait to explore.
Tag Archives: Buenos Aires
Crossing Borders – Tigre to Carmelo
27 Mar
Mention the words ‘South American’ and ‘border crossing’ in the same sentence and travelers will often take a sharp intake of breath. They can be places of frustration and nervousness, with ramshackle government buildings, long queues, stern faces, bag searches and occasionally demands for bribes. In contrast to this image, one of our most pleasurable border crossings in all of South America was from Tigre in Argentina to Carmelo in Uruguay by small passenger ferry through the beautiful Parana River Delta. This crossing is not only simple and straight forward but also offers gorgeous scenery, a chance to experience local life and a taste of adventure.
Getting Up Close and Personal with Iguazu Falls
28 Feb
To describe Iguazu Falls without blatant and unashamed flattery is an impossible task. They are some of the most beautiful and majestic falls man has ever encountered. With an incredible 275 cascades set in dense tropical rainforest, Iguazu is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Many such celebrated destinations don’t live up to the hype but Iguazu Falls packs a punch and left us open-mouthed and starry-eyed. We were in good company as even the late United States First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was lost for words upon first viewing Iguazu and simply gasped “Poor Niagara!”
A tale of two cities…seperated by the world’s longest mountain range
10 Aug
The Andes mountain range is one of the world’s most wondrous spectacles. It is the longest continental mountain range in the world stretching the entire west coast of South America for 4,500 miles or 7,242 kilometres and spanning seven countries – Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. The range has the highest mountains on the planet, outside of the Himalayas, the tallest of which is Aconcagua in Argentina (6,962m), plus over 50 volcanos reaching 6,000 metres, including the world’s highest, Ojos del Salado (6,893m). Filled with glaciers, lakes, ski fields, the ruins of lost civilisations, thriving cities and indigenous communities amongst other things, these mountains truly are a special place. Our small claim to fame in all of this was travelling the whole length of this incredible range in just over 8 months – from the city of Ushuaia at the ‘world’s end’ in the south of Patagonia, to the city of Merida in the north of hot blooded Venezuela. Continue reading
‘Hop on, hop off’ flight
19 Apr
Anyone who has travelled within South America will know that unfortunately there are no budget airlines offering cheap flights to cover the thousands of miles which might lie between you and your next destination, so you either make a dent in your credit card by taking a flight or spend many long, mind numbing hours on the network of buses that service the continent.
Buenos Aires – city of seduction
18 Apr
Buenos Aires lived up to our every expectation. Fine European architecture gracing the city could almost persuade the untrained eye that this was Paris or Madrid but a closer look at the bustling streets, frenzied traffic and pride and passion of the residents, left us in no doubt that we had arrived in Latin America.
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Torres del Paine – the ‘W’ trek
Visitors from all walks of life converge on the small hamlet of Puerto Natales to visit Chile’s and perhaps the Continent’s number one national park – Torres del Paine. Located in the Southern Patagonian ice fields at the end of the Andes, the park offers diverse wildlife and incredible mountain scenery, glaciers, lakes, rivers and […]
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