Argentina, famous for tango, soccer, amazing hiking, meaty barbecues (asados), and Argentinean steaks. The country is situated in the South East part of South America, and borders Chile to the west, Uruguay to the north east, and Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil to the North. Hostels are a popular accommodation option in Argentina, and Hostelz.com is the only source of complete information on hostels in Argentina.
Buenos Aires is the country's capital, and cultural centre. If you want to watch a soccer match, join in with some tango classes, or just party with some locals, then Buenos Aires is the place to go. There are also some very good markets, and laneways where couples dance tango through the streets. There are many good (and mostly free) walking tours around Buenos Aires, it's definitely worth joining one to get the best local knowledge. If staying at a hostel, ask the receptionist for information on walking tours - most hostels provide free walking tours.
Mendoza is also a popular tourist stop. Mendoza is a very popular wine region in Argentina, famous for high quality red wines, particularly, Malbec wines. Another popular wine region is Salta.
Iguazu Falls, can also be found in Argentina. The falls are on the border with Brazil and Paraguay, and can be accessed from both the Brazilian side and the Argentinean side. The closest hostels are in Puerto Iguazu. Wildlife, particularly bird spotting, is also amazing in and around the falls.
Some visitors head down to Ushuaia to catch a cruise to the Antartica. Ushuaia is also the most southern country in the world. There are many hostels there, but it is quite isolated. Though it can be accessed by bus, it's far easier and quicker to fly to Ushuaia.
The Patagonian region, in the south of Argentina, is famous for mountainous hiking during the summer months, and skiing (especially off-piste skiing) in the winter months. The region is stunning, and attracts loads of visitors every year, however is still far less touristic then many of the other famed hiking spots. If you head out on a hiking in Patagonia you will likely have the trails to yourself.
Spanish is the official language spoken in Argentina. Some people are also conversational in English, and sometimes even German, however it is definitely worth learning some basic Spanish before visiting Argentina. If you already speak some Spanish, or have travelled to other Spanish speaking countries, you will notice the Argentinean Spanish accent is very different, and they pronounce some letter combinations very different.
If visiting Argentina (unless of course you are a vegetarian), then you should try a traditional Argentinean asado (or barbecue). Argentineans love their meat, and do a good job of cooking it.
There are many different accommodation types in Argentina. In the larger cities and touristic towns, there are usually backpackers or hostels, along with other types of accommodations. Most accommodation, including hostels, provide at least a simple breakfast, which usually consists of coffee and tea, and medialunas (similar to a croissant) with butter and jam, and usually dulce de leche (a caramel spreading sauce). Hostels usually provide daily optional activities, and can help arrange Spanish classes, tango lesson or obtain football tickets. Hostels are generally fun, social and relatively cheap in Argentina. If visiting Patagonia, hostels tend to be simpler (if found at all). Staff in most accommodation (except guesthouses), speak a good level of English.
Handwritten by local expert for Argentina hostels Kelly Sheldrick
