Planning a beach vacation to Argentina this winter?

Top 5 Tourist Attractions in Argentina

We've rounded up some of Argentina's best beaches including the nearest beaches to visit from Buenos Aires:

Pinamar

Pinamar is one of the most beautiful beaches in Argentina you can visit for a quite beach vacation, and it's also one of the nearest beaches you can visit from Buenos Aires. Pinamar is around 3 hours’ drive by car, though you can catch a train from Constitucion Railway Station to Pinamar which takes only 60 minutes.

Once you arrive in Pinamar, you’ll be greeted by pristine surroundings, trees, charming restaurants and inns. You won’t find there the large crowds and hotel chains typical of many tourist resorts, which is great if you’re looking for a laid-back beach vacation spot in Argentina.

Mar del Plata

Mar del Plata is not only one of the most famous beach destinations in Argentina but also one of the largest beach resorts in the country. If you’re looking for a lively beach town, Mar del Plata is definitely the place to be and have a fun and an exciting beach vacation. Mar del Plata boasts lots of restaurants, tango bars, nightclubs, a casino (Casino Central), an aquarium, a water park (Aqua Sol Water Park), and a zoo park (Zoo El Paraiso).

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Besides these attractions, you’ll be able to enjoy other cool activities such as golfing, cruises, scuba diving, boat fishing and self-guided walking tours. In fact, exploring the town on foot is one of the best ways to marvel at Mar del Plata’s beautiful neighborhoods such as Los Troncos neighborhood (barrio) which boasts some of the grandest aristocrat mansions in Argentina.

Las Grutas

Las Grutas is located in Patagonia and it’s no doubt becoming one of the best beach vacation spots in Argentina because of its unspoiled location. The beaches in Las Grutas boast some of the purest white sand and warmest waters you'll find along the coastline of Argentina.

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Another great thing about going to Las Grutas is that it's located not far from the town of San Antonio Oeste. There, you'll find tour companies offering excursions to Puerto Madryn, which is the getaway town to the Patagonia.

Playas Doradas (Golden Beaches)

Playas Doradas is another beautiful destination in Patagonia that is home to one of the top beaches in Argentina. The village of Playas Doradas is located just south of Las Grutas and boasts a stunning 2 mile stretch of sandy beach which really sparkles like gold.

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If you’re into water sports and beachcombing, the northernmost section of Playas Doradas is ideal for surfing at high tide, while at low tide you can enjoy nice strolls along the beach picking up seashells and other critters.

Claromeco

Claromeco is located in southern Argentina roughly half way between Bahia Blanca and Necochea, and it's probably one of the best places to find inexpensive beach rentals along the Argentinean coast and enjoying fun tours.

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Claromeco boasts lovely sand dune beaches where you can enjoy fun buggy tours, water skiing, wind-surfing, horse back riding and sport fishing. In fact, Claromeco is one of the best spots in the area for black drum fishing.

Mar Azul

Mar Azul is located approximately between Mar del Plata and Pinamar, and even though it is the smallest of the two Mar Azul beach is one of the best beaches in Argentina for beach camping.

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The campground area is literary yards from the water and campers are allowed to set a tent free of charge. Besides beach camping, Mar Azul is a great spot for fishing, snorkeling, and enjoying ATV tours on quads and four-wheel drive vehicles.

Tip

If you’re looking to base your vacation in Buenos Aires, you’ll find that Pinamar, Mar Azul and Mar del Plata are the nearest beaches to Buenos Aires. Unfortunetly, Buenos Aires hasn't got any beaches besides river ones, which really aren't all that great.

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If you don’t mind traveling across the border, there are really some nice beaches in Uruguay that are about the same distance from Buenos Aires such as Punta del Este and La Paloma, which can be reached by ferry.

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To get to Punta del Este from Buenos Aires (BA), you can either fly or catch the seacat or buquebus ferry to Punta del Este, which takes about 8 hours, and costs roughly $200. If you’re on a budget, you could alternatively get from Buenos Aires to Punta del Este via Montevideo on the “Bus de la Carrera” coach, which takes around 9 hours and costs approximately $38 (170 ARS).

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Popular Tourist Attractions in Chile

Popular Tourist Attractions in Chile

Moon Valley

Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna) is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places to visit in Chile and a popular day-trip destination from San Pedro de Atacama for enjoying hiking, biking, and ATV tours.

Moon Valley desert is truly surreal because of the moon-like crates and strange rock formations dotting the landscape. You can take amazing pictures of the landscape, and also enjoy nice views of the sunset from the many vantage points.

Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino) in Santiago is without a doubt, one of the best places to visit in Chile to learn about indigenous art before European arrival in the continent.

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You can also see cool artifacts on display such as ceramics, mummies and textiles which are centuries-old and in great preserved condition.

Torres del Paine National Park

Torres del Paine is located in southern Chile (Patagonia region) and it’s one of the most popular places to visit in Chile for hiking because of the famous W trail which offers some of the most breathtaking views of glaciers and lakes along the way.

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You can easily visit Torres del Paine for the day if you’re based in Puerto Natales, though hiking the W trail isn’t for the inexperienced hiker or first timers to the region. If you're serious about exploring the region it’s best you book an organized trek with tour companies like “Gap Adventures” and “Cascada-Expediciones”.


Metropolitan Park

The Metropolitan Park (Parque Metropolitano) is home to San Cristobal Hill (Cerro San Cristobal), which is no doubt, one of the best places to visit in Chile for enjoying breathtaking views. San Cristobal Hill overlooks the city of Santiago and from the top of the hill (where the Virgin Mary statue is located) you can get memorable views of the city and the Andes Mountains.

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You can walk to the top of the San Cristobal Hill, though San Cristobal Hill funicular ride to the top is the best way as it’s quick, cheap and provides amazing views.

Valparaiso Historic District

Valparaiso Chile is located a couple of hours drive west of Santiago, and it’s without question one of the best places to visit in Chile for sightseeing. Valparaiso Historic District is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best colonial towns in Latin America. Valparaiso oozes character with its cobblestone steep and downhill roads, colorful houses, graffiti-art concrete walls, and the old funicular car.

While in Valparaiso, be sure to visit La Sebastiana (Pablo Neruda’s House) for a tour. Even if you aren’t interested in visiting the house, La Sebastiana is really worth passing by because of its hill-top location which offers lovely views of the city.

Pucon Thermal Pools

The thermal pools in Pucon (Termas Geometricas) have to be one of the most popular places to visit in Chile to enjoy a relaxing retreat. Termas Geometricas pools are surrounded by lush and stunning scenery which makes you feel as if you’re having a bath in the middle of the forest.

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There are other thermal pools you can visit in Pucon such as Termas Huife, though Termas Geometricas are easily one of the best spots in Chile for a spa experience because of its gorgeous natural setting and rustic feel.


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Places to Visit in Chile

Wondering what there is to see in Chile?

If you’re wondering how Chile compares to other vacation destinations in South America such as Argentina and Brazil, you’ll be glad to know that there are lots of attractions to see and visit in Chile that you’ll be spoiled for choice!

Some of our favorite attractions in Chile that you must visit are as follows:

Easter Island Moai Headstones

The stone heads in Easter Island are without a doubt, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chile. In fact, the majority of people that travel to Chile on vacation come to see these enigmatic Moai headstone statues.

Most of these headstones are located on the Rapa Nui National Park which also includes the Rano Raraku crater where the largest of the Moai headstones is located (over 70ft in height and over 200 tons in weight).

San Pedro de Atacama

The town of San Pedro de Atacama is a popular base for trekking and climbing tours in Chile as the area is surrounded by volcanoes such as the Licancabur Volcano, and fantastic landscape such as the Atacama Desert where you’ll find the elusive Llamas.

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Besides climbing and trekking tours, San Pedro de Atacama is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Chile because of the Tulor and El Tatio attractions.


El Tatio boasts lots of geysers which you can see bubbling away, while the Tulor is an archeological site where you can see a village remains, and visit the famous Archeological Museum of Gustavo Le Paige where you can see an interesting collection of artifacts belonging to the Atacameno people.

Vina del Mar

The city of Viña del Mar boasts four of the most popular tourist attractions in Chile which are Renaca Beach, Fonck Museum, Casino Vina del Mar, and the International Song Festival. the latter one is no doubt, the biggest event in Chile and one of the top music events in South America as it draws hundreds of famous artists from every corner of the world.

Out of all four, the Fonck Museum can easily be the highlight of your trip to Vina del Mar, especially if you can’t make the trip to Easter Inland, as the museum boasts the only Moai headstone in mainland Chile, as well as many objects of the native cultures from Chile such as Rapanui, Atacameños, Diaguitas and Mapuches.

In addition to this, the Fonck museum boasts of a wide collection of Peruvian pre-Columbian jars. In the area of natural sciences there is a complete sample of arthropods and animals of different zones of the country. You'll find the Fonck museum in Viña del mar at 4 norte #786 corner 1 oriente. It's open: Mon 10:00-14:00 and 15:00-18:00; Tues-Sat 10:00-18:00; Sunday and holidays 10:00-14:00

Isla (island) Mocha

Isla Mocha is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts in Chile looking to enjoy long treks and walks along the beach, or ecotourism.

You’ll be able to do everything from fishing and whale watching tours to excursions into the the island's nature reserve as well as wreck diving excursions to explore pirate shipwrecks.

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If you're wondering hoe to get here, you can get to Mocha Island either by boat from the town of Tirua, or with a tour company in Concepcion who organizes trips to Mocha Island by plane.

Stone Eagle

Stone Eagle lookout point is located in Nahuelbuta National Park and it’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chile as this viewpoint offers memorable views of the ocean and the Andes Mountains.

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If you’re wondering how to get to Nahuelbuta National Park, the park is located around 2 hours’ drive from the city of Los Angeles and it’s easily accessible by car.

Pichilemu Surf Competitions

Pichilemu Surf Competitions are some of the popular tourist attractions in Chile, especially if you're a surfing enthusiast looking to see some of the best surfers in the world.

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Surfing competitions are held in early November in Punta de Lobos Beach (around 3 miles from Pichilemu), which is actually one of the best surfing spots in Chile for extreme surfing.

Punta de Lobos is also not far from the beach resort of Pichilemu, and it’s definitely worth passing by since you'll be able to check out black-sand beaches, the old railway station and the museum of Nino Rural which boasts cool pre-Columbian artifacts.

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Below is a list of important places to visit in Paraguay, and all sites to see in Paraguay:

Iguassu Falls

The Iguassu Falls aren't just one of the biggest attractions in Argentina and Brazil.

In fact, the Iguassu Falls are also bordered by Paraguay, and they're also one of the top places to visit in Paraguay.

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You can get stunning views of the Iguassu Falls here, and also enjoy some thrilling white water rafting over both sections of the falls.

Hydroelectric Plant Paraguay

If you've never seen or visit a power plant before, the Hydroelectric Plant Paraguay is another of the sites to see in Paraguay. This one is basically the largest power plant in the world!

Museo del Barro

Museo del Barro is located in Asuncion, and it's a great museum where you can see interesting displays of the indigenous art of Paraguay.

La Santisima Trinidad de Parana

La Santisima Trinidad de Parana is located near the city of Encarnación and it's one of the top sites to see in Paraguay. La Santisima Trinidad de Parana are the ruins of the Jesuit missionaries that came to the region in the early 17th century.

Panteon Nacional De Los Heroes

Panteon Nacional De Los Heroes is also located in Asuncion, it's one of the most popular plazas in the city to visit. Most important festivals and events are held here, and you can catch live music during the summer months.

El Palacio de Gobierno

El Palacio de Gobierno is located in the city of Asuncion, and it's another of the sites to see in Paraguay. If you get the chance, you should visit the palace, just to see how visually stunning this building really is!

Loma Plata

Loma Plata is home to two of the top sites to see in Paraguay - the Mennonite Colonial Museum and Campo Maria Private Reserve.

The latter is a great place where you can enjoy lots of bird spotting of flamingos, ducks and other waterbirds such as the snow-white Coscoroba Swan, while the Mennonite Colonial Museum is an interesting place to learn about the lives of the Mennonite settlers and their hardships.

Casa De La Independencia

If you're a history buff, a visit to the Casa De La Independencia in Asuncion is a must in your itinerary. The Casa De La Independencia is the very spot where the emancipation from Spain was plotted.

Today, Casa De La Independencia has been turned into a museum so, you get to tour the different rooms of the house and see interesting artifacts on display.

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Belize (Central America) is perhaps most famously known for its stunningly crystal clear waters and sandy beaches, as well as Maya archeological sites.

Belize top Tourist Sites

However, if you’re an outdoors enthusiast and nature lover, you’d be glad to hear that Belize also boasts underwater caves that you can explore, and three reserves and a wildlife sanctuary where you can explore fauna and flora.

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If you’ve never been on a Belize vacation before, you’ll love everything that the country has to offer. The people are super friendly, the food is delicious and the vast amount of attractions will make a vacation in Belize a memorable one.

Here it is a list of some of the top places to visit in Belize that you may add to your itinerary:

Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is one of the top places to visit in Belize, especially if you’re traveling to Belize to enjoy snorkeling and scuba diving tours.

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The sandy beaches are stunning and the crystal clear waters filled with coral are just ideal to enjoy a bit of snorkeling on the side.

Caye Caulker is the nearest island to mainland Belize and can be reached by plane. However, if you’re on a budget and want to soak in the views, I’d suggest hopping on a fast boat, and it’d only take 45 minutes.

Ambergris Caye

Ambergris Caye is Belize’s largest island, located further north from Caye Caulker.

Ambergris Caye also boasts amazing beaches but what makes Ambergris Caye one of the top places to visit in Belize it’s the majestic Belize Barrier Reef, the second largest in the world.

You can reach Ambergris Caye from Belize City by plane (through Tropicana Air), and fast boat taxi service, though it takes around 90 minutes.

Things to do in Ambergris Caye include enjoying snorkeling tours at Hol Chan marine reserve, exploring the national parks and visiting the Maya archeological sites.

Xunantunich Site

Xunantunich is one of the four main Maya archeological sites in mainland Belize, and also one of the furthest from Belize City.

Xunantunich is located close to the Guatemala border, near the town of San Ignacio, and it is home to the second biggest Mayan temple-pyramid in Belize –El Castillo.

Caracol Site

If you’re planning on visiting the Xunantunich Maya site, the Caracol Maya site is just nearby Xunantunich Site, so you may want to plan for a visit here as well.

The Caracol site boasts the tallest Maya step-pyramid in Belize – El Caracol - as well as an interesting open-air museum displaying Mayan artifacts.

Altun Ha Site

The Altun Ha ancient Maya site is also one of the top places to visit in Belize because of the extensive Mayan ruins found here.

The site boasts large temple-pyramids such as the Temple of the Masonry Altars which is an excellent vantage point for overlooking of the Site.

Altun Ha Maya Ruins are also the most accessible in the country since they are located in the heart of Belize City.

Lamanai Site

Lamanai Site (pictured) is another important Maya Sites in Belize, though only accessible with an organized tour due its location along the river.

Lamanai Site is located northwest of Belize City and it’s one of the most amazing Maya Sites in Belize because of the intricately-detailed stone carvings found on the temples.

If you do plan on visiting the Lamanai Site, or any other Maya Sites in Belize for that matter, I’d suggest booking in advance or as soon as you arrive in Belize.

You can reach the Lamanai Site by plane, though you have to land first at San Jose Palmar airstrip, and then taking a connecting bus.

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

The Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the top places to visit in Belize, and if like me, you enjoy wildlife spotting and getting up close with nature, you’ll love this attraction.

You can hike the trails by yourself, though you can hire a local guide at the sanctuary’s visitor center who will also take you on a boat tour on the park’s lagoons.

If you’re not using car rental, there is a bus from Belize City that runs directly to the sanctuary, if you're wondering how to get there.

However, if you book a Crooked Tree eco-tour in Belize City, your transportation and meals will also be covered, so it’s worth thinking about this option also.

Hopkins

A visit to Belize wouldn’t be complete without spending a few nights at one of the local villages to soak some culture.

For instance, the fishing village of Hopkins, which is on my list of top places to visit in Belize because it offers a great opportunity to soak in the real Belize.

In Hopkins village, you’ll be able to see traditional Belizean way of living, and you’ll be able to purchase very affordable hand-made goods such as bags and baskets.

Hopkins village is a fair long shot from Belize City (around 2 hours by bus), which is why I recommend spending a couple of nights in the village.

There isn’t a direct bus from Belize City to Hopkins village, so you’ll have to take a connecting bus from the town of Dangria.

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South America 10 top sights

Are you planning a trip to South America but are not sure where to go?

There are plenty of great destinations in South America and where you go depends on what kinds of activities you’re planning to do and your budget.

South America is an exciting continent full of charm and rich with culture.

Best Vacation Destinations in South America: Top 4

I’ve put together four of the best vacation destinations in South America which I think offer best of both worlds, in terms of city attractions and outdoor opportunities.

Chiclayo Peru

Chiclayo Peru is one of the most popular cities in South America where traces of the Inca era can be seen. For instance, you can tour the majestic Pyramids of Tucume, enjoying hiking and bird watching at the Historic Pomac Forest, as well as surfing opportunities at the nearby beach town of Pimentel.

Salto Argentina

Although Buenos Aires Argentina is one of the most popular vacation destinations in South America, Salto Argentina is a great destination especially if you’re an outdoor enthusiast.

One of the most popular attractions in Salto Argentina is taking a tour along ‘Train to the Clouds’ Scenic Railway, which lasts over ten hours and takes you through beautiful mountain scenery.

Cochabamba Bolivia

Cochabamba Bolivia is another great destination for outdoor enthusiasts, as it boast plenty of natural attractions.

Places such as the popular Carrasco National Park offer you the opportunity to do camping, fishing and enjoy its many hiking trails while marveling at the park’s amazing variety of fauna and flora.


Montevideo Uruguay

The country of Uruguay is located between the borders of Brazil and Argentina, and its capital Montevideo Uruguay is an excellent destination for travelers looking to explore Spain’s colonial past.

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You can visit the city’s many parks and museums, and enjoy a walking tour of Montevideo’s Old Quarter where you’ll be truly taken to another time.

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Facts about South America

- Angel Falls, located in Venezuela, is the largest waterfall in the world.

- South America is home to the Amazon River which is the largest river in the world

- The highest mountain peak in the world is the Aconcagua which is located in Argentina

- The Amazon jungle is the largest rain forest in the world, represents over 60% of the world’s combine rain forests.

- South America is home to the highest lake and city in the world, Lake Titicaca and La Paz Bolivia respectively.

- South America is home to unique wildlife such as piranha, anaconda and llama to name a few.

- Brazil is the largest country in South America and fifth largest in the world.

- Spanish speaking countries in South America include Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

- South American foods have African, Native American, Asian, and European influences.

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