Argentina & Buenos Aires Gay Travel

Mendoza winery

If you consider yourself well traveled and enjoy the finer things in life, you probably enjoy visiting places before they become too popular. If you’ve not been, now is the time to visit the delightful center of Argentina’s wine country, Mendoza, before it gets too well known abroad. The number of American visitors has increased steadily in the past few years, and many have even started their own wineries there; people like Francis Ford Coppola and Ward Lay of Frito-Lay are two of the better known who have done this.

The province of Mendoza has more than a thousand wineries, referred to as bodegas, 300 alone in the immediate area of the capital city of the same name. Many of these have gourmet restaurants, provide wine tours, and some even provide very comfortable boutique accommodations. But the destination is about to go big time. In the last five years, Mendoza’s wine tourism has dramatically evolved, and this is the perfect time to visit. There is another reason not to delay; the prices are a fraction of what you’d pay in Europe or in the California wine country for similar accommodations, gourmet food and fine wines, and a romantic atmosphere. In Argentina, wines remain an incredible value, despite the country’s high, yet officially unacknowledged inflation rate.

While the Andean summer (December-March) is high season, the climate is mild enough to welcome visitors year round, and the range of accommodations is wide. Winter in Mendoza usually means sunny, crisp days, and nights in front of a cozy fire.  English is widely spoken, due to the touristic nature of the area, and Americans represent the largest group of international tourists, followed by Brazilians and Chileans. (Mendoza is closer to Santiago than Buenos Aires.) Some of the larger wineries are generally prepared to provide drop-in visitors with tours and tastings, but the majority, including many of the boutique wineries, will only do this by appointment, and virtually all require reservations for their gastronomic dining experiences. Most tastings and tours, however, are free, and guides attempt to personalize their narrative depending on the visitors’ level of wine experience and interest. You won’t find buses in the parking lot.

Mendoza naturally looks more Andean than European Buenos Aires, but the city is mainly flat with abundant desert palm and eucalyptus trees. An exception to this is the green Parque San Martin just outside of town, entered through ancient city gates, with the zoo, an amphitheatre, and at the top, Cerro de la Gloria, with a huge equestrian monument to the liberator General San Martin, of course. The view from here is quite dramatic, with condors flying overhead.

Mendoza is easy to navigate, even in a rental car, as opposed to the chaotic streets of Buenos Aires. There are plenty of sights in the central city, but the bodegas are all over the surrounding areas, and I strongly recommend you stop at The Vines of Mendoza at Espejo 567, just a block from the Park Hyatt, before you do anything. (www.vinesofmendoza.com) Open from 9 to 9 daily (with some seasonal variations), this unique information/tasting room was started by Americans Michael Evans and David Garrett and Argentine Pablo Gimenez-Rilili who could see the area’s potential for wine tourism. Just opened in March 2006, the helpful English-speaking young ladies are knowledgeable about all the bodegas and the wines. They offer free trip planning, reservations for visits, dining, guided tours, arrange transportation, and the adjacent tasting room features free samples of many boutique wines, nearly all averaging around $10US a bottle locally.  I especially enjoyed the Otello Malbec 2005 with its coffee and cherry aroma. There is a small charge for some specialized wines. The center does offer wines by the glass, but does not sell them by the bottle. Instead, they will take orders for cases (in Argentina a case is six bottles) for delivery to your home in the U.S. or Europe. If you fall in love with the area as many have, the Vines also will sell you your own vineyard land in the nearby Uco Valley, at $40,000 an acre (minimum two acres) and will help you get started.

There are too many reasons to visit this outstanding wine region. So put Mendoza on your list for a visit, but don’t wait long

Meet new friends in Gay Puerto Vallarta

In this post Argentina & Buenos Aires Gay Travel want to show you the Mexican seaside paradise: Gay Puerto Vallarta. Don’t miss this trip

In this beachfront destination, pre-Columbian mystical traditions unite in an eclectic marriage with Spanish mores, Catholicism and contemporary cultures from around the world.

Puerto Vallartas pride in its traditions is cause for colorful celebrations, processions and parades throughout the year. During the procession of the Virgin in December, and the cultural festivals of May and November, the streets are filled with music, dancing, and theater performances. Mariachi and Tequila flow in abundance amid a backdrop of traditionally dressed rodeo cowboys and elaborately woven Huichol art.

In this mixture of this tradition and international flair you can visit the legendary Los Arcos Amphitheater and Los Arcos National Marine Park, listen to world-class symphonies, dine with chefs from around the globe, and find art galleries to peruse.

Puerto Vallarta is synonymous with fun! Visitors can choose from an abundance of activities, from excursions to secluded beaches, scuba diving expeditions and hiking, biking, eco-tours, swimming with dolphins, whale watching and 4-wheeling. Whatever you need to get your adrenaline pumping, youll find it in Puerto Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta sets the stage for one of the finest culinary experiences in Mexico. The city offers endless alternatives for food aficionados. Some of Mexicos top chefs along with numerous chefs from around the world call PV home. From small, family-run taco stands to internationally acclaimed restaurants serving everything from regional Mexican cuisine to creative contemporary Mexican fare and the most varied international options, our gastronomic scene will impress the most sophisticated palates.

In Puerto Vallarta spend the day shopping at the boutiques and the nights dancing to the rhythms of Mariachi and hot Latin beats. In this exotic vacation spot you can always find something entertaining to fit your mood. Whether its mud baths, spa wraps, followed by beachside dining, or browsing the art galleries and catching the latest flick, Puerto Vallarta has just what you need to make your vacation ideal.

Puerto Vallartas Tourism Board announces a full schedule of special events, celebrations and festivals this fall. From art to gastronomy, golf to sailfish, Puerto Vallarta has a special event for every traveler (Puerto Vallarta Golf Cup, Puerto Vallarta Festival Gourmet International & Puerto Vallarta Film Festival). Schedule your vacation around one of these international festivals and be there as the world comes to Puerto Vallarta.

Don’t forget to visit the Gay Beach Blue Chairs
Take a look at this video:

What to see…

The famous "bosque de arrayanes" in Bariloche

- El Bosque de Arrayanes. A forest of rare, orange colored trees that only grow on a local island (and one in Japan). There are several cruise boats; the newest (luxurious) ship is called the “Cau Cau”. Take the circuit bus out of Bariloche and catch a boat (near the Hotel Llao Llao) and have lunch, hike or bike, and enjoy the afternoon in the forest.

- Images Touristic information about the San Carlos de Bariloche. Hotels, cabains, rents, and sails. Also Ski centers, sport and cultural events, all images.

- Museum of Patagonia. On the main plaza near the Tourist Info center. “Stuffed” native wildlife, pictures, and a great section covering the indigenous pre-Hispanic inhabitants of the region.

- Cruce de Lagos. All day cruise of Lake Nahuel Huapi and the National Park. Numerous stops allow you to wander in Andean rain forest, eat at the Hotel Puerto Blest and enjoy the stunning scenery from the turquoise waters of the lake. Buy the pass for a one hour cruise on Lago Frias which brings you near the snow covered volcano, Tronador.

Where to buy…

It's a must to eat chocolate in Bariloche

- Chocolate. The city hosts an amazing number of shops where they produce and sell all sorts of varieties of chocolate. Local fruits and licor make some of the fillings. The most renowned ones are Mamuschka, La Abuela Goye and Benroth.

Where to dance…

Teens from all over Argentina arrive on a school trip to Bariloche to celebrate their last year of High school with their classmates. That is why Bariloche features a lot of sophisticated dance clubs.

Visit the dance club "Grisu" in Bariloche

- Bypass. Offers a very elegant environment with lots of laser effects and nice music.

- Cerebro. One of the oldest dance clubs in Bariloche. It is quite nice and it offers laser effects but not as colorful as other dance clubs.

- Grisu. This is a must visit place. It has wood-like walls and it is designed in such a way that it is easy to get lost if you don’t know your way around. It has a very quite place with a huge window showing the Nahuel Huapi lake. There are no laser effects but the bartenders are experts and it is worth watching them doing all sorts of tricks.

- Rocket. Four floors dance club full of light, colors and sounds. Good laser show and nice atmosphere.

- Genux. Futurist looking disco. Open since 1993.

Join the party, visit Bariloche!

Valdés Peninsula, Patagonia argentina

The Valdés Peninsula (Spanish Península Valdés) is a peninsula along the Atlantic coast in the Viedma Department in the north east of Chubut Province, Argentina.

The only town on the Valdés Peninsula is the small settlement of Puerto Piramides. There are also a number of estancias, where sheep are raised.

Most of the Valdés Peninsula is barren land with some salt lakes. The largest of these lakes is at an elevation of about 40 m below sea level, until recently thought to be the lowest elevation in Argentina and South America. (The lowest point being Laguna del Carbón, Argentina).

It is an important nature reserve which was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. The coastline is inhabited by marine mammals, like sea lions, elephant seals and fur seals. Southern right whales can be found in Golfo Nuevo and Golfo San José, protected bodies of water located between the Valdés Peninsula and the Patagonian mainland. These baleen whales come here between May and December, for mating and giving birth, because the water in the gulf is quieter and warmer than in the open sea. Orcas can be found off the coast, in the open sea off the Valdés Peninsula. In this area, they are known to beach themselves on shore to capture sea lions and elephant seals.

The inner part of the Valdés Peninsula is inhabited by rheas, guanacos and maras. A high diversity and range of birds live in the peninsula as well; at least 181 bird species, 66 of which migratory, live in the area, including the Antarctic Pigeon.

Tourism in Salta, Argentina

Salta is a city in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of the Salta Province. The weather in Salta is warm and dry. January and February are the months with greatest rainfall.

Nicknamed Salta la Linda (”Salta the Fair”), it has become a major tourist destination due to its old, colonial architecture and the natural scenery of the valleys westward. Attractions in the city proper include the 18th century Cabildo, the neo-classical style Cathedral, and the July 9 central square. The city’s museums exhibit a wide range of artifacts and art work from the native civilations that flourished in the area (Salta is located in the Southernmost region of what was the Inca empire, belonging to the Collasuyu, one of the four areas the empire was divided until the Spanish conquest), as well as from the 16th century Spanish conquest and the colonial and post-colonial periods. Salta is also the starting point of the “Train to the Clouds” (Tren a las nubes), and on the way to red-soiled Cafayate, as well as to other nearby tourist destinations.

Tourism in Salta, Argentina

The city center features a number of impressive buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th and early 20th centuries. Clockwise around the Ninth of July Square are the neoclassical Cathedral, the French style Museum of Contemporary Art, the Cabildo (in former times, the city’s town hall, nowadays a historical museum) and the Museum of High Mountain Archeology, which houses artifacts from the Inca civilization including the magnifically preserved bodies of three Inca children.

Within walking distance of the 9th July Square are the impressive Saint Francis Church and the city’s two pedestrian streets: Alberdi and Florida. The three blocks in Balcarce street closest to the train station are now the center of night life in Salta, with restaurants, pubs and cafés on both sidewalks and concerts every night.

Rising imposingly in the east is San Bernardo Hill. Its summit, from which visitors can get an awe-inspiring view of the city and the entire valley, can be reached by car, cable car or stairway.

Visit Salta all the year round! See you

Iguazu Falls from Argentina

Iguazú Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazú River located on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu.

The falls can be reached from the two main towns on either side of the falls: Puerto Iguazú in the Argentine province of Misiones, and Foz do Iguaçu in the Brazilian state of Paraná as well as from Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) on the other side of the Parana river from Foz do Iguaçu. The falls are shared by the Iguazú National Park (Argentina) and Iguaçu National Park (Brazil). These parks were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1986, respectively.

Iguazu Falls tours

There are more than 270 falls in an area where cliffs and islets are scattered in a half moon. The falls that can be visited are: Salto Floriano, Salto Deodoro, Salto Benjamín Constant, Salto Unión, Salto Escondido, Salto Mitre, Salto Belgrano, Salto Rivadavia, Salto Tres Mosqueteros, Salto Dos Mosqueteros, Salto San Martín, Salto Adán y Eva, Salto Bozzetti, Salto Ramirez, Salto Chico, Salto Dos Hermanos and Salto Alvar Nuñez.

The fall area provides opportunities for water sports and rock climbing.

Meet the Iguazú Falls in Misiones, Argentina!

The Perito Moreno Glacier

One of the most interesting glaciers of the world is The Perito Moreno in Argentina. This famous glacier is located in a small town called El Calafate in the southwest of Santa Cruz Province (Patagonia).

Its name comes from a little bush with yellow flowers very common in Patagonia, with dark blue berries: the “calafate”. According to tradition, whoever eats calafate will return for more.

El Calafate is an important tourist destination as the hub to visit different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park, including the Perito Moreno Glacier (one of the most visited in the world) and the Cerro Chaltén and Cerro Torre.

The Upsala Glacier

El Calafate presents a dry climate, with an average maximum temperature of 19ºC, and an average minimum of -2º in winter. The length of the day changes according to season. In summer, the sun rises at 5.30am and sets at 11pm. In winter the day is shorter as there are only 8 hours of daylight.

If you take a trip to Calafate you could spend a gorgelous vacation doing a lot of thing as well as ice trakking (walking on this impressive ice mass), or sailing around the glacier walls.

Also we recomended you to visit the Speghazzini and the Upsala glaciers.

At El Calafate you will find yourself at the gateway to the majestic world of glaciers. Come to Argentina and enjoy El Calafate and the Perito Moreno glacier!

We invite you to get to know the wonderful Argentine Patagonia, starting in Ushuaia, the most southern city in the world, with its fantastic view of the south seas as well as its unique Fagnano and Escondido Lakes, its lengas forest, and the End of the World Prison. If you want to, you can also ride the End of the World Train.

In this trip we will visit Calafate, the city where we will lodge to be able to visit one of the most impressive world’s wonders: the Perito Moreno Glacier. As well as the excursion we offer you, you can chose minitrekking on this ice mass and sailing round the glacier’s walls.

As always, our folks from Buenos Aires Gay Travel have chosen the hotels we relieve are the most significant in their category: Del Glaciar Hotel, an excellent five-star hotel overlooking the Martial Glacier, together with the classic Los Álamos Hotel, a symbol of El Calafate city.

At Buenos Aires Gay Travel website you’ll find package details. Hurry! Next departure is Aug 14!

Ushuaia, Argentina

Summer is coming, vacation time! Buenos Aires’ winter (june, july) has a lot of gay options to offer the best choice to your gay vacation.

The Tango Experience: We invite you to enjoy a unique Tango gay experience at Abasto Plaza Hotel. Check this gay vacation option here

Unforgettable week at Axel Hotel Buenos Aires: Enjoy a week at the Axel Hotel Buenos Aires, with private and personalized services. Check this gay vacation option here

Super Budget Buenos Aires: Enjoy 3 nights at wonderful Buenos Aires, for a spectacular price. Check this gay vacation option here

Check out this Argentina gay vacations options also:

Mar del Plata Gay Escape - 3 days / 2 nights: Take a break and enjoy wonderful days in Mar del Plata, staying at a gay friendly hotel. Check this gay vacation option here

Wonderful San Carlos de Bariloche: San Carlos de Bariloche is arguably the most famous ski resort area in the Patagonia, located on the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains, 1000 miles southwest of Buenos Aires. Check this gay vacation option here. Don’t forget the Bariloche 2009 gay ski week.

Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego (3 nights): The most southern view in the World, Ushuaia, iced mountains, silent lakes, visit to the Tierra del Fuego National Park… holidays in an exceptionally good destination. Check this gay vacation option here.

Iguazú Falls, warm destination (3 nights): You will visit the magnificent and warm Misionera jungle and the Iguazú Falls, with its unforgettable waterfalls that will make this tour a trip to remember. Check this gay vacation option here.

San Carlos de Bariloche, (Bariloche in short), is a city in Río Negro, southwest Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Cordillera de los Andes, surrounded by wonderful lakes and impressive mountains. Bariloche is a well-known tourist destination, and gay people around the world choose this city all year around because its ski centers and nature reserves.

Bariloche is served by San Carlos de Bariloche International Airport. Several of Argentina’s most important airlines maintain regular flights to Bariloche, as well as some international lines from neighboring countries, especially during the ski season (July to October). Bariloche is close to Chilean border and is connected to Chile by a pass crossing the Andes Mountains.

Bariloche Gay Ski Week is an exceptional oportunity to visit these magic city while enjoying a gay experience. Our friends from BAGayTravel travel agency has a nice package, ready to offer you the best experience in Bariloche. This year the Gay Ski Week take place on September 5th to 12th. This is a hot destination, make your reservation now! Check out this Buenos Aires and Bariloche Gay Ski Week travel package.