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Wonders of Northern Argentina ❤️

Robbie 10 Comments

We are so happy we committed to this more extensive itinerary of Northern Argentina.  We are excited to share with you all these beautiful wonders of nature that we saw in Mendoza, Salta and Iguazu regions.

One of our first stops in Mendoza was a winery of course. This is the beautiful Bodega  Toneles winery located close to town with an interesting legacy.
At the entrance to the Bodega Toneles winery.
The four sisters took over the operations of this winery that was created by their father and grandfather. There is beautiful art on the barrels.
Beautiful church in Mendoza!
Enjoying Malbec (of course) on an outdoor patio in Mendoza.
Tango dancers on the street in Mendoza.

We were so fortunate to find out about a thermal spa and were able to book a tour on their website that was the highlight of our time in Mendoza.

Stunning man made lake created by the dam at Potrerillos.
Incredible views from the resevoir by the dam.
The Andes mountains hugged this beautiful landscape.
Next we went to Las Vegas valley where we visited a local artisan shop and did a hike through the forest.

Following this we went to an incredible winery in a remote area along a beautiful river.  This place had a great restaurant and offered peaceful accommodations and great wine.

Exploring the grounds at Arbequina ❤️
Dining outdoors along the river at Arbequina enjoying incredible food and wine.
Next stop the incredible natural thermal hot springs in the most beautiful setting.
The landscape was incredible to enjoy these thermal springs.
There were several pools from cooler to very, very hot and the famous mud treatments which we tried of course. They also offered lovely massages.

After 5 days in Mendoza we flew to Salta – a short one hour flight away to the north.  Salta has a different vibe yet again.  It is historic and has more people of the indigenous (Inca) heritage.  This was our launching point to explore several incredible natural wonders.

Statue in the square right outside our place in Salta.
Ken loved this building in Salta with all the plants on the balconies.
While driving to the salt flats we met this lovely Inca man and his baby alpaca Luna who we had lots of snuggles with.
Beautiful 7 coloured mountain in Purmamarca, Jujuy.
Another angle showcasing the colours on the mountain.
Climbing in elevation up the Andes. Our guide had us chewing cocoa leaves to help with altitude sickness. Look at the mountain road we were on in the background!
I bought some hand knit alpaca gloves from this lovely lady who had a roadside stand in these high elevations.
Our wise guide had us get out of the van to commemorate reaching the elevation of 4174 metres in the Andes!   We both found it hard to breathe and had to lower our bodies to the ground. The oxygen was at 60%.
Excited to arrive finally at Salinas Grandes (the salt flats that connect Argentina and Bolivia).
Thanks so much Rainer and Shelley (we met in PV) and Miyuki (who we met in Vietnam) for encouraging us to visit this spectacular natural wonder.
Some fun shots from the salt flats that were captured by the local Inca people who protect these natural wonders.
Wow! The ice age didn’t take them all away!
We were so fortunate to see the water still on the salt at the high level Andes at this time of year.
Visiting the town of Purmamarca with this sweet angel from the USA who we took under our wings.
A cemetery in Purmamarca.
Incredible old tree in Purmamarca.  It is over 3000 years old.
Beautiful scenery in this lovely town near the seven coloured mountain.

This tour was very long but incredible in all that we saw.  We opted to do another 13 hour day to explore the area to the south toward Cafayate.

Scenes along the drive in the Andes through an area rich with onyx.
Some of the incredible rock formations along Shells Gorge (translated for you) that were marine in former years.
Some incredible sights in these beautiful rock formations
Ancestral sounds in the amphitheatre. So amazing.
Coming into the lush winery valley of Cafayete
Some of the wines at the winery in Cafayete we visited enroute.
Visiting the ‘Cathedrals” on our way back to Salta.
Ken made friends with this chicken on the way back to Salta.

After exploring the wonders in the Salta region for 7 days, we flew to Iguazu to experience the falls.  We had been hesitant to visit here without yellow fever vaccine but the trip was so well worth it.  This area is a jungle that is home to monkeys, jaguars and so many beautiful butterflies!

Enjoying snacks at the pool in the rain on our first night in Iguazu.

The Iguazu falls are shared between Argentina and Brazil.  There are 275 waterfalls.  It is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world!  The Devil’s Throat is more than 150m long with a drop of more than 80m and an average flow of 1500 cubic metres per second.

Our first glimpse of the falls on the Argentina side.
The beauty of this natural wonder left us speechless.
At every turn along our 5km hike on the Argentina side we were met with spectacular views.
A calm and peaceful spot amongst the roaring of the falls around us.
Some gorgeous butterlifes that inhabit all of this area.
At the top of the falls – how they look before they go over the edge.
Local artisans selling their wares on the Argentina side.
Views of the falls from the Brazilian side.
We could feel the spray of Devil’s Throat from far away.
It was an incredible feeling to be so close to these wonders of nature.
In comparison Iguazu falls is nearly 3 times wider than Niagara Falls.  Devil’s Throat in it’s grandeur.
We really enjoyed staying in the jungle at Iguazu Falls.
Beautiful flowers at our resort in Iguazu Falls.

After enjoying the falls we crossed the border into Brazil and flew to Florianopolis.  We are very much enjoying the beauty of Santa Catarina Island and will share more of these adventures in our upcoming post!

10 Comments

  2. Mirna Wagner
    Reply

    Wow! Love all the natural scenic wonders! The hot springs, colored mountains, Andes, waterfalls! Looks spectacular! Taking notes!

  3. Tammy Engelhardt
    Reply

    Absolutely stunning photos looks like the adventure of a lifetime! The natural thermal springs look incredible. The falls are absolutely spectacular. Such a glorious planet we live on
    Enjoy every moment 🙏🏼

  7. Laurie Myres
    Reply

    Such incredible experiences you’ve had!! Thank you for the spectacular post! This takes a lot of time but it is so fantastic to read and look through!! Hola from PV!!

  8. Sharyn & Ted
    Reply

    Omg! Spectacular! Will be looking at these pictures again on the Mac! Just gorgeous! WOW how to complete, well almost your journey. Thinking you’ll be heading home soonish. Can’t wait to see you and hear all about all of it!❤️

  9. Claude Séguin
    Reply

    Dear Robbie and Ken,

    Thank you for sharing your adventure and photos. I am so happy for both of you that you are enjoying touring the world. I will certainly be consulting you when I start planning my travels when I retire in 5 years 🙂 Beautiful places and pictures. Love you guys ❤️

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