Another Argentina estancia in the province of Salta is the historic Posada la Caldera, whose main house is two hundred and fifty years old.

There are exquisite gardens and the entire estate has been in the same family for more than two hundred years. The town of La Caldera is historic as well, having been founded by Jesuit missionaries in the sixteenth century. The town is known for it hand-woven carpets, so if you can peel yourself away from Posada La Caldera’s pool or hiking trails long enough, a trip to town is definitely worth the time.

In a country province of Argentina called Salta, you will find the House of Jasmines.

 First let’s set the scene for Salta: this province is situated at the edge of the Andes Mountains, has pipe organ canyons and neverending chains of mountains as far as you can see in every direction. This is the Andes, after all.  House of Jasmines is a century old and yes, there are hundreds and hundreds of wild jasmine plants everywhere, along with cities of wild orchids and roses. There are three hundred acres and it’s situated on the Arenales River so the necessary ingredients are here for the perfect estancia getaway.

This is one of the top Argentina estancias.  The owners, Robert Duvall and his wife Luciana, who is from Argentina, have added to the natural beauty of the estate and the historical beauty of the main house. The seven suites feature shabby-chic decor integrating antiques and comtemporary casual designs. Imagine white four-poster beds and wrought-iron light fixtures and exquisite Argentine antiques. Of course, this being the Argentine countryside, there is a paddock of horses. There’s also a spa and a place to take a dip in the pool. Breakfast is included, too.

Shopping Palermo Viejo is as upscale, sophisticated, and hip as any shopping destination in New York or Europe, with its own brand of charm to boot. There are sidewalk cafes and juice stalls for when you get tired of shopping or walking.

Shopping fanatics will love this charming upscale-yet-downbeat district of Buenos Aires, whose charm includes cobblestone streets and boutique shopping featuring top designers from Argentina. Palermo Viejo is in the northeast part of Buenos Aires, and taxis from the center of town to this shopping district run less than $5. That’s a bargain!

The best way to see the area and get into the best shops is to walk, once you exit your taxi. Start on Avenue Armenia, where you should stop in Trosman. This boutique carries cotton separates and shimmery swimsuits do die for. To get the same quality of design in the US you would have to pay much more, but here in Palermo Viejo the cost is much much less.

Continue walking to Calle El Salvador, where you can check out superior quality leather goods at Humawaca. The leather here is especially unusual and beautiful, offered in a rainbow of colors like peach and pink! One designer at Humawaca is Ingrid Gutman. She comes from an architectural background so her bags are unusual as well as beautiful.

Stick with Calle El Salvador and you’ll run into another shop, this time featuring wonderful colorful underthings. This shop is called Juana de Arco. Take a peek just for the visual display, even if you’re not in the market to buy any undies.

On to Avenue Malabia, wehre you’ll find El Diamente for lunch. Ask for a table on the roof, where people-watching is the best around. All of Buenos Aires is visible from up here! Entrees are reasonable at $7 to $20. Along the same street head for Mariano Toledo for some couture…museum quality clothing!

A little more ways down the street make sure to stop into Ferroni, where shoe designer Josefina Ferroni makes exquisite shoes…only about a dozen of each design so you can pretty much bet that once you get back home, you’ll be the only person around wearing that shoe. The shoes are top design but reasonable prices. Ferroni is reason enough to visit Palermo Viejo.

Just a few streets away, on Calle Uriarte stop in for a drink at the hippest place in town, called Casa Cruz. Finally, a little further away, so maybe take a cab or get ready to walk a lot, is Celedonio Lohidoy. They sell one-of-a-kind jewelry in a rainbow of colors. You’ll think of wildlife and flora when you look at their pieces. Have fun here, it’s a very unusual jewelry shop, and worth the extra walking to get here. Well worth it.

Lodging in Patagonia, Argentina

Patagonia Argentina hotels are set upon a rugged paradise of richly diverse landsacape and breathtaking vistas. Visitors to the Patagonia Argentina hotels of the region can see immediately why the area has become both a haven for the rich and famous but also one of the top adventure travel destinations in the world. These days, Patagonia Argentina wine is drawing attention, and wine tourists visit from all over the world. What could be better than a visit to one of the growing number of Patagonia Argentina hotels in wine country where some of the country’s best wine is poured?

Patagonia Argentina Hotels in Wine Country

Some of the best Patagonia Argentina hotels catering to the wine enthusiast is the Correntoso Hotel. In operation since 1917, it’s named after the Patagonia Argentina river that flows into Lake Nahuel Huap. This is one of the new wave of upscale Patagonia Argentina hotels, with a wine bar, fitness room, suites with water views, and a top notch restaurant that serves Patagonia Argentina specialties like trout, deer, and spices grown in the garden of the hotel! The newest feature of many Patagonia Argentina hotels is the luxury spa. The Correntoso has a magnificent one, with hammam steam room and therapy rooms. Located in the town of Villa La Angostura, Argentina.

The  topic of Argentina Tango is no light matter. When we dream, we are good at things we want to learn. With fantasies swirling through the mind, aspiring Argentina Tango divas take to the classrooms in preparation for a pilgrimage to the Argentina Tango capital and birthplace, Buenos Aires. Many travelers have wanted to learn for years, many want to get in shape through dance, and most want to form a connetion to the dance from Argentina that symbolizes the soul of Argentina, the national charater, what we hope to feel when they arrive on the streets of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. We all start out with Argentina tango images handed down to us through movies, videos, and travel books: gorgeous toned legs jutting out from colorful, special tango-dresses, amazing shoes, and hair coifed perfectly in a shiny bun at the nape of the neck, with flower pinned at the center. How could anyone not love these images? How could you not want to learn to tango, especially before travelling to Argentina?

Basic Tango lessons will give you enough knowledge of the Argentine dance to get by at any club, whether it be in New York or Buenos Aires. They call this conversational Tango. Usually travellers might sign up for Conversational (or Basic) Tango and take classes for a few months, for up to three times a week, to prepare for a trip to Argentina. Some start out at once a week, then, as the trip draws near, will have built up to three times a week. This intensive training just before departure to Buenos Aires ensures a solid knowledge of the basica of this complex dance.

The names of the Argentina Tango steps originate in the barrios of Beunos Aires in the 1800s. Women in long skirts who danced the Argentina Tango in the rough streets make patterns in the dirt. The patterns gave the steps their names. Once you practice the steps and get good enough at basic Tango moves, you may be invited to attena a practica by your dance instructor. This is an evening session where you can dance with different partners and show off your Tango style, Argentina style!

Also, for the female Tango students out there, it’s likely that your class is made up of mostly women, then you may not have even danced with a man yet. The practica is your chance to tango with a man! You will learn something from each partner you dance with, even though you might end up feeling shy or humiliated by what you perceive to be your bad Tango style. You will meet people who are obsesses with the Tango, people who dance Tango more than 8 hours a week, and people who have been dancing Tango all their lives. It has been said that Tango is a dance you learn for life.