Buenos Aires: Tango, wine, $10 steak and more

Peter Greenberg TODAY Travel Editor • Profile • E-mail

In my book, Argentina has it all. Great topography, mountains, wines, food — and one of the few remaining destinations with a great U.S. dollar exchange rate. Yes, the dollar is still king in Argentina, where one George Washington will get you more than three pesos.

When traveling, it’s not just the cost of getting there that should concern you — but the cost of being there. And that’s where Argentina shines, on just about every level. (Weather-wise, the country really shines: The average summer temperature is 84 degrees, and in the winter, a mild 57 degrees.)

And as news of the affordability of the region to Americans spreads north, more and more of us are actually moving there.

And if you have a sense of history, Argentina is perhaps the only South American country that gives you a European experience. It all starts in Buenos Aires, a sprawling city of 3 million people — the third-largest city in Latin America.

But the key to understanding — and appreciating — Buenos Aires is to know the barrios — the neighborhoods that buzz with culture, nightlife and green spaces. There are 47 barrios in Buenos Aires, and every time I go to the city, I head for at least three of them: the pedestrian Calle Florida in Palermo, the exclusive Recoleta and the bohemian San Telmo. And don’t miss a visit to Plaza de Mayo, the large, attractive open square that has been the site of many important historical events, including Eva Peron's (better known as Evita's) famous speech.

The other good news: U.S. citizens do not need a visa to travel to Argentina.

However, airfares tend to be somewhat high: Average airfare in late August from JFK to Buenos Aires runs about $851 roundtrip. But again, the savings happen when you land.

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Activities
Recoleta: Hang out in Recoleta for trendy restaurants. And first-timers have to go for another reason: the cemetery. It contains the graves of many rich, important, influential people, including Eva Peron.

La Ciudad: This bookstore is located just across the street from Jorge Luis Borges’ apartment. The author spent a lot of time there and many pictures of him adorn the walls, while the store maintains the feel of a “private library.” Maipu 971, Galeria del Este, between Florida and Maipu

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes: This is a relatively small museum with great permanent and rotating exhibitions, and it’s free! Av. Del Libertador 1473, www.mnba.org.ar

Cheese room at the Park Hyatt: Don’t miss out on the cheese room at the Park Hyatt. Located in Duhau Restaurant & Vinoteca, guests can make an appointment to try out Argentine Malbecs, artisanal cheeses chosen by the Maître Fromager, served with breads, dips and fruits. +54 11 5171 1340

Trips outside the city
Head right out to the Pampas and the legendary estancias — the great family-owned ranches with the bigger-than-life gauchos (cowboys). There's also great horseback riding and steaks.

Or drive over to the domestic airport in Buenos Aires and head west on a two-hour flight to Mendoza, one of the great surprises of South America. It’s Argentinean wine country, and is home to more than 880 wineries.

Though Chilean wines may have the best reputation of all South American vintages, there's a great surprise awaiting you in Mendoza. Chileans, for the most part, make their wines for export. Argentines, on the other hand, are wine lovers, and they make their wines with a passion for drinking it themselves. As a result, be prepared for an experience that easily rivals — or even exceeds — some of the other great wine regions of the world.

It’s the land of the Malbec, and the tours to these wineries, with the majestic Andes as a natural backdrop, are memorable. And yes, most of the wineries will actually ship the bottles back to you. One other note: Every February, the Park Hyatt hosts the Masters of Food and Wine, a five-day event featuring the top chefs and winemakers of Argentina, not to mention visiting chefs and winemakers from around the world.

Specialized trips
To book specialized trips, contact a man named Eduardo Outeiral (), the co-founder of a travel company called Far Away and Long Ago; his finely tailored travel experiences allow you to see Argentina with a sense of history and style. He’s an experienced mountaineer and yachtsman, and offers incredibly affordable, over-the-top Buenos Aires experiences.

Recently, Eduardo drove me from Buenos Aires for 40 minutes to San Isidro, the top residential suburb in the north district of Buenos Aires. Minutes later we were on the river, speeding on a power racing boat to a private island in the delta for lunch.

There’s another river experience as well. You can start in the San Fernando harbor and board a 55-foot yacht and head out into the Rio de la Plata delta toward La Becasina, a private lodge located in Arroyo Las Cañas, a small stream on one of the islands of the Paraná River’s Delta.

Eduardo also provides great helicopter flights over the city, with a landing at the Estancia La Concepcion for dinner — it’s one of the largest Pampas ranches. There, you’ll do horseback and carriage rides, often followed by intramural polo matches.

All of these trips are affordable, and cost less money than nightly room rates at many Manhattan hotels.

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