3 weeks in Argentina and Uruguay

21 days – from €5,425 per person

driving – history – nature

Day 3 | Buenos Aires – Colonia del Sacramento

After breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel and taken to the port of Buenos Aires, where you will board your ferry to Colonia. Upon arrival, you will be met by a local representative and will collect your rental car, which will take you to your hotel in 10 minutes. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish. Colonia del Sacramento, or Colonia for short, is a melting pot of typical 17th-century Portuguese and Spanish low-rise architecture. Stroll through the narrow streets and feel as though you’ve stepped back in time.
Overnight stay: Posada Don Antonio | bed and breakfast

Day 4 | Colonia del Sacramento

You have the day free to spend as you wish. Colonia del Sacramento is a beautiful little town that has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1995. As you stroll through the narrow streets with their irregularly laid cobblestones, you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped back in time. Enjoy a drink at one of the cosy outdoor cafés and climb the town’s lighthouse for a lovely view.
Overnight stay: Posada Don Antonio | bed and breakfast

Day 5 | Colonia del Sacramento – Valentines

(approx. 375 km | 6-hour drive)
After breakfast, you’ll get into your rental car and continue your journey through the Uruguayan countryside. Enjoy the peace and quiet of the rural surroundings along the way. You can stop wherever you like. You’ll then take a route that takes you past the town of Durazno, which means ‘peach’ in Spanish. As the name suggests, plenty of peaches are grown in this region. You can stop here for lunch before continuing your journey. From here, it’s another 3 hours to Valentines. Your accommodation, Estancia los Platanos, is situated in a leafy area where you can go for lovely walks
Overnight stay: Estancia los Platanos | full board (drinks at your own expense)

Day 6 | Valentines

Today is yours to spend as you wish. Enjoy the estancia where you are staying. Six generations have built the stone walls, the wooden roofs and the roof tiles, which were brought over by ship from France. Around 1910, large rooms and a large sheep shed were added to the complex, enclosing the courtyard around the old cistern and creating the view that the estancia offers today. From your accommodation, you can take part (for a fee) in various activities that allow you to experience the authentic rural atmosphere of Uruguay. Of course, you can also set off on your own in your rental car.
Accommodation: Estancia los Platanos | full board (drinks at your own expense)

Day 7 | Valentines – Punta del Diablo

(approx. 300 km | 6-hour drive)
Today you’ll drive to Punta del Diablo, your next destination on this trip of Uruguay. For birdwatchers, a detour to the Quebrada de los Cuervos y Sierras del Yerbal National Park is highly recommended, although it will make for an incredibly long day. If you take the route that runs along the border with Brazil, you’ll come across San Miguel Fort on the way, after which the road continues towards the coast. You will then head to Santa Teresa National Park, covering a total area of 3,000 hectares, where countless species of native flora can be found, including more than 2 million trees and four beaches: La Moza, Las Achiras, Playa del Barco and Playa Grande. This is where Santa Teresa Fort is situated, built by the Portuguese in 1762. The route without this stop takes around 6 hours, but if you stop along the way to enjoy the surroundings and go birdwatching, you’ll easily spend the whole day on the road. You’ll spend the night in a simple but pleasant hotel by the coast.
Accommodation: Terrazas de la Viuda | bed and breakfast

Day 8 | Punta del Diablo – José Ignacio

(approx. 160 km | 2.5-hour drive)
You continue your journey along the coast. If you wish, you can visit the car-free Cabo Polonio park. Cabo Polonio is a charming fishing village that can only be reached on foot, on horseback or by special four-wheel-drive vehicle. Here, in Uruguay’s largest biosphere reserve, a few families still live without electricity. With endless white ocean beaches, the world’s largest colony of sea lions, colourful cottages and the lighthouse as a landmark, this is a unique place to visit. Once back at the park entrance, you’ll continue on your own to your next destination. José Ignacio owes its name to the settler of the same name who lived there during the Spanish conquest. In José Ignacio, you’ll find what’s known as ‘barefoot luxury’, far from the city. In this region, enjoyment is written in capital letters! The locals in José Ignacio sleep late, enjoy themselves with family and friends on the beach and are very friendly.
Accommodation: La Viuda de Jose Ignacio | bed and breakfast

Days 9 & 10 | José Ignacio

These days are free to plan as you wish. A great time to relax and enjoy your surroundings. There are endless activities here: from surfing, swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, tennis, golf, horse riding, cycling, kitesurfing, kayaking, canoeing or visiting the observatory, to simply lounging with a book by one of the swimming pools or on the beach. From José Ignacio, you can also visit Punta del Este. On one of the town’s beautiful beaches stands the 1982 artwork ‘Mano de Punta del Este’ (the hand/fingers) by the Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal. He created this artwork as a warning to swimmers, and it has now become an integral part of the town’s skyline. Fancy a taste of the real jet-set lifestyle? Excellent restaurants and bustling terraces make this place a hive of activity in the summer. Another must-do is a visit to the small town of La Coronilla, situated just north of José Ignacio. This town is home to the Karumbé NGO, which is dedicated to the conservation of green turtles in Uruguay. Here, you can take a walk towards the beautiful Cerro Verde. From this vantage point, you’ll have a stunning view of the Coronilla Islands.
Accommodation: La Viuda de Jose Ignacio | bed and breakfast

Day 11 | José Ignacio – Montevideo

(approx. 160 km | 2.5-hour drive)
Today you’ll continue your journey to Montevideo. Montevideo lies just a little further south than Buenos Aires, making it the southernmost capital city on the American continent. The city lies on a bay – a naturally formed harbour – and on the main road route from Buenos Aires to Porto Alegre in Brazil.
Accommodation: Hotel Alma Histórica Boutique | bed and breakfast

Day 12 | Montevideo

Free day planned. Montevideo is the city with the highest standard of living in Latin America. Stroll through the streets of the historic centre or take a walk along the promenade. Montevideo is situated on the waterfront and a kilometre-long promenade has been built along the coast where you can walk or cycle. Tip: do take a good look at the colours of the water. Near Montevideo, the Río de la Plata flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The water is sometimes a bit brownish-green from the river and sometimes blue from the sea.
Accommodation: Hotel Alma Histórica Boutique | bed and breakfast

Day 13 | Montevideo – Buenos Aires

After breakfast, you’ll return the car at the harbour, where you’ll board your ferry to Buenos Aires. Once you arrive, you’ll be met by a local representative and taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish.
Overnight stay: Hotel Pulitzer | bed and breakfast

Day 14 | Buenos Aires – Salta

You’ll leave the capital and take a private transfer to the airport. Once there, you’ll board your flight to Salta. A rental car will be waiting for you at Salta airport to take you to your hotel. You’ll spend the night at the rustic Finca Valentina, situated just outside Salta. The area around Finca Valentina is surrounded by high-altitude vineyards. Some of the world’s highest-altitude wines come from here. The owners, Valentina and Fabrizio, moved from Italy to Argentina in 2006 to realise their dream here. It is no coincidence that they chose this beautiful location in north-western Argentina. Here you can go for walks, enjoy superb horse riding and, in complete tranquillity, savour a traditional ‘parilla’ (grilled meat) with a good glass of wine. The beautiful garden features an unheated swimming pool. From here, you can enjoy the view of the mountains. Cookery classes are regularly held in the finca’s cosy kitchen.
Accommodation: Finca Valentina | bed and breakfast

Day 15 | Salta

Today is yours to spend as you wish. In Quechua, the language of the Incas, ‘Salta’ means ‘very beautiful’, and the province certainly lives up to its name. The region boasts stunning canyon landscapes with multicoloured mountains, as well as high plateaus (punas) with cacti metres high. You can relax in your hotel or set out to explore Salta. Salta is a beautiful colonial town with an attractive central square, the Plaza de Armas, which is also home to a number of good restaurants. You can visit Salta’s main attractions, such as the cathedral, the Church of San Francisco and Mount San Bernardo, from where you’ll enjoy a magnificent view.
Overnight stay: Finca Valentina | bed and breakfast

Day 16 | Salta – Cachi

(approx. 170 km | 5-hour drive)
After breakfast, you’ll drive through the mountains to Cachi, a charming little town with many lovely white buildings set in stunning mountainous surroundings, with the white peaks of the Andes in the background. The charming colonial atmosphere, the good roads and the stately buildings tell the story of a relatively prosperous past in trade and administration. You can also discover this history at the Arquelógico Pío Pablo Díaz museum. In addition to this museum, there are several other interesting sights in the town. Enjoy the route – it’s absolutely stunning!
Accommodation: El Cortijo | bed and breakfast

Day 17 | Cachi – Cafayate

(approx. 170 km | 3.5-hour drive)
Today you’ll drive through the mountains to Cafayate. The arid landscape and the abundant sunshine make this area ideal for wine-growing. At the end of your journey, you’ll arrive in Cafayate with its vast, lush vineyards. We highly recommend sampling the Torrontés wine here – the ‘Malbec of white wines’. Whilst Mendoza takes pride in its Malbec, the north-west takes pride in its white wine, Torrontés. A delicious wine with an aromatic character and a floral bouquet, yet dry and crisp on the palate.
Accommodation: Patios de Cafayate | bed and breakfast

Day 18 | Cafayate

Today you have a day off in Cafayate. Cafayate is a small, charming town surrounded by beautiful mountains, vineyards and bodegas. There’s a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. You can visit the central square, Plaza San Martin. Here you’ll find lovely shops, outdoor cafés and restaurants. Everything is within walking distance, including a number of bodegas where you can enjoy a free guided trip and wine tasting. This is a great way to learn more about the production process of the export product that has made Cafayate so famous. You can also visit the Quebrada de las Flechas, a desert of quartz ash and rocks covered in mud from an ancient lake – the result of 500 million years of geological evolution.
Overnight stay: Patios de Cafayate | bed and breakfast

Day 19 | Cafayate – Salta

(approx. 190 km | 3.5-hour drive)
During this drive, you may spot guanacos, foxes or condors as you travel right through the striking landscape of the Quebrada de Cafayate gorge. Prepare to be amazed by the stunning rock formations of Los Médanos, Los Castillos and El Fraile!
Accommodation: Finca Valentina | bed and breakfast

Day 20 | Salta – Buenos Aires

Today you’ll drive to Salta Airport, where you’ll return your rental car. Here, you’ll board your domestic flight to Buenos Aires. On arrival at the airport, you’ll be welcomed by one of our local staff and taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is free, so you’ll have plenty of time to explore this beautiful city further. Why not visit the beautiful parks in the Palermo district, or the stylish Recoleta district, which is a delight for shopping and is also home to Evita Perón’s grave? The distinctive San Telmo district, the cradle of the tango, and of course the working-class neighbourhood of La Boca with its colourful houses are also well worth a visit!
Accommodation: Hotel Pulitzer | bed and breakfast

Day 21 | Buenos Aires – Amsterdam

You will be collected from your hotel today and taken to the international airport for your return flight to the Netherlands.

Day 22 | Amsterdam

You arrive in Amsterdam today.