Argentina Summary

Update: Argentina has been getting bad press since December 2001 – a year after the first edition of The Rough Guide to Argentina was published. Media headlines have made the country sound dangerously chaotic, but things have definitely calmed down. It’s still a fabulous country to visit and, apart from the occasional flare-up related to the economic crisis, tourism has been pretty much business as usual in 2002. In fact, domestic tourism has actually benefited as previously wealthy Argentines can no longer afford trips to Miami, Brazil and the Dominican Republic. The major change to watch out for is the devalued peso. It’s no longer interchangeable with the US dollar, so you’ll have to keep an eye on the exchange rate – on the whole you should get about two pesos to the dollar. This means that Argentina no longer seems exorbitantly pricey compared with neighbouring countries – for example, you can now get a full lunch for under $5. Though imported products and some services aimed specifically at tourists have suffered price hikes, this amazingly varied country, with its snow-capped Andes, humid jungle and penguin colonies is still a major destination for travellers. At the time of writing, one Argentine peso was equal to exactly one US dollar. Recent political upheaval, however, has led to a major devaluation of the peso and rapidly fluctuating exchange rates. Please keep this in mind when referring to any mention of costs throughout this guide. – Andrew Benson