What do you know about Mexico? It is a country that offers a number of attractions for any tourist. This destination continues to attract many tourists from around the world. Here, you can take a tour to the Mayan sites and embark on lagoon tours and see its wonderful wildlife.

History and archaeology of Mexico is a big contributor to its tourism. Taking a hiking tour will allow you to explore the ruins of this ancient civilization. The relics of the Mayan ruins can be seen in the National Museum of Archaeology in Guatemala City.



The Mayas have constructed the most one of a kind structures and their civilization was deemed to be amazing. There are a number of unique musical instruments that the Mayas have invented such as the ocarina and several different kinds of flutes which can be seen on display inside the Museum. Visiting the museum offers a wonderful insight.

The magnificent Chichen Itza ruins can be visited in the Yucatan. In Mexico, this is the largest Maya site. If you want to take a look at these wonderful ruins then book yourself a Chichen Itza tour. Your tour guide will not just give you a tour around the site but will also impart some knowledge about the ruins and the long lost civilization. You will get to see the largest pyramid known as the El Castillo. This archaeological site is important and historic. It is also best to do some research about the site in order for you to have an idea of what you'd like to see. For instance, there are many ball courts utilized by the Mayans for sports. However nobody is precisely certain of game rules they played; it appears that the players were eventually sacrificed, therefore this sport wasn't for the not so courageous. In all of human history, these ball courts are the oldest known game form. They're fairly detached from the other ruins, hence it is best to have an idea where to go to save time and cut the long walks short.


In the area of Yucatan, you can find other fascinating Maya sites. On the south is the Calakmul archaeological site. This town as known as the Snake Kingdom because of the many depictions of snake heads around the town which came to the fore towards the end of the Maya history. The Tulum Maya site can be visited in this country as well. See the amazing ruins and experience an exciting slide through the tree tops by taking a Tulum and Zip Line tour.

Interested to see the diverse wildlife of Mexico? If so, then there are other tours that will take you to the bio reserve in the region where you can see an abundant flora and fauna. Do you want to see frightening creatures like sharks or alligators? Then embark on shark or crocodile tours. In case you want to embark on a relaxed tour then the Cozumel Lagoon bird watching tour is the best to take. A variety of bird species inhabit this lagoon which will keep any photographer and avid birdwatcher busy while on the tour.

The 4 day Belize tour is ideal for scuba diving enthusiasts. Swim in the crystal Blue waters of Belize and explore its wondrous marine life. The underwater scenery of Belize is amazing and you'll find a number of fishes and beautiful corals.

Travel Tour to Belize - British Honduras
Tourism culture and History tour

Belize travel overview

Belize , (British Honduras ),, bathed by the Caribbean Sea, is closer to its neighboring islands to the elevating of the rest of Central America volatility. In this tiny country, speaking English, Creole and inherently free with a history of coups, has a calm and relaxed.
Traveling in Belize can be difficult with only three paved roads, the prices are high and hotels and short distance between them. But while in Belize can only be one brand of beer, these difficulties with some of the most exceptional sites for scuba diving, Mayan ruins overlooking the jungle and out of hotels for the adventurous ecotourism more sedentary.

best time travel to Belize

The travel to Belize best time of year to visit the country cover from November to May, the dry season, but these months are also more conducive to winter sports, with higher prices and full hotels. It is cheaper to travel in summer (July-November), but we must bear in mind that this is also the season of hurricanes.

belize vacations

The major national holidays are dictated by the Roman Catholic calendar, but other events include Baron Bliss Day (March 9), in honor of a noble British philanthropist who fell in love with Belize and his death bequeathed his fortune to the people. The Belize National Day (September 10) commemorates the battle of St. George Cay; festivities stretch until Independence Day (September 21). Other important dates are the Columbus Day (October 12) and the Garifuna Settlement Day (November 19), which recounts the arrival from Honduras in 1823, the Garinagus (black Caribs) on board canoes carved trunks. The ideal place to attend this event is the tiny town of Dangriga

Belize Attraction

Belize City

The former capital of Belize can be considered the only relatively large population of the country. Tropical storms that often ravaged the city in the nineteenth and early twentieth century still appeared occasionally, damaging their ramshackle homes of wood, but also clearing the open sewer that crosses the entire city. When there is no storm, Belize City is known for its bustle, heat and humidity. Few come here to holiday or visit their points of interest, but as the nerve center of trade and transport in the country, travelers are likely to be spending some time on it. Belize City can be quite dangerous, especially at night.
Haulover Creek, a tributary of the Belize River, divides the commercial center of the northern suburbs. South of Bridge Swing Bridge are various areas of interest, such as Battlefield Park, always bustling with vendors, swindlers and idlers, the Cathedral of St. John (1847), the oldest Anglican church in Central America and important, and the Bliss Institute, the cultural heart of the city. North of the bridge is the Paslow Building, a wooden building that houses the central post office. To the south are located the Image Factory Art Foundation, with exhibitions of artists from Belize, and before reaching the tip of the peninsula, the Belize Audubon Society, a good source of information on national parks and nature reserves of the country.
North Front Street on the north shore of Haulover Creek, is stocked for accommodations. Luxury hotels at the end of the peninsula on the north coast. Albert Street, Regent, King and Orange are the main shopping

Cays

290 km long, the reef of Belize to be the longest in the Western Hemisphere. To the west are numerous cays reveling in warm waters up to 5 m deep. The two are the most visited Caye Caulker and Ambergris Cay. The first is considered the island ideal for travelers in economy class, while the latter has a higher grade of hotel complexes.
The Cay Caulker (800 inhab.), 33 km north of Belize City, up to 7 km in length and only 600 m at its widest point. In fact, Caulker was split into two islands, north of the population, after Hurricane Hattie in 1961. Mangroves cover much of the coast, shaded by coconut palms. The reef is just a short boat ride from the eastern shore and is ideal spot for diving, scuba diving and fishing. The visibility of the water can reach 60 m depth, being able to perceive the presence of corals and tropical fish. It is inadvisable to swim from the beach to the reef due to the danger of the propellers of ships.
The Ambergris Cay (2,000 inhab.), 58 km north of Belize City is the largest in the country with its 40 km long and its northern end with slash Mexico. As in Caulker, the atmosphere is relaxed, despite the emerging blocks of apartments and other tourist buildings. The reef is located 1 km east of San Pedro, the largest population in the key. Can be made many excursions to places suitable for snorkeling and diving practice, and to turn to other keys in the region, as the Blue Hole, the Half Moon Cay and the Turneffe Islands, the only three coral atolls in the western hemisphere.

Lamanai

These Mayan ruins, only partially excavated and restored, are located in its own archaeological reserve near the settlement of Indian Church. Its 60 major structures include a building height of 34 m from the end of the pre-period, a small temple and a ball. Lamanai (submerged crocodile) was already populated in 1500 BC and became an important ceremonial center with its huge temples long before most Mayan sites. Aboriginal people lived in their Lamanai until the arrival of the Spaniards, nearby, the ruins of two churches that testify Indian still in Maya to be evangelized. The 90 minutes journey by boat up the river from New River in Orange Walk to Lamanai is an adventure in itself. The boat passes through the Mennonite community of Shipyard and provides the opportunity to see many birds and crocodiles.

Xunantunich

Xunantunich (girl rock) is the pride of archaeological Belize. Built on top of a flattened hill, near the Belize River and the Guatemalan border, Xunantunich controlled the road along the river that originates in the hinterland to the Caribbean coast. The population flourished as a ceremonial and, apparently, was abandoned after an earthquake that struck around the year 900 AD Much of the ruins have not been restored, although its tallest building, the impressive castle stands with its 40 m high above the jungle.

Placencia

Perched at the southern end of a long narrow sandy peninsula in Southern Belize, this quiet beach town justifies each of the jolts and bumps that are felt to run through the tracks of land that are directed to Placencia. The whole business was done by sea, so the main street of the population is only a narrow paved path that does not reach the meter in width. The main attraction of this site focuses on its beaches and water sports, but also offers the option to go fishing, watch birds and manatees, camping on remote cays and take trips to different rivers that run into the jungle or the Reserve Natural Cockscomb Basin, home to jaguars, pumas, ocelots, margays, agouti, anteaters, armadillos, boa constrictor and numerous bird species.
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
This forest reserve of 800 km ², anchored in the West virtually virgin terrain, with numerous waterfalls and orchids, parrots, toucans and other exotic species of flora and fauna. In the wet season, the tiresome routes through the forest are insurmountable, but it is this inaccessibility that makes the area remains unexplored, is an ideal location for exploring on foot, horseback or canoe. These tours include the Rain Forest Medicine Trail, a walking trail through the jungle on medicinal herbs; Chechem Ha, a Mayan cave full of newly discovered objects and ceremonial pottery; Caracol, a large Mayan city without restoring immersed in the jungle , Thousand Foot (Hidden Valley) Falls, a waterfall 300 m silver is precipitated into a misty valley, and Barton Creek Cave, a cave Maya increasingly popular, but less visited than Chechem Ha, with skulls and bones and fragments of ceramics.
Sanctuary in Bermudian Landing community Mandrel
Sanctuary in Bermudian Landing community Mandrel The black howler monkey is found only in Belize, and this is the ideal location to discover one. The villagers of Bermudian Landing have established a reserve in the jungle close to their population (about 30 miles west of Belize City), with a visitor information center, where exhibitions of this endangered species and two hundred species of animals and birds that inhabit the reserve

Belize activities

The keys and the reef of Belize offers all possibilities for swimming, diving, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing and fishing. It is also possible to canoe down the rivers Macal, Mopan and Belize, around San Ignacio and caves along the river Chiquibul. The best routes for hiking are in the Forest Reserve Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve and the Cockscomb Basin Natural. Birdwatchers can go to rivers, swamps and lagoons of Crooked Tree Nature Reserve, halfway between Belize City and Orange Walk, where flocks of migratory birds arrive between November and May

History Of Belize

Maya and Carib Indians were the first inhabitants of Belize, a territory that was part of the Mayan empire which stretched through Guatemala, southern Mexico and parts of Honduras and El Salvador. The classical period of greatest splendor of that civilization began toward the second century AD, reached its splendor between the ages VI and VIII and began its decline in the fourteenth century. When the Spanish arrived in the sixteenth century, many cities were deserted.
Colonizers Belize only appreciated its timber, for the manufacture of dyes. While the country depended on the Spanish governor of Yucatan, it lacked an effective government. This vacuum government with the security provided by the reef that protects its shores attracted English and Scottish pirates during the seventeenth century. When piracy began its decline, many saqueaderos were introduced in the timber trade. Belize was a British tradition and sympathy and when British forces expelled in 1798 for the Spanish Navy's Cay St. Georges. In 1862, while United States was immersed in civil war and unable to comply with its Monroe Doctrine, United Kingdom colonized Belize, which should be known as British Honduras.
After World War II, its economy is weakened, leading to an agitation for independence. Formed political parties and democratic institutions, and in 1964 the nation gained independence. The government decided to build a new capital at Belmopan in 1970, the former capital, Belize City, had been razed after Hurricane Hattie in 1961. Guatemala, which claimed the territory, threatened to declare war in 1972, 1975 and 1977, but British troops are facing in the country to secure a diplomatic solution. Independence was achieved in September 1981 when he became British Honduras Belize, a member of the Commonwealth. During the volatile 1980s, Belize remained stable and pro-United States, thanks to the entry of substantial U.S. aid. In 1991, the new Guatemalan government recognized the country's territorial integrity. The British garrison was withdrawn in 1994, at present, Belize has a regular army of only a few hundred soldiers.
Since the fall of General Noriega in Panama, Belize has become an important port of call for the United States for cocaine from South America. There is also widespread cultivation and smuggling of marijuana.
Belizeans take 20 years fighting for the reinstatement of the indigenous culture. Many Belizeans had to leave the country to make a fortune and send money to support his family.
Prime Minister Said Musa, in power since 1998, has overseen the transformation of the economy of Belize. The services sector especially tourism, now prevalent in places where before prevailing farming, logging and fishing. Belize is hispanizando through its approach to other countries in Central America. Is exposed to the fury of hurricanes in late summer, as Keith and tested hurricane Iris in 2000 and 2001, respectively
The Maya built impressive temples, following the movement of celestial bodies. Although technically it is a culture of the Stone Age, also developed sophisticated mathematical and astronomical calendars in addition to measure time. The Spaniards built churches stone sober but modern architecture is based on the British Caribbean.
The official language of Belize is English, but the Creoles (the largest ethnic group) speak it with their own dialect. Spanish is the language most used in the North and some towns in the West. Also, minorities who are in Maya, Chinese, German Mennonite, Lebanese, Arabic, Hindi and Garifuna (the language of the Garinagu Stann Creek District).
The majority of the population professes Catholicism, and the British influence has made a considerable and varied Protestant congregation, including German and Swiss Mennonite. Mayan practice of Catholicism is marked by a fusion of shamanism, animism and Christian rituals.
Belize has never developed a true national cuisine. Its cuisine is inspired by the British, American, Mexican and Caribbean. Its basic ingredients are rice and beans, often eaten with chicken, pork, beef, fish or vegetables, coconut milk and bananas fried dishes to add a truly tropical taste. The recipes include traditional exotic meat armadillo, venison and fried paca, a rodent similar to a brown guinea pig

Belize map

Travel Tour to Canada

Tourism Culture and History tour

Canada Overview

The perception is that most of Canada is based on its vast distances, its rich natural resources and its flag. It is indisputably associated with Niagara Falls and its current maple paradise. However, their ethno-cultural diversity provides an added value to its natural wonders.
The contrasts between the indigenous and European traditions endow the country with a complex character, which also receives the constant influence of American culture and customs of all imported from Asia and Latin America of skilled immigrants. The result is a heterogeneous society thriving in the process of forming their own identity. Those who feel that Canada is merely a replica of his more moderate southern neighbor, they should revise their prejudices before entering the country: its sparsely populated northern frontier, which has gradually been forming in the soul of the nation, its mix of people and led to an area that has little to do with United States.

Canada best time to travel

The best time for skiing in Canada ends in early spring. Camping or go to the extreme north, is preferable in July and August. The high season begins in June and lasts until September. In spring and autumn, and receive fewer visitors, Canada offers lower prices and a more relaxed atmosphere, but we must bear in mind that some of the attractions and tourist facilities remain closed.

Canada Festival and Holidays

The Winter Carnival in Quebec City, which takes place between February and March, is famous for its parades, dances and music, as well as its ice sculptures and snow slide. In Ottawa Winterlude festivities in February, a festival in honor of the snow. The Montreal Jazz Festival in June and the International Jazz Festival Ottawa in the next month, to gather local musicians and performers of recognized international scene. The two major events in Toronto are the Caravan, cultural music, dance and ethnic cuisine that takes place in mid-August, and in June, the Gay Pride Parade, which runs through the streets of downtown of the city in September highlights its famous International Film Festival. In Calgary, it was organized in July, the popular Calgary Stampede, with its famous race cars and rodeo. The west, the city of Victoria hosts the Festival in August of the first settlers, with crafts, dancing and walks in war canoes.

Canada Best Places to travel

Ottawa

The capital of Canada extends to the southern shore of the Ottawa River at the eastern edge of Ontario. It is the seat of city government, and is characterized by the Parliament buildings, neo-Gothic style. You hear a lot about French, because the staff must be bilingual. There are too many exciting things to do in Ottawa, apart from being in a capital, but the air is clean, the streets are wide, there are many public parks and people seem happy and healthy because people are going to work or walk. In the city there are many impressive buildings, as often occurs in the majority of capital: the War Museum (with an actual size replica of a trench in the First World War), the Royal Mint, several houses inhabited by ministers and museums do justice to the icons of the country, nature, aviation, science and technology, agriculture and skiing. Ottawa also houses the art collection of the most important country in the National Gallery, which displays a selection of American and European works. In summer, the city is full of color with the red uniforms of the Royal Canadian Mounties, the mounted police.

The Rideau Canal divides downtown Ottawa in the east and the west shore. In the east, there are numerous guest houses, many with an important heritage. The motels are clustered in Rideau Street to the east, and Carling Ave on the west bank of the city. Byward Market, east of the canal, focuses cheap places to eat, and in the western part is more expensive restaurants.
Toronto

The largest city in Canada is known for its multiculturalism. In its streets you can hear more than 100 languages and an estimated 40% of the population was born outside the country. The symbol that identifies the city is the CN Tower, the tallest structure independent world. Harbourfront is a good place for a walk or eat in a renovated warehouse. The city has a lot of good museums, from the Bata Shoe Museum (Museum of shoes) until may of Fame Jockey, which is located in a beautiful building. Some of the best preserved buildings can be seen in York Old Town, with an incomparable collection of domestic architecture in Cabbagetown. And just two hours by car is one of the most popular attractions, especially for Americans, Niagara Falls.
Montreal

The passion and pride are so entrenched in this elegant island are bilingual as deep water around it. Founded in the religious zeal and a center for the fur trade, Montreal experienced the struggles between British and French, but, fortunately, today only fought at the polls.

Mont Royal, 232 m, is the highest mountain in the area and it comes from the name of the city. The Old Montreal some architectural jewels of the eighteenth century, as the museum of archeology and history of Pointe-à-Callière. When the weather gets worse (the winter in this city is famous for its inclement weather), the right is the cozy refuge underground maze of restaurants, shops and bars.

Most hotels are located on the west side of the center of the city, but getting a room during the summer or Christmas is almost a battle. The nightlife in Montreal is quite hectic and is defined by two different styles, the English and French. Moreover, this is the city where the clubs closed later. In recent years, the best clubs have been established around the Plateau, the south end of town.
Vancouver

This city, one of the finest American country, won the heart of the traveler without much effort. From the hill on which it is built, or from the many bridges that cross, you can enjoy breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, the bay and the city itself. The climate is mild, according to the parameters Canadians, and the atmosphere is cheerful and carefree Californian style that makes even their neighbors Americans discard in praise. The city center offers a vivid mosaic of interesting attractions for tourists, ranging from the refurbished Victorian charm of the old town of Gastown to the leafy spaces of Stanley Park, one of the largest in the world within a city. Vancouver also has a very short distance from famous sandy beaches where surf, such as Wreck Beach, and numerous opportunities for hiking, white water or off at picnics in the same city. In the vicinity is Vancouver Island, where you can take whale watching and enjoy countless natural wonders. Needless to add that, in summer, Vancouver is full of visitors.
Rockies

Along the border between Alberta and British Columbia, the Rocky Mountains are located within national parks two giants: the Banff, south and Jasper to the north. Banff National Park was the first official sanctuary for wildlife in Canada, and today the city that gave its name has become the first resort of the country, both summer and winter, while the Jasper National Park is largest unexplored.

The magnificent Lake Moraine, turquoise waters, is in Banff, despite the danger of becoming one of the most exploited of the country, it is one of the most beautiful natural attractions in Canada. Jasper and Banff parks are linked by the Columbia Icefield, a large block of glacier ice in the period, comprising about thirty glaciers. This area offers other options, like walking through the park, swim, visit caves, go camping, hiking, canoeing down, soak in hot water or climb mountains. The Rocky Mountains, the quintessence of Canada, also offer plenty of places to stay, at prices which generally are lower on the edge of Jasper Park.
Great Plains

From the base of the Rocky Mountains and in the direction of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the broad plateau stretching from Canada in the heart of the area, covered with golden wheat and sunflowers. It is not uncommon to hear the locals complain that, despite the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, they impede the spectacular scenery. Among the most popular areas of interest in Alberta is the curiously named heritage of the Blackfoot Indians, consisting of the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, near the fort Macleod. Riding Mountain National Park, with 3,000 km2, is an oasis among the wooded grasslands of Manitoba, where bison roam much as cyclists. In the region of Saskatchewan, grasslands alternate with evocative names of national parks, and there are more routes on roads canoe. Yorkton, a town north of Crooked Lake Provincial Park, is one of the surprises that holds this area. Here the churches with onion domes reflect the heritage of the Ukrainian culture. South of this tiny village is located Rocanville, one of the villages specialized in crop circle in modern Canada.
Nordic Arctic Games

The cold Inuvik, a town located in the far north and clear example of the glacial climate in Alaska itself, often hosting the Games in the Nordic Arctic. In this celebration recreational sports highlights sports traditional Dene and Inuit, as well and dance contests and an area where there are displays local crafts. Another activity of these games is based on a contest called The good woman, which assesses the abilities of local people in activities which consist, for example, skinning animals.
Wells Gray Provincial Park
Through the Yellowhead Highway provides access to the Cariboo Mountains in British Columbia, form the vast virgin Wells Gray Park, one of the least visited of the country. Of the many beautiful waterfalls that are in it, are the most spectacular waterfalls Helmcken River Murtle, with a drop of 137 m.
Potato Museum in Prince Edward Island
At the frontier of rural Prince Edward Island (PEI), on the eastern edge of Canada, the town of O'Leary internal rewards its visitors with the Museum of PEI Potatoes, where you will find all the information existing This tuber, of the Irish diet. A curious fact reported that 85% of the potatoes grown in North America end up being fried. The museum houses several historic buildings including a restaurant specializing in cuisine based on this food.
Nature Reserve Narcisse
The town of Narcisse, Manitoba, is the meeting place for lovers of the snakes, as in the province to over 10,000 of these reptiles. Lake Manitoba is considered to be the Loch Ness Canadian, as the locals claim to have seen a creature shaped like a giant snake and horse's head to die at the hands of the government under the night and then was transferred in a truck an unknown place. Whether true or not, it must be remembered that since the seventies have been explained many stories of this kind.

Canada map

Travel Tour to Cuba
Tourism culture and History tour
Cuba Introduction

Despite the efforts of United States, the sun still shines on Cuba, the Caribbean island more extensive and less spoiled by tourism, as well as one of the last bastions of communism in the world. The relative political isolation has prevented the influx of tourists and Cubans are really friendly to newcomers, including U.S. travelers enjoy a warm welcome. The Helms-Burton Act has allowed Cuba to find his own place gradually in the post-Soviet world, without accusing the sudden destabilizing shock of tourism consumption. The disappearance of the barriers imposed by the Americans in relation to travel and trade appears to be only a matter of time. Undoubtedly, upon the resumption of flights from Miami million tourists will come. Clearly, now is the ideal time to visit the island.
Cuba is a fairly quiet, even within large cities, where most delirious moments occur at a rate of enthusiastic chachacha, struggling to sound emitted by the old American cars and huge puff to the streets. If this peace is not enough, the interior of Cuba and its beaches are very quiet places, ideal for hikers, swimmers, or speleologists who likes to smoke a great cigar cigar under a palm tree.
Since November 8, 2004, the dollars are not legal in Cuba. Travelers should drive convertible pesos. Travelers checks or credit cards from American banks are not accepted. Dollar costs by 10% of the amount.

Cuba Best Time To Travel

Travel to Argentina
Tourism , Culture and History Tour
Why Argentina ?

When talking about Argentina, inevitably appear in the imagination of gauchos and the tango, but what really attracts many travelers is its natural beauty. The variety of landscapes ranging from deserts to the northern Andes in the south, from Iguazú Falls to the desolate Patagonia. And, above all, stands Buenos Aires, the capital, a magnificent city that is surprising both for its elegance as for its neo-European culture.

In fact, the most revealing of the large number of immigrants is to see how the features of European culture have remained intact during its adaptation to the so-called New World. Therefore, Argentina is one Latin American country in which Europeans, Americans and English speakers feel at ease and go virtually unnoticed

best time travel to Argentina

For residents in the northern hemisphere, Argentina offers the attractive possibility of enjoying two summers in a year, but due to their great diversity and vast geography, it is worth visiting these lands at any time. Buenos Aires, for example, has many attractions beyond the urban stations, but to assess areas such as Patagonia or the Perito Moreno Glacier in Santa Cruz, I will take the summer months between December and February. The best time to approach the Iguazu Falls in subtropical Misiones province, is in spring or winter in the southern hemisphere, when the heat and humidity are less suffocating. During the winter (mid-June to late September) you can go skiing

Argentina Mean festivals and Holidays


Argentina holds a few festivals and holidays, and mostly have their origin in the liturgical calendar of Roman Catholics. Are centered on Christmas, New Year and Easter. Other important events are the All Saints Day and the feasts of the various provinces, as the commemoration of the May Revolution of 1810 (May 25), Malvinas Day (June 10) and Day of Race (October 12)

Argentina Most Attraction Places to Travel

Buenos Aires

For the renowned writer Jorge Luis Borges in Buenos Aires, the city was as eternal as water and air. For many Argentines, their capital is synonymous with the country itself, so much so that 40 percent of the population lives in the suburbs, in constant expansion, the vast metropolis. Buenos Aires is situated on the riverside of the silver in the district of the city and not, as might be thought, in the province of Buenos Aires. It is a reflection of urban Europe and its center is compact and uniform, is similar to Paris, its streets lined with trees and abundant plazas evoke a faded elegance and seductive. The city is crowded with bankers and showcases luxurious mixed with beggars and unemployed of the suburbs surrounding the city. In the urban area, the Plaza de Mayo is the main focus of activity; Avenue July 9, nearby, is known as the widest in the world, a veritable nightmare for the pedestrians, while the road is the Santa Fe perfect place for shopping.

Among the attractions in Buenos Aires include the Catedral Metropolitana, which is the tomb of José de San Martín, hero of the struggle for national independence of Argentina and the Teatro Colon, one of the temples of opera, ballet and classical music's most prestigious the world, a number of interesting museums, among which the National Endowment for the Arts, the Film Museum and the Historic National, which provides an overview of developments in the country, the colorful Italian neighborhood of La Boca, with its housing wooden striking colors along the channel of the Riachuelo and the Recoleta Cemetery.

Whether you are staying in a modest or luxurious hotels, it is possible to stay in the heart of the city. The congressional district is a good place to sleep at a reasonable price, while the average cost of hotels are concentrated on Avenida de Mayo. In the districts of La Boca and San Telmo quantities can be eaten by small. In the center, Lavalle and Avenida Corrientes are the places suitable to consume pizza, drink coffee with the local intellectuals or enjoy one of the popular meat dishes.
The River Plate

For the inhabitants of Greater Buenos Aires, summer is synonymous with beach, the river plate is usually the favorite destination of Buenos Aires. Located in the North Atlantic coast, 400 km from the capital, beaches stretching along 8 km, as well as the elegant mansions that reflect the aristocratic origins of the area and are interspersed with the properties of the new middle class . Sea lions observed closely the activities of fishing piers, and a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes (France) is an interesting space to explore.
Cordoba

Argentina's second city, Cordoba, has long competed with Buenos Aires for political supremacy, economic and cultural, indeed languished while the city for negligence, Cordova became the architectural jewel of the country. Currently, in the dense center of the metropolis there is a valuable collection of colonial buildings, the old market, the Cathedral and the Church of the Society of Jesuits. The provincial museum of  Sobremonte Marquis is one of the most important historical museums in the country.
La Pampa

The vast plains of the Pampa is the most important agricultural center of Argentina and the origin of the symbol of romantic nationalism, the gaucho. This area includes the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa and much of Santa Fe and Cordoba, among its many surrounding wooded hills rise, vast prairies and lakes filled with salt water flamencos. Calel Lihué The National Park is a popular spot, its fauna including some puma and many guanaco, rhea, native hares and a variant of wild chinchilla called vizcacha. It is worth visiting the cities of La Plata, Luján (whose basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Luján receives four million pilgrims a year), Rosario and Santa Fe, recognized for its many museums, churches and colonial buildings decaying.
Iguazu Falls

Located in the Parque Nacional Iguazú near Puerto Iguazú, these spectacular falls are just east of the confluence of the Iguazú and Paraná rivers. At least five thousand cubic meters of water falling sharply from 70 m to the bottom. Tourists may find familiar, as it were the scene of the film The Mission. The area has historic ruins of the Jesuit missions, which are another attraction for many travelers, the best known are those of San Ignacio Mini, a building known as the Baroque style Guarani. Above the falls you can go canoeing or kayaking and other water sports practice. The park surrounding the falls is formed by 55,000 hectares of pristine tropical forest, with flora and fauna abundant and varied.

Cuyo

The region covers the Cuyo Andean provinces of Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis. This area retains a strong regional identity, with a unique mestizo population, due to the influence of Chile, its neighbor. It is an agricultural region famous for its grapes and wines, situated in the shadow of the vast mountains of the Andes, where travelers can find many sports and recreational activities such as climbing and trekking. The cellars, the people hiding in the mountains and the centers of Mendoza and San Juan are other attractions of this place.
Andean Northwest

This is the most traditional of Argentina, with its abundant natural beauty and its vestiges of pre-Columbian and colonial past. Andean Northwest covers the provinces of Jujuy, with many stocks of animals, Salta, where the best preserved colonial city in the country, hundreds of archaeological sites and buildings from the era of domination, Tucumán, La Rioja, Catamarca and Santiago del Estero .
Patagonia

This enormous region south of the province of Buenos Aires has a mountainous interior with scattered glaciers, a unique coastal wildlife and Andean national parks. Peninsula Valdes is a particularly good for wildlife lovers, there live many lions and elephant seals, guanacos, rheas, Magellanic penguins and whales. Perito Moreno Glacier in Santa Cruz is a river 60 meters of ice that rises, falls and then explodes, but several years ago that has stopped expanding. Carmen de Patagones is a beautiful colonial city that survives on the trail left by ancient inhabitants of the Welsh region, particularly in the town of Gaiman.
Tierra del Fuego

Argentina shares half of its territory in the southern islands of the Atlantic Ocean with Chile. It is a place where many oil drilling rigs, sheep, glaciers, wind and waterways. Ushuaia and Rio Grande are the two largest cities, the main attractions of the province are its magnificent landscape, its wildlife and fishing tours. The only coastal national  park in Argentina includes rivers, lakes, forests and glaciers, which provide many opportunities for trekking and cover all types of animals

Argentina activities

Football is by far the sport with more viewers and fans in the country. Argentina also has many other specialties, among which the trekking, skiing and water activities. Elite sports such as rugby and polo, reflecting the momentum of the immigrant societies, and skiing, despite its cost, is becoming increasingly popular. Currently, Argentina is among the best places in the world of practice, many stations have specialized  schools. Among the most recommended highlights the Cuyo region to the south, the lake district, La Hoya and, nearby, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego.

The walks in the mountains are also very popular, there are extensive walks with beautiful scenery through the Andes, the Sierras de Córdoba and Sierra de la Ventana, Province of Buenos Aires. Climbers should head to Aconcagua, west of Mendoza, the Fitzroy Range in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares in Santa Cruz province, and the Sierra de la Fentanes (for experienced hikers). The rafting is becoming increasingly popular in the channels that descend from the Andean divide, among the most interesting are the Mendoza and Diamante rivers in the region of Cuyo and the Hua Hum and Meliquina, near San Martin de los Andes, and the rivers Limay and Manso near Bariloche

Argentina History

The pre-Columbian Argentina was populated by sedentary indigenous groups, such as Diaguita, but also by nomadic tribes who lived by hunting. Their resistance slowed Spanish incursions, hindering settlement. Buenos Aires was not founded until 1580 and remained a wasteland during two hundred years. It was not possible to exploit the indigenous population, which was becoming more limited and was distributed as inequitable, and this led to the creation of huge cattle ranches, known as haciendas, genesis of the legendary gaucho and source of wealth for the few fortunate.

Buenos Aires became the capital of the new Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata in 1776, which marked the fourth viceroyalty that Spain established in South and Central America. In May 1810 there was the May Revolution, which led to independence six years later. The new situation has revealed strong regional disparities which Spanish rule had obscured. The Federalists of the interior (conservative landowners, supported by the gauchos and rural working class) advocated provincial autonomy, while the Unitarianism of Buenos Aires (cosmopolitan citizens who welcomed the onslaught of ideas, capital and European immigrants) support the central authority of their city. After a disastrous period under the tyrannical government of course federalist Juan Manuel Rosas, Buenos Aires and prevailed and Unitarianism, Unitarianism to the Constitution of 1853, began a new era of growth and prosperity.

Sheep were introduced, and the Pampa was devoted to the cultivation of cereals. European immigration, foreign capital and trade laid the foundations of the new liberalism. However, excessive interest on external debt increased the vulnerability of the domestic economy against the global economic crisis, wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few and increased unemployment rates, as small properties, and farmers went bankrupt and ranchers were forced to leave the field and go to the cities.

The first decades of the twentieth century were marked by a civilian government increasingly weak, the economic crisis and the continuing resentment of the elite landowners. This led the military coup of 1943, which facilitated the appearance of a political figure of Juan Domingo Peron, who was elected president in 1946 and for the second time in 1951. Together with his equally popular and charismatic wife, Eva Duarte (Evita), implemented a strict economic program based on the national industrialization and self-determination, which attracted both the conservative nationalism and the working class. A military uprising in 1955 ended his second term and forced Perón into exile in Spain, was the beginning of thirty years of disastrous military rule, interrupted only by brief periods of civilian command. Perón returned to power in 1973, but for a very short time, and who died a year later, bequeathing the presidency to his third wife, Isabel Martínez. The growing economic and political instability led to an era of strikes, political kidnappings and guerrilla warfare. Isabel's government fell in 1976, and the military instituted a reign of terror.

The years from 1976 to 1983 have been described as the years of the Dirty War. The paramilitary death squads which operated in complicity with the government, opposition and eliminate any hint of criticism extinct, causing the disappearance of between 10,000 and 30,000 citizens. The symbol of resistance to this period are the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, women who had the courage publicly to ensure the missing members of their families, and continued (and still) looking for and demanding justice tirelessly.

This dramatic situation came to an end with the war in the Falklands in 1982. Gen. Leopoldo Galtieri seized the islands to the British to divert international attention from political corruption and economic mismanagement in Argentina. The waves of nationalism resulted in a British fleet across the ocean to save one of the few coveted pieces remaining on the map. United Kingdom ended up being the winner in what was a shameful episode and costly for both countries. However, ownership of the Falklands remains under discussion. In June 1995, the Argentine foreign minister has proposed buying the island, offering its residents $ 800,000 for their nationality. The matter is complicated further by the belief that the British territory oilfields there and it seems likely that disputes will continue.

The ignominious collapse marked the national and international destination of the military government of Argentina and the country returned to the 1853 Constitution. The former Peronist president, Carlos Menem, has carried out important economic reforms such as privatization of state industries and opening the economy to foreign investment, reducing inflation from 5000 percent to the current rate of 1 per cent. On June 7, 2001, Menem was detained for his alleged involvement in illegal arms sales to Ecuador and Croatia during the nineties. The president Fernando de la Rúa, the Alianza UCR center-left, was elected in 1999 for a period of four years, promised to fight corruption as well as implementing stringent fiscal measures to balance Argentina's budget. But after four years of recession and an unemployment rate of over 20% of Argentines said enough. Austerity plans Fernando de la Rúa provoked strikes and demonstrations throughout the country that turned violent after the government decreed harsh measures concerning the withdrawal of money from banks. Argentina was plunged into a major economic and political confusion in December 2001 for non-payment of the loan (the largest in history) of 132,000 million dollars. De la Rua and many of his ministers resigned from rioting, looting and widespread civil unrest that resulted in 27 casualties.

On January 1, 2002 Eduardo Duhalde was elected the fifth president of Argentina. Peronista adamant, is characterized by populism and protectionism, although most critics do not forget the scandals that marred his tenure as governor of Buenos Aires. One of his first actions was to remove the convertibility of the peso pegged to a rate of one-to-one with the dollar almost immediately the currency was devalued by over 50%. This measure was unpopular but necessary to ensure new aid from the International Monetary Fund.

After its devaluation, the peso behaved better than expected in the currency market. Duhalde plans to introduce profound changes in the Argentine government, including the transformation of the current presidential system into a parliamentary democracy, were ruined by the lack of popular support for his government. It continued to produce numerous strikes and labor disputes almost daily and many people moved by the frustration of not being able to access your money, robbed the banks.

The presidential elections in early 2003 came the surprise of the year: the former president Carlos Menem resigned in favor of Néstor Kirchner

Argentina Culture and people

European influences have permeated art, architecture, literature and lifestyle Argentines. However, particularly in the field of literature, has developed a multicultural exchange, because Argentina has offered to the world renowned authors such as Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortazar, Ernesto Sabato, Manuel Puig and Osvaldo Soriano. Many Argentines studied in Europe and one of its consequences was that Buenos Aires consciously emulated the artistic, musical and architectural from the European continent. Therefore, the city has numerous museums and art galleries and importance of community theater with a deep-rooted. The film has also shifted Argentina's borders, and has been used to erase the horrors of the Dirty War, which now begins to be reflected in all its cruelty in some of his films.

The sample of popular culture Argentina best known is the tango, a dance and music which have captivated the imagination of romantics worldwide. Moreover, the country's folk music. For Argentines, the sport is essential, football is a national obsession than a game. Argentina won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986, and the exploits of Diego Armando Maradona, one of the most popular Argentine since Che Guevara, have been busy soccer fans, paparazzi and columnists in the last ten years.

Roman Catholicism is the official religion of the state is dotted with popular beliefs which diverge from official doctrine. Spiritualism and the veneration of the dead are deeply rooted.

The official language is Spanish, although some communities retain their own language as a symbol of identity. The Italian is widespread, reflecting the influence of the largest group of immigrants in the country. There are 17 native languages, which include Quechua, Mapuche, Guaraní, and the tuffs Matacos.

The Argentine meat dominates the menu, and beef in this country means beef. We recommend asking the grill, which includes virtually all parts of the animal: tripe, intestines, udders ... An alternative is the typical Italian dishes like gnocchi. It also highlights the exquisite Argentinean ice cream, which again reflects the Italian influence. Share mate (infusion) with friends is a ritual, and the fact that someone is offering you a way of being accepted into the group. The yerba mate, a variety of holly, is preparing a very elaborate and takes his own vessel, known by the same name

Argentina MAP