From Brazil to Salta

Salta city flights

The airline industry was just about tottering to its feet and making baby steps after the Covid-19 shutdown when Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine, prompting a world fuel and cost of living crisis, in addition to the tragic and ongoing human catastrophe.

 

Friends and visitors have complained recently about the sharp increase in international air fares: and this in an industry which in many countries was heavily subsidised through 2020’s lockdown.

 

A note of warning was recently sounded by the Vice President of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for the Americas, Peter Cerdà, who said of my adopted home nation: “Argentina is one of the most expensive countries in the region in terms of surcharges, levies and taxes: charges on international travellers are particularly high, and are subsidising internal flights. To create a genuinely competitive system, they need to reduce them.”

 

Reassuringly, there are some promising shoots of recovery in the internal flights market: from next week (Monday 4th July), the national flagship airline Aerolineas Argentinas will be running thrice weekly flights direct from Salta to São Paolo in Brazil.

 

So far during 2022, we’ve had more guests from Brazil than from any other country: perhaps, like so many travellers, the Brazilians are reluctant to venture too far from home in this uncertain Covid-changed world: and they’re crossing the border for tours in Argentina to take advantage of the blue dollar.

 

The verdict of our recent guests from Brazil, who we squired around the Salta wine region: “Muito bom!” My wife Alicia, who is learning Portuguese, tells me they were happy…

 

In the next few months, Salta’s provincial government is also hoping to restore direct flights to Lima and Panama, international connections which proved highly successful before the pandemic. And direct flights to Bariloche are starting up for the winter ski season in Argentina. Bariloche is also receiving direct flights from São Paolo twice a week, also with Aerolineas Argentinas.

 

In my home city of Salta, in the far north of the country close to the borders with Bolivia and Chile, though Aerolineas Argentinas dominates, budget airlines like Flybondi and Jetsmart run daily flights to Buenos Aires.

 

Jetsmart also runs three flights a week to the Mendoza wine region and Neuquen, the gateway to tours of Patagonia, and twice weekly to the world famous waterfalls of Iguazu.

 

Keep an eye on my blog if you’re planning holidays in Argentina, and I’ll keep you posted on developments. In the meantime, for all flights in and out and within Argentina check out AA2000.

Vineyard La Rioja
Duration
5 days
Group Size
1 to 4

Wine and History: Mendoza to Salta

Take the long and winding road from Mendoza to Salta, visiting lesser known boutique wineries in San Juan, La Rioja, and Catamarca along the way.

This deep immersion into the wine and culture of Argentina is perfect for those who want to combine an exploration of the rich history of the region with some of its best off the beaten track wineries, while driving through some breathtaking scenery close to the Andes.

Our journey begins in the hub of Argentine wine production, Mendoza, taking the iconic Route 40 north through the emerging wine regions of La Rioja, Catamarca, and Tucuman.

Click here to view map route.

pimiento CU
Duration
3 days
Group Size
1 to 4

Classic Wine Route

Explore the varied landscape of the Valles Calchaquies and its excellent boutique wineries in this Argentine wine tour par excellence.

Our Classic wine route combines Salta's superb boutique wineries in the highest altitude wine region in the world with the breathtaking landscape of north west Argentina.

Apart from the ubiquitous Malbec, this area is known for its fine Torrontes and Tannat.

Click here to view map route.

RED VINE
Duration
6 days
Group Size
1 to 4

Wine and History: Salta to Mendoza

Take the long and winding road from Salta to Mendoza, visiting lesser-known boutique wineries in Catamarca, La Rioja, and San Juan along the way.

This deep immersion into the wine and culture of Argentina is perfect for those who want to combine an exploration of the rich history of the region with some of its best off-the-beaten-track wineries, through some breathtaking scenery close to the Andes. Apart from Argentina’s classic red Malbec, we’ll be sampling lesser-known varieties like Tannat, and discovering the Argentine take on classics like Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Pinot Grigio.

Our journey begins in the highest altitude wine region in the world, the Valles Calchaquies in Salta, famous for its production of Torrontes, a white grape variety that is unique to Argentina. From Salta’s principal wine town of Cafayate, we take the iconic Route 40 south, through the emerging wine regions of Tucuman, Catamarca, and La Rioja, before arriving in the provinces of San Juan and Mendoza, producers of 93% of the nation’s wine.

Click here to view map route.