Tango & More! Dance the argentina culture: Tango, Anden & Wine with Nicole Nau & Luis Pereyra
Be ready to discover the Andes mountains and its National Parks during this 14 day trip. Dance the tango and the Argentinean folklore on unexplored places, in wine fields, at the foot of volcanos always accompanied by Nicole Nau and Luis Pereyra. This trip, again, will take your breath away…
DAY 01 – 1. & 2. April 2021 – BUENOS AIRES
Welcome to Argentina! Upon arrival you will be taken to the historical café Las Violetas where you will enjoy a delicious welcome brunch and where you will dance the first steps of Tango of your trip.
DAY 02 – 3. April 2021 – FLIGHT TO CATAMARCA
Very early in the morning you will be taken to the local airport for your flight to Catamarca. Upon arrival at 07:30 you will be taken for a good breakfast first. After breakfast you set off to the town of Belen at about 269km from the capital of the province. This lovely small town is the oldest of the province, and used to form part of the Inca empire. History states that this was the first place where they established an Inca Capital outside the Peruvian territory. You have the afternoon at leisure to stroll through the streets and to witness the daily
life. You might choose to visit a local artisan, there is a local family called ‘Avar Saracho’ which offer a large range of local products. Here in this town you will receive your first real class during the trip.
DAY 03 – 4. April 2021 – HISTORY IN SHINCAL & A BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN
PASS
Just 7km from Belen, the Shincal ruins show what became one of the most important Inca settlements of an empire that lasted about a century. The city was strategically located along the Quimivil river and in the Sierra de Quimvil valley. The town has two pyramids dedicated to the Sun and Earth God. From the top of the pyramids a magnificent view over the valley can be obtained. Around the place nowadays Llamas wander around; great for some amazing pictures. After a visit to Shincal you set off in the direction of Villa Union. On the way there you drive through the gorgeous mountain pass called ‘Cuesta de Miranda’; a scenic slope that reaches 2040m above sea level. It is a curvy , very colorful pass with stunning views. The real attraction is only 10km long, but in those 10km you take about 300 turns! Your end destination is Villa Union in the province of La Rioja today. The town itself has not much to offer, but it is the ideal place from where to explore the
spectacular nature reserves in its vicinity.
DAY 04 – 5. April 2021 – MILLIONS OF YEARS OF HISTORY
In the morning you set out to visit the red walls of the National Park of Talampaya, famous for its gorge with impressive red walls reaching up to 140 meters. With the desert sun shining brightly, the background looks like a ghost city from a western movie. Large, red rocks tower into the clear blue sky. After a visit to this amazing park you continue your way to Valle Fertil to visit the nearby Valley of the Moon, also known as the schigualasto Provincial Park. Once at the park you will get familiar with formations shaped by water and wind erosion such as “The Worm”, “Painted Valley”, “The Sphinx”, “The Bowling Field”, “The Submarine”, “The Mushroom” and the “Red Ravines”. The constant work of erosion on the clay layers reveals fossilized remains of vertebrates and flora from the Secondary Era. This makes it one of the most important paleontological sites in the world. In fact, it was declared a Natural World Heritage by UNESCO. When visiting Valley of Moon you can spy on the past of the Planet Earth while surrounded by a moon-like landscape.
DAY 05 – 6. April 2021– SMALL VILLAGES AND UNTOUCHED NATURE
This morning you will have your tango class before you hit the road south towards the city of San Juan, crossing the province from north to south. On the way you can enjoy the picturesque natural environment of mountains,
streams and narrow passes. The city San Juan itself is a typical ‘provincial town’ where live centers around
the main square. This square is called the ‘Mayo Square’ and is the ideal place for relaxation and amusement.
DAY 06 – 7. April 2021 –THE VALLEY OF WINE
From San Juan you set south to the city of Mendoza, capital of wines of Argentina. Although several other provinces in Argentina, such as Salta, Córdoba and San Juan, produce wine, Mendoza is the star of the show due to the incredible diversity of its production. Its wines range between worldfamous, award-winning malbecs, and simple vino patero (foot-pressed wine). That diversity is also evident in Mendoza’s terroir. After arrival in Mendoza you will continue the way to a local winehouse where you will enjoy a picninc and a wine tasting.
DAY 07 – 8. April 2021– THE HIGH ANDES MOUNTAINS
Today’s day outing shows you the most beautiful areas of the Andes mountain range between Mendoza and the border with Chile. Early in the morning you depart towards the town of Potrerillos. The beautiful scenery that awaits you today starts with the red shimmering rocks in this place. The trip then continues through a mountainous area along the path of the Mendoza River until you reach the green and fertile valley around Uspallata. From there you follow the route to the Chilean border, slowly climbing through canyons between ever higher mountains. You arrive at the „Puente del Inca“ (Inca Bridge). This beautiful bridge with yellow-brown colors has been formed by minerals and erosion. From here it is not far to the national park at the foot of
the Americas’ highest mountain, the Aconcagua. With its snow-capped summit of 6,962 metres (22,841 feet) it stands out majestically and offers a breathtaking panaroma together with the mountains in its surroudings.
DAY 08/09 – 9. & 10. April 2021– WINES WINES WINES
The Mendoza area has various regions of which the so called ‘Uco Valley’ has both altitude and attitude and is certainly one of the most interesting and stunning areas to visit some wine houses in Mendoza. This is where you set off to today and where you will spend the next two nights. You will be taken along an alternative road to the center of the Valley. The road passes along the winefields through small villages. Your final destination of the day is the Posada Salentein, part of the Winehouse that goes under the same name. This is where you will be staying the following 2 nights. Make sure you make a visit to the winehouse itself; it offers a gorgeous architecture and even an art gallery with modern and traditional exhibits that showcase regional and international talent. Their barrel room was designed to be a fabulous location for music concerts, with remendous acoustics and barrels integrated into the décor. Why don’t you try out some tango steps in
this unique place?
DAY 10 – 11. April 2021– DAILY LIFE IN VALLE DE UCO
These past few days you have been able to get an impression of the wines and the natural landscapes of Mendoza. Today you will set out and get in touchwith the local culture of the Uco Valley. By getting in touch with the local culture you will see that the history of the valley is finely intertwined. You will visit locals today to see and experience their live and work.
DAY 11 – 12. April 2021– CAÑON DE ATUEL
The trip continues south today, to the city of Malargue. On the way you will pass by San Rafael and its the dazzling canyon ‘Atuel’, the canyon links two mad-made reservoirs alont the Atuel River. You will follow the river which is border by steep cliffs and natural rock sculptures formed erosion of the wind. They have names like the ‘Hanging Gardens, Monsters, Enchanted city and the Cathedral’. After a visit to the canyon your continue your way to the final destination of the day.
DAY 12 – 13. April 2021– THE VOLCANOS OF PAYUNIA
A very unique outing today to an impressive volcanic district ‘La Payunia’. La Payunia is a 25,000 km2 volcanic area at the foot of the Andes. It is one of the regions with more density of volcanoes in our planet, with more than 800 cones of different sizes and eruption styles. These quantity and density make La Payunia one of the most important volcanic districts on Earth. Its landscape, made by vast lava plains with many volcanic cones, basalt flows and pyroclastic fields looks like a different planet, making the visit to La Payunia a wonderful
experience. The area is candidate for being declared World Heritage Site of UNESCO and it is visited by volcanologists and tourists. Undoubtedly, La Payunia will always remain in your memories as one of the
strangest and most spectacular sceneries you have ever seen.
DAY 13 /14 – 14. & 15. April 2021– BACK TO BUENOS AIRES
From Malargue you will drive back to San Rafael where you will get on your flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival you are taken to your hotel. The rest of the day at leisure to do some last shopping; make sure you get some new tango shoes before heading home!
DAY 15 – 16. April 2021- DAY AT CASA DE NICOLE AND LUIS
Back in Buenos Aires; get ready for a day at the house of Nicole and Luis in Quilmes in the province of Buenos Aires. You will be picked up from your hotel, taken to Quilmes where you will enjoy your day eating asado and dancing tango. A wonderful last day in Argentina
DAY 17 – 17. April 2021 – BACK HOME
Your tango trip has come to an end. You will be taken back to the airport for your flight back home