Tambopata National park in Peru is a beautiful green paradise, comprising 1.5 million acres of sub-tropical rainforest of the Madre de Dios and Puno regions.

Tambopata is internationally acclaimed as one of the most bio-diverse areas on earth. It is particularly famous for its monkeys, giant river otters, black caimans, capibaras, tapirs and hundreds of bird species.

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The lack of “quality” beaches is regularly identified by locals and tourists as one of the few absences in Argentina’s otherwise rich and diverse physical geography. While many porteños migrate to the coastal zones of Buenos Aires Province (Mar del Plata, Pinamar, Miramar etc.) during the exceptionally warm summer months of January and February, the majority concede that beaches in the coastal zones of Uruguay and Brazil are far superior. However, if you look hard enough there are a number of spectacular beaches and coves to be found inland, alongside the lakes of northern Patagonia. These don’t necessarily subscribe to the traditional beach resort model but do offer unique locations to lap up the sun and take a dip in the crystal clear waters which flow from the surrounding mountains of the Andes.

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Paracas is a coastal town in Peru, at a four hour bus drive from Lima , that offers some of the most beautiful photographic scenes in my most recent memory. You can take a bus ride to the national reserve to observe the desert, museum, and restaurants located within secret places along its rocky coast. You can also take a boat ride to observe the islands that host millions of birds and thousands of sea lions. It makes for a very romantic scene for couples and friends.
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It was a sunny September morning in the great city of Buenos Aires. My friends and I were waking up from yet another night out on the town, Porteño Style. (NOTE- in this city people don’t go out to the bars and discotheques until two or three in the morning–afternoons are the new mornings). As we sipped our Cafe Con Leche, eager to embrace the fleeting day, we decided upon a plan of action: it was time to for La Boca. Unknowing of what was to come, we began our journey.

La Boca, or “the mouth” holds a very special place in the hearts of Porteños. In many ways, it can be seen as a symbol of Argentinean Culture. While you might be thinking that this barrio has been given such a name in honor of its inhabitants–a people characterized by rapid, loud, and incessant talking– this is not quite the case. La Boca is home to the opening or “mouth,” of the Riachuelo River, the first natural port in Buenos Aires. This water way offers a nice beak from the hustle and bustle of the city center. On a clear day you can catch local fisherman and their families taking antiquated sail boats for a ride. more…

Words actually fall short to describe Rio de Janeiro. But I will do my best to give you an impression about this spectacular city. Of course Rio de Janeiro is famous for it´s carnival and the tiny bikinis at the Copacabana beach, but Rio the Janeiro has so much more to offer than just that.

For one thing, the city itself is beautiful, it is built in between the mountains and this makes an amazing skyline. On one side you have the Sugarloaf Mountain and on the other side there´s Cristo Redentor, a huge statue of Jesus Christ on the hill watching over the richly colored sunny city. A cab driver told me that there´s this competition between people from Sao Paolo (Paulistanos) and the people from Rio the Janeiro (Cariocas), where the Paulistanos say the Cariocas are really lazy and never work and the day the Cariocas start working, Cristo Redentor will clap his hands.

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Travelling to more remote locations in Argentina and more widely in Latin America, can provide its fair share of challenges but the experiences awaiting the determined explorer can be extremely rewarding. A significant part of that experience often lies in the journey to such secluded locales and this certainly applies to the tiny town of Iruya, tucked away amongst the Andes in the province of Salta, in the northwest of Argentina.

The only way to get to Iruya without a 4×4 is on the buses operating daily from the town of Humahuaca, some 300km away. The remoteness is partly explained by Iruya’s geographical situation, located on a plateau in the Andes, known as the Altiplano in Spanish or high plain. Iruya itself is carved into a mountainside and sits at a height of 2,780m above sea level. There are other historical reasons which determine the relative levels of connection/disconnection between towns in this part of Argentina. The northwest, such a significant leg of colonial trading links between the silver mines of Potosi in Bolivia and the Atlantic Coast, and subsequent European markets, prioritized more accessible cities such as Salta, Jujuy and Tucumán, whilst bypassing hidden pockets of human civilization like Iruya. Most of the smaller settlements situated in the northwest of Argentina consist of villages or towns with relatively undeveloped transport links, and are sheltered between the mountains or near adequate water sources for drinking and irrigation (Iruya itself is located alongside the Iruya River). Of course, Iruya and many of the neighbouring towns and villages dotted within and along the Andes, possess histories which stretch back far earlier to pre-Colombian times, providing that element of mysticism which undoubtedly draws many travelers to the region.

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Most people don’t get to San Salvador de Jujuy. They’re usually too busy - either on the way to Bolivia or Chile - or just avoiding it due to the ‘wisdom’ of other travellers. I lost count of the number of times I was told: “oh, there’s nothing in Jujuy. Absolutely nothing…I mean, it’s no Salta.”

Well, Salta it isn’t: the old city has been eroded - a victim of war, earthquakes and the destruction in 1812 by Belgrano and his retreating troops. Yet, for all that it lacks in colonial authority, Jujuy redeems itself with gentle Andean charm.

It’s a great place to relax and plan the next leg of your trip. Or to explore the surrounding areas: Humahuaca, Purmamarca and Tilcara. I just walked around, eating ice cream and stuffing my face, safe in the knowledge that the food in southern Bolivia wasn’t going to be quite as tasty. more…

Just at 165 kilometers from Salta is this little town called Cafayate. With its 11.785 inhabitants it´s situated at 1683 meter height and surrounded by vineyards. We drove from Cachi to Cafayate in about 5 hours and this was an amazing trip. You see lama´s crossing the street, loads of peppers that have been put to dry in the sun and of course the most beautiful colored mountains. The feeling you get and the views cannot be described.

Cafayate itself is a great place to stay. For foreigners it´s most famous for its bodegas and torrontes wine, which won a lot of international awards, but in Argentina Cafayate is also well known for its folklore festival every February. We stayed in a very nice hotel called Vieja Posada, which was more like a big country house, rather than a hotel. At this moment they are renovating it at the outside, but inside it was beautiful, with a big patio and excellent rooms.

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From Salta we drove through the Calchaquies Valleys to Cachi. This is a beautiful little town with only 5254 inhabitants, situated on 2.280 meter height at the foot of the Andes Mountains. The town itself is lovely, but the most spectacular thing about it, is the trip to Cachi. It is breathtaking! The mountains are so beautiful with all their different colors and shapes. You feel like Lucky Luke, all alone on the prairie. For one moment you see cacti all around you and for the next there is only rocky landscape for as far as you can see. After about a 4 hour drive you arrive in cute little Cachi.

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DOS MANOS takes you to a unique folkloric festival, high up in the Andean Montains, in the small village of Paucartambo, in the south east of Peru.  Paucartambo means: flowered tavern.
During the month of July there are incredible sunrises in this area, well worth a visit.

But there is another reason to visit Paucartambo this month: on July 15th and 16th of July Paucartambo celebrates the festivities of La Virgen del Carmen, or  Mamacha Carmen. There is a great gathering which initiates this big festival on the plaza de Armas with music bands play and different choirs sing in Quechua. This way introducing beautiful choreographies which tell parts of Peru’s history.

On the main day of the celebration there is a big procession to bless all the participants and to scare away the demons. Special dancers called Saijras then show of by doing some acrobatic stunts on roof tops which date back from the Inca and colonial era.

Come  with us and visit these two wonders of the wonderful historic city of Paucartambo with us!! more…