Argentines are extremely tolerant and patient when it comes to children – they love having them around. It’s quite normal to find kids enjoying a restaurant meal with their parents – there are never any disapproving eyes if you walk into a restaurant late with a child. Kids go to bed late which means they are often in the company of their parents. It’s a very family-oriented society, which is why traveling there with the children is relatively easy. And there are quite a lot of activities that you and your children can enjoy together.

Food
Argentines are big meat eaters so good beef is always available. But be warned portions can be large so it’s sometimes wise to order one steak and share it between two or even three children. Pizza houses are ubiquitous and often serve all types of pasta too. Argentina makes delicious ice-cream and you’ll find lots of ice-cream parlors (heladerias) in all cities, towns and most villages. Another Argentine specialty which the children will love is dulce de leche (caramelized milk) often served with media lunas (small sweet croissants) for breakfast and to be found in lots of cakes and biscuits.

Accommodation
As a family-oriented society, most accommodations cater accordingly. Hotels frequently have rooms with four or five beds or rooms with interconnecting doors or suites. One type of accommodation which the Argentines have perfected is the cabana, small houses or flats, to be found in more rural areas such as the Lake District and Patagonia or close to tourist attractions or National Parks. Generally, they have two or more bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and maybe even a sitting room. They can be very comfortable and are often great value.

Argentina offers a host of things to see and do so it would be difficult not to find something to enjoy:

Argentine Wildlife

-Argentina is one of the richest fossil sites for dinosaurs in the world and you can go and dig for fossils and visit any number of dinosaur museums.

-Whale watching is a real treat for kids who can watch the Southern Right whales nurture their young in a bay off Peninsula Valdes. Here you can also observe elephant seal colonies and, at the right time of year, killer whales.

-Just south of Puerto Madryn you can visit a Magellan penguin colony.

-The Iberá Marshes in the north is made up of some 700.000 hectares of swamp land and lagoons, which abound with monkeys, swamp deer, turtles and caimans. For the budding young ornithologist the Esteros del Ibera are paradise.

Tourist Trains

-The Old Patagonian Express nicknamed “La Trochita”, so called as it runs on narrow gauge railway, runs for over 400km between El Maiten and Esquel. It was made famous by Paul Theroux’s Old Patagonia Express and uses the original locomotives from 1922. Check the website for timetables and prices.

-El Tren a las Nubes leaves from the northern city of Salta and arrives to the village of La Polvorilla relatively high up in the Andes. The line, a great feat of engineering with its countless bridges, numerous tunnels and viaducts, was inaugurated in 1948. The journey there and back takes around 15 hours. For further information see the website.

-El Tren del Fin del Mundo is the ultimate touristy experience. It operates from just outside Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego at the foot of Argentina to the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. It’s a 50-minute ride.

Great Natural Wonders

-The spectacular granite formations and glaciers in Los Glaciares National Park is some of the most fascinating and magical landscape in the world.

-Voyage in Charles Darwin’s wake down the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia to Estancia Haberton.

-In the north, Iguazu Falls is simply fabulous – here take a boat trip, a train or follow one of its many trails and catwalks that lead to viewpoints of these spectacular water falls.

Sporting Activities

-Stay at an estancia and ride with the gauchos or help them round up their cattle. See Estancias Around Buenos Aires.

-The country’s plentiful pristine rivers and lakes gives ample opportunity for keen young fishermen to practice fly fishing.

-Trekking is popular and there are great trails in Argentina’s National Parks.

-Ski or snowboard in one of Argentina’s many resorts. See Top Argentine Ski Resorts.

Useful Websites
Further information, advice and tips can be found at Kids Can Travel and Travel For Kids.