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Argentina is a land of vibrant beauty and vivid contrasts that stretches for about 2,300 miles from north to south, finally terminating in the famous Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of the South American continent. A country bounded by the towering Andes Mountains to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Argentina displays in her vast realm virtually every type of land and climate imaginable. The country boasts both the highest and lowest points on the continent of South America, with Cero Aconcagua rising nearly 23,000 feet in the Andes, while the Gran Bajo sinks some 350 feet below sea level.

Argentina has a rich and widely varied history of European exploration and settlement, as well as many sites of archeological interest that shed light on the indigenous inhabitants’ lives before the arrival of the Europeans. The first European explorers to set foot in modern Argentina sailed up the River Plate estuary in 1516, in search of a southwestern trading route to the Far East and India. A mere 4 years later, Ferdinand Magellan would finally discover the elusive straits that now bear his name, far to the south in Patagonia, nestled among the many islands of the Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire). In 1536, the first settlement of Buenos Aires was founded on the shore of the River Plate and by the end of that century, 25 towns had been established in what is now Argentina, of which 15 still survive to this day. Many historic European ruins and pre-European archeological sites are well preserved in Argentina, providing an exceptional window into the colorful past for the modern day visitor. The population of Argentina today still reflects her strong European ties, with over 90 percent of the population claiming recent ancestry from either Italy or Spain. Italian is still spoken by many Argentines, in addition to the local form of Castilian Spanish brought with the original early Spanish settlers. Many other European countries contributed their citizens to the settlement of Argentina over time, and still today there are towns and areas where descendants keep their ancestors' languages and traditions alive. German, Irish, Welsh, British, Russian and Scots are in evidence in various parts of the country, and in some towns the age-old traditions of those settlers are still observed as a regular way of life. In the town of General Belgrano for example, in the Province of Cordoba, one will find a town with many Germans still wearing their Lederhosen and their alpine hats, dancing the Polka nightly in traditional German beer halls and celebrating the Oktoberfest. They are as likely to be conversing in German as in Spanish, and are equally proud to be both German and Argentine.

Today modern Argentina is known world wide for many reasons. The city of Buenos Aires, the capitol of the county, is known as “the Paris of South America” for its’ classic European architecture and wide tree lined boulevards bounded by outdoor cafes. A very cosmopolitan city with many lush parks, plazas, historical statues and a busy international port,” Buenos Aires is the economic nerve center of the country and home to nearly a third of all Argentines. In many areas of the city, one is hard pressed to distinguish Buenos Aires from some of the classic European cities in terms of its architecture, wide streets, outdoor eateries and the general ambiance of the people and city. Perhaps as famous as the architecture of B.A. is the Tango, a highly expressive dance that is deeply ingrained in the Argentine psyche, a dance which is still very much alive and well in the late night Tango clubs of the city. The vast and fabled Pampas grasslands stretch away from B.A. in all directions and support an exceptionally rich agricultural and livestock tradition still romanticized by the Gaucho, the Argentine cowboy. These Pampas contain many thousands of square miles of flat, grass covered fertile lands, free of rocks and trees (other than those planted by settlers), with a mild climate very conducive to farming and ranching, the two principal activities found in the region. As a result of the vast area of good soils and climates in Argentina, which include the Pampas, the country is one of the largest producers of food in the world.

One particularly world famous area of Argentina is the vast Patagonia, an area that extends from the Rio Colorado in the north, to the Beagle Channel in the far south of Tierra del Fuego, encompassing approximately one third of the county. This is the isolated land of the great Estancias, sheep ranches that cover sometimes up to a million acres at a time of the arid beauty that is much of Patagonia. In the far west of the Patagonia are the Andes and the lakes regions, an area of incredible contrast, with vibrant blue lakes full of cold, crystal clear waters that pour down from the high Andes in the annual snow melt. In this region of majestic mountains and lush alpine forests are found world class snow skiing resorts, white water rafting and kayaking, hang gliding, paragliding, mountain climbing and some of the best trout and salmon fishing in the world. The region of Patagonia is now being discovered by the rest of the world and one will meet tourists and residents from many different countries while traveling in the area. Farther south in the Patagonia are the glaciers, huge slowly moving sheets of ice that attract intrepid tourists from the world over. Several of these are found in National Parks, which boast some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable, far from civilization and unspoiled in their beauty. Farther south still in Patagonia is the “land at the end of the world”, the islands of the Tierra del Fuego, normally reached by plane, with most tourism activities originating out of the town of Ushuaia. In the lands of Tierra del Fuego are found many forms of wildlife not easily seen in other places, such as whales, penguins, sea lions and a wide variety of birds.

In 2001, the economy of Argentina was thrown into a tailspin as the country was forced to default on international loans. The Peso, which had been tied to the U.S. dollar, was released from the U.S. currency and allowed to find its own value. It has remained stabilized now for quite some time at near three Argentine Pesos per U.S dollar, effectively substantially increasing the buying power of the U.S. dollar and other currencies in Argentina dramatically. As the economy recovers from the devaluation, many opportunities have arisen for investment in Argentina by foreigners, due to the substantially increased buying powers of foreign currencies. Land in Argentina is one of the best values for investment purposes, since it is very cheap by world standards, yet of very high quality in terms of its’ productivity. Very large tracts of land can still be found and purchased in Argentina and it is not at all uncommon to see good ranches for sale that are measured in the hundreds of thousands of acres in size. Many times the “per acre” prices on the larger ranches will be in the $40 to $50 U.S. dollar range per acre or less. Top agricultural land is also still a very good purchase by world standards, and some of the best farming lands on the Pampas and in other areas of the country can still be purchased for between $1,000 and $2,500 per acre. These attractive prices have sparked a movement by multinational farming companies and the level of farming activity is increasing noticeably, the result being that lands formerly used for cattle are being converted to farm use and prices are slowly climbing. As the cattle ranchers are forced to less productive lands by the irresistible economics of farming such crops as Soy and various cereals, these less productive lands in turn are increasing in value, presenting more opportunities for successful investments.

As Argentina redefines its’ economy, investment opportunities will continue to be realized, creating new opportunities in their wake. Whether you are interested in buying land in Argentina, moving here to live, or simply interested in visiting the country, please don’t hesitate to contact us for advice or information. While we are not a tourism company, we are always happy to offer advice to help ensure that your trip to Argentina is a pleasant and enjoyable experience and that it both meets and hopefully exceeds your expectations.