Salta & Mendoza: Higher Altitudes, Slow Days, and Balcony Views

Salta: Balcony Views and an Empanada Victory

Salta

We arrived in Salta on December 30th. After a welcoming Cabify ride with a chatty driver, we were greeted by an incredibly warm Airbnb host and a lovely apartment that immediately felt like home. The balcony alone could have convinced us to stay longer — wide views, warm air, and that quiet mountain-city feeling that makes you slow down without even noticing.

We didn’t waste much time before heading out again, though. Our host’s first recommendation was empanadas, and honestly, when in Argentina, you don’t argue. At La Nueva Criollita we hit a small but meaningful jackpot: they had a cheese empanada without egg. Victory. The junior’s first empanada was met with a very serious taste test and an equally serious double thumbs up.

Later that day, things took a less triumphant turn. A mild headache crept in, slowly but stubbornly, until I found myself very much out of the game and far too close to the toilet bowl. Whether it was dehydration, a bit of altitude, or the two lunch beers (or all of the above), Salta made it clear that it wanted to be taken seriously. Sitting at around 1,200 meters above sea level, it’s not that high — but bodies are individuals, and mine clearly had opinions. Locals swear by coca leaves or candies to ease altitude symptoms but we didn't have luck finding those at the supermarket.

The next day was better, but somehow my entire time in Salta was shaded by a slightly off feeling — not terrible, just… not quite right.

New Year’s Eve, the Quiet Edition

New Year’s Eve matched my energy perfectly: calm, quiet, and uncomplicated. We wandered through a nearly deserted city, bought coca candies, played air hockey, and let the junior try an arcade car racing game. Later, we stocked up on snacks and watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie. After the kiddo fell asleep, we opened a bottle of red wine and sat on the balcony, enjoying the warm evening air and distant fireworks. No pressure, no big parties — just exactly right.

That same day, we also sorted out our rental car. Both old colleagues and our Airbnb host recommended the same place, Activa Rent a Car. After a bit of Googling, we realised it was literally across the street from where we were staying. Travel luck at its finest. We booked the car for January 2nd–4th, with the plan to return it straight at the airport. With limited time and my energy levels in mind, it felt like a good compromise.

Road Trip North: Flexible Rules and Big Landscapes

On January 2nd, we headed north toward Purmamarca, climbing up to around 2,200 meters. Matias had the honour of being the first — and only — driver on this leg of the journey. It didn’t take long to realise that driving rules here are more… flexible. Lanes are optional, pedestrians fend for themselves, and confidence is everything. Whoever has the most cojones goes first.

The drive itself was stunning. Lush green hills slowly transformed into dry, dramatic landscapes filled with cacti and layers of colour. Hunger eventually kicked in, and we started searching for food — which led us through tiny villages frozen in siesta silence. In Volcán, we finally found an open shop selling coca leaves and ice cream. The elderly man behind the counter asked where we were from, genuinely interested, and the whole moment felt unexpectedly wholesome. And all in Spanish, of course — though his accent was thiiiick.

Volcan

Our accommodation was Mai Jaii, a few kilometres before Purmamarca. When we arrived it felt almost abandoned — door locked, no movement, just silence. Then we noticed a bell by the parking lot. One loud ring later, someone emerged from the back of the building, and suddenly the place came to life.

Purmamarca: Llamas, Layers of Colour, and a Change of Plans

Purmamarca was touristy, but also incredibly charming and beautiful. After checking into our hostel, we headed into town, following in the footsteps of colleagues who had been here before. Dinner included llama meat at del Sol, and afterwards we wandered to the starting point of the Seven Colour Hill trail. There were two llamas there (we didn't tell them about our dinner choises...) and the scenery seemed nice. We planned to hike it the next morning — the sun was already setting — and the junior still had energy left for the playground before bedtime.

That night, my body once again had its own plans. Stomach cramps, very little sleep, and by morning it was clear that pushing through a scenic hike wasn’t the right choice. We decided to skip the trail, do a quick visit to the nearby market, and head back to Salta.

Back to Salta: Half-Speed Days

The rest of the time was spent gently: a rooftop pool, Matias going for a run, and everything happening at half speed. It wasn’t the “full itinerary” version of Salta we might have imagined — but it was still Salta: warm air, mountain-city calm, and the kind of travel days where you just listen to what your body is saying and adjust.

Mendoza: Balcony Views & Malbec Nights

Our final stop in Argentina was Mendoza — wine country, wide skies, and a much-needed softer landing. Even the arrival had a story: our Uber driver looked exactly like my dad. The kiddo stared at him for a long moment before asking why that man looked just like grandpa. After a brief pause, he decided it couldn’t be him — grandma wasn’t there with him. Case closed. (Btw the resemblance was so spot on that even my grandma chuckled 😁)

We stayed in a high-rise a little outside the city centre, which meant lots of steps but also one of the best balcony views of the trip. The city stretched out beneath us, the full moon glowing above — it felt almost unreal. A perfect setting for a bottle of Malbec and absolutely no plans.

Wine, Moonlight, and Doing Less

We debated renting a car to explore wineries ourselves or organising something more structured. In the end, travel tiredness won. The constant planning and decision-making had quietly piled up, and slowing down felt like the real luxury. Days passed with walks, pool time, card games, and wine enjoyed without rushing anywhere.

Good Wi-Fi kept us connected to family back home, which grounded everything in a comforting way.

The Tomahawk (and Completing the Holy Trinity)

On our last night we did end up going for the tomahawk in Mendoza — at Chama Santuarion — and it was the perfect way to complete what now feels like the trip’s unofficial steak trilogy.

First came Buenos Aires: the melt-in-your-mouth ojo de bife at Don Julio. Then La Cabrera, with a table so full of sides it practically turned into a buffet. And finally Mendoza: a tomahawk that didn’t apologise for anything — bold, smoky, and unapologetically rich with that glorious fat-and-fire flavour. A perfect last meal for the meat country known as Argentina.

The Laundry Incident

On our last day, we made the classic mistake: last moment laundry.

It started innocently enough. We loaded the machine, picked a wash program, and added the drying cycle too. The display happily announced a total time of… hours.

On the way back to the apartment we asked reception how long our laundry slot was valid. Turns out it was more than an hour shorter than the program we’d chosen. Great.

When we finally went back down, we were hoping for just slightly damp clothes and a quick exit. Instead, opening the door released a cloud of steam… and inside was a hot, heavy pile of clothes that was still basically soaking wet. Not “a little moist”. More like: “a quick test of how much water a piece of clothing can possibly absorb.”

So we hauled everything out in small handfuls (so we wouldn’t burn our hands), and the rest of the evening turned into a proper drying operation: towels, improvised hanging, ironing — and a surprisingly effective YouTube lifehack involving a hairdryer and a plastic bag. It probably would’ve worked even better if we’d only had a few items, instead of half a wardrobe.

Lesson learned forever: never do laundry the day before departure.

Goodbye, Argentina

And then, just like that, Argentina came to an end. On the drive to the airport, No llores por mi Argentina by Serú Girán played on the radio, and I quietly teared up — the perfect, slightly dramatic soundtrack to a country like this.

Because Argentina gave us a bit of everything: the big-city buzz of Buenos Aires, the overwhelming force of Iguazú, the dry colours and altitude lessons up north around Salta and Purmamarca, and finally Mendoza’s slower rhythm — views from the balcony, a couple of glasses (ahem bottles...) of Malbec, and a much-needed pause from constant decision-making. It felt like we only caught glimpses of a huge, intense, warm country… but somehow those glimpses were enough to leave a mark.

We barely scratched the surface — but we’re leaving with full hearts.

But now we’d better get going. The next destination is already waiting.

-Sini

Two Countries, One Overwhelming Natural Wonder: Iguazú Falls

Tropical Christmas Eve

No white Christmas this year.

We flew into Puerto Iguazú on the 24th, trading urban streets for warm air, dense greenery and an entirely different kind of landscape, and took a taxi to our hotel, Hotel Saint George. During our drive we saw roadside warning signs that pointed out local wildlife: coatis, wild cats, things you definitely don’t expect to see on a normal city commute.

After dropping our bags, we walked to a nearby restaurant we’d spotted on the way to the hotel. No big Christmas feast, no long plans — just food, tired legs and a calm first evening in a completely new setting.

Later that night closer to midnight, fireworks started going off. Mostly we heard them rather than saw them, but from the balcony we could catch glimpses of light above the treetops. Not a traditional Christmas by any stretch — but somehow very fitting for this trip.

Butterflies, boardwalks and a growing roar

The next morning, it was finally time.

We headed to the Argentinian side of the Iguazu falls after breakfast. The park itself is well organised, with wide boardwalks, clear routes and a small train that takes you deeper into the area. We hopped on the train towards Garganta del Diablo, knowing that this was supposed to be the highlight — but still not quite prepared for what that actually meant.

It was only after stepping off the train, at the very start of the walkway towards Garganta del Diablo, that the jungle truly announced itself. Butterflies appeared seemingly out of nowhere — swirling around us, landing on clothes, backpacks and shoulders — turning the walk into something straight out of a nature documentary.

Butterfly here, butterfly there, butterflies everywhere

Garganta del Diablo 👹

The closer we got, the louder it became.

The river widened, the air grew heavier with mist, and then suddenly the ground seemed to end. Garganta del Diablo isn’t just something you look at — it’s something you feel. The noise is constant and powerful, the water disappearing into a massive drop right in front of you.

Garganta del Diablo

We stood there for a good while, watching the water crash down and rise again as spray, before slowly making our way back.

Around us, coatis — raccoon-like animals native to the area — wandered around with impressive confidence. They were clearly used to people and showed little fear, strolling past backpacks and legs as if this were their living room. Still, reminder signs were everywhere: wild animals nonetheless, and not to be fed.

Coatis

Walking it back

On the way back, we walked the lower trails as well. More views, more water, more butterflies — some of which seemed determined to hitch a ride on our clothes.

By the time we headed out of the park, everyone was tired in the best possible way: full of impressions, slightly damp, and quietly impressed.

And this was only one side.

Brazil: Borders, Birds and Bargain Ubers

The next day it was time to switch countries again.

We hopped on a Rio Uruguay bus heading towards Foz do Iguaçu, ready for our Brazilian chapter. Crossing the Argentinian border went smoothly and without any drama. So far, so good.

Argentinian border crossing

Not long after, the bus stopped again. Most passengers stayed seated, looking completely unbothered. We exchanged slightly confused looks — was this it? Was this the Brazilian border? A quick bit of Googling revealed that locals don’t even need to get off the bus for Brazilian immigration.

Just as the bus started moving again and we realised we were about to miss our stop entirely! Sini sprang into action, rushing forward and urgently asking the driver to open the doors. A small moment of chaos later, we were out, backpacks with us, and heading for border formalities.

By the time we were done, the bus was long gone.

There was no clear information about the next one either, so we waited for a moment, weighing our options. Then I checked ride apps — and there it was. An Uber, ready to pick us up for the grand total of two euros. Decision made instantly.

A few minutes later we were cruising towards Hotel Golden Park, amused at how absurdly easy (and cheap) that solution turned out to be.

Small joys of modern travel

One of the quiet pleasures of travelling these days is just how effortless some things have become. Ride apps in particular have been a constant favourite: open the app, type in the destination, hop in, and the payment takes care of itself in the background.

(With the notable exception of our earlier Cabify episode, where a card got temporarily locked for “suspicious activity”. Luckily after getting things solved with the bank, that was easily worked around by switching the payment method to Google Pay or PayPal).

The same goes for staying connected. Using an eSIM like Airalo has made things refreshingly simple: data works across borders without hunting for SIM cards or worrying about surprise roaming charges. Maps load, ride apps work, quick Google searches settle small uncertainties and make sure the nearest restaurant doesn't have tons of one star reviews.

It’s hard not to think back to travelling around Southeast Asia almost 20 years ago (woah!), before smartphones were everywhere — with a Lonely Planet stuffed in a backpack, flipping through dog-eared pages, circling guesthouse names with a pen and then walking around town asking door to door if there happened to be a room free. Sometimes there was, sometimes there wasn’t — and that uncertainty was just part of the deal.

Shawarma in Brazil?

But enough of memory lane — back to the current trip and Brazil.

After check-in, hunger hit fast. We wandered out and ended up at Shawarma Star, which was not exactly what we expected to find in Brazil. Sitting there, eating Middle Eastern food in South America, felt a bit odd — but the service was incredibly friendly, the shawarma was delicious, and the bill was very modest.

It turned out the area has a noticeable Middle Eastern influence, and shawarma places are actually quite common around here — so maybe not that strange after all.

So far, Brazil was making a very good impression.

Birds, Boardwalks and the Brazilian Side of the Falls

The following day we Ubered to Parque das Aves, the bird park right next to the entrance of the falls. It turned out to be a fantastic stop, especially with a junior traveller in tow.

Flamingos, parrots, toucans, and even a couple of freely flying hummingbirds to mention just a few — all set in lush tropical surroundings. A calm, colourful way to ease into the day before heading to the waterfalls.

A cute toucan posing for the photo

At the Brazilian side of Iguazú Falls the queues were long. Very long. Thankfully, years of Finnish upbringing had prepared us well for disciplined waiting. After lining up, hopping on a bus, and waiting some more, we finally reached the viewpoints.

From this side, the experience was very different. Standing across the river, we could see places we had walked through just two days before on the Argentinian side. The scale really hit home here — waterfall after waterfall stretching far into the distance.

The final boardwalk led straight into the spray, soaking everyone who dared to walk all the way to the end. The bridge was packed with people, so it was time to enjoy the queues again. There was no escaping the humidity, but at that point the cool water mist felt refreshing rather than annoying. 

More waterfalls, this time on the Brazilian side

After that came a gift shop, a short walk — and naturally, more queuing. This time to get out.

Heat, Hunger and a Very Good Decision

By the time we made it back to the hotel, hunger had fully caught up with us. We hadn’t managed to eat properly all day, the temperature hovered around 35°C, and the step count was… ambitious.

So we did the sensible thing and headed straight to the hotel restaurant.

It turned out to be an excellent call.

The food was ridiculously good, the prices almost suspiciously low, and the whole experience left us wondering if maybe we should’ve planned to stay in Brazil a bit longer...

As if the falls hadn’t already set the tone, the night came with a proper tropical thunderstorm. The kind you only really encounter in tropical parts of the world — loud, intense and close enough to be felt as much as heard. Thunder rolled, lightning lit up the sky, and the hotel itself was vibrating along with it. A fittingly dramatic send-off.

I might have mentioned this before, but I find that kind of weather fascinating. There’s something about the raw power of it that’s hard to look away from.

Sini, on the other hand, would much prefer experiencing it from three layers under the duvet, closed in a soundproof chamber in complete darkness, as far away from windows as possible.

And the boy wasn’t even aware there was thunder at all — he slept like Cinderella on industrial-strength sedatives, despite the storm shaking the whole hotel. Impressive stuff!

One More Day in Brazil: Pool Time and a missed Tomahawk

Our last full day in Brazil was intentionally low-key.

After a fairly full-on stretch of borders, waterfalls, heat and walking, we slowed things down properly. We spent part of the day at a nearby shopping mall, and the rest mostly by the pool. Enjoying the sun, the water and some well-made caipirinha. Not bad at all.

This trip also happened to mark my 50th country visited, and the idea of celebrating that milestone with a massive tomahawk steak had been floating around for a while. But after eating at the mall and letting the relaxed afternoon drift into evening, we decided not to force it. The tomahawk would have to wait.

Back to Argentina: Easy Borders and Heavy Metal

The next day we went for the easiest option possible and booked a direct transfer from our hotel in Foz do Iguaçu back to the Argentinian side, to Raíces Esturión Hotel.

After checking in, we headed out on foot to see the Triple Frontier, where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. It’s one of those places that’s more about the idea than the spectacle itself — but still worth seeing when you’re already there. We also paid a visit to the Iguazú sign, wandered a bit, and grabbed something to eat before calling it an early evening.

Iguazu sign around sunset

With an early flight coming up, at the hotel we booked our airport transfer in advance and kept the night calm.

The next morning started early. 6:00 am Breakfast, collecting bags, and then into the car. As we drove towards the airport, the driver had Metallica and Rammstein playing on the stereo. The music earned him a bigger-than-usual tip and the fellow metal-head seamed very pleased.

That wrapped up our Iguazú chapter. Beautiful waterfalls and nature, lots of walking in the heat — and worth every step. On to the next one.

Crossing Río de la Plata – from a village to a metropolis

Buenos Aires

After spending two nights in the beautiful Colonia del Sacramento, it was time to set the sails and hop onto a… well, a ferry. Without the sails, but you get the idea. Matias had booked Buquebus ferry tickets online, so it was an easy check-in at the counter, our big backpacks went onto the belt, and we encountered passport control. First Uruguayan, then just a few steps to the next counter that read Entrada Argentina — and hey, we were cleared to enter Argentina.

(Ok, we might have taken a few missteps and even checked the second floor before returning to the right place, as we didn’t catch the sign or the language barrier got in the way a bit.)

After some chilling, it was soon time to board the ferry. I had actually done some research beforehand thanks to @woltersworld — fun guy, lots of helpful travel videos and he seems to love Turku too which is always a bonus). I’d learned that you could pay a little extra and sit more comfortably on the second floor of the ferry — but I forgot to mention this to Matias. Well, luckily the tourist seats were fine and the wind wasn’t too bad. The trip took a little over an hour, so quite manageable.

Arriving at the Buquebus terminal was a bit confusing. I did see a sign that said immigration, but didn’t see anything or anyone in that direction, so we just continued with the others, got our backpacks screened, and suddenly we were in the terminal. It seems Argentina doesn’t really do stamps anymore or double-check passports or fingerprints, so this was a very easy entry.

What wasn’t fun — or easy — was when Matias tried to order a Cabify and it got declined. Shortly after, he received a message from our bank saying the card had been blocked due to suspicious activity. So he had to call them to clarify the situation. After 16 minutes and roughly a 40-euro call, we were finally able to continue our journey and actually see Buenos Aires and our Airbnb in Palermo Soho.

Buenos Aires – the big city

Montevideo was not very touristy — colonial, yes, but we hardly heard any other languages. The first time we did was actually in Colonia, on our first day at Restaurant Picasso, when I heard a distantly familiar tone… and yes, the first language (other than Spanish) we heard on this trip was Finnish 😆. So we knew things were about to change.

Our neighbourhood in Palermo was very lively and felt safe. Our Airbnb was perfect for us and had a balcony where we could sip mate or coffee — or watch the Christmas peace declaration early in the morning. It also had laundry machines and a rooftop terrace with a jacuzzi that needed a reservation beforehand. We tested the jacuzzi once and it was a dream.

   Christmas peace declaration broadcast from Turku to Buenos Aires

Hola!

But there was no time to just sit in the sun — there were playgrounds to be found, empanadas, steaks and choripán to be eaten, steps to be taken, and touristy things to do.

We spent a total of eight days in Buenos Aires and really loved the place. Writing a day-by-day diary would be too much, so I’ll try to sum things up a bit.

We visited Ecopark to see some cute animals for free (maras, a sea lion, giraffes, a monkey, birds etc.). We also went to the Japanese Garden, which was full of tourists with Instagram pictures in mind — cute, but to my taste, meh.

Recoleta Cemetery was creepy, but a must. Our son was intrigued, but I personally struggled a bit with checking out different coffins up close. Amazing place, nevertheless. 

Recoleta

Almost next to it was a museum with a Prohibido no tocar exhibition — basically like Heureka (Vantaa, Finland), where you are encouraged to touch, test and learn science. The area was a bit weird, though, as you had to first pay a small amount to enter the museum area and then more money to access the exhibition itself.

A little pricey maybe (especially if you try to keep costs down), but it’s important to keep the balance when travelling with a kid.

And in Buenos Aires, we — and by we I mean Backpacker Junior — were in great luck: there were truly awesome parks and playgrounds everywhere we went. Highlights in Palermo included the lighthouse park, science park, Ecoparks otter park, palm tree park, and the kid’s favourite: big tree park. Lots of slides, swings and space to run. Hands down the best playgrounds so far.

Buenos Aires playgrounds are 🔥

Hop-on, hop-off and colourful streets

We also did our first-ever tourist bus tour. Ever since following my ex-co-workers world tour on facebook (2022 ish) and picking up clues, tips and tricks, I liked the idea of seeing a big city on wheels. Second floor, roof open, sun shining, wind in your face — ah, I really enjoyed cruising around.

We stopped to see El Caminito. At first it didn’t look like much was happening, but then the colourful streets and tourist traps opened up, tango dancers appeared, and music filled the air. Such a lively and colourful place. We walked around, grabbed a bite to eat, and continued to the next stop.

La Boca's Balcony of Messi

We actually meant to go straight to San Telmo Market, but after spotting a playground in Parque Lezama, we were obligated to do a test round and stop for a while.

Whii!

After that, it was wandering around San Telmo and the Puerto Madero area before hopping on for our final stint back to Palermo Soho — really handy this hop-on hop-off tour — and we can recommend it! Fun to hear more info through the headphones, plus some nice music along the way.

Then I think it’s time to talk about the meat.

I’ll let Mateo write about that 🙂

The Bite That Silenced All Doubt

I’ll happily do the honours for the last chapter, especially when the subject happens to be so meaty 😋. Because in Buenos Aires, you have to talk about the meat. And yes — we did our homework.

At some point during trip planning, I found myself googling the world’s best steak restaurants — partly out of curiosity, partly because meat culture is such a big deal in this part of the world, and I wanted to see if any of the “best of the best” spots would realistically fit our route. And there it was — right at the very top of the list. The best of the best. The world’s number one steak restaurant, sitting perfectly along our route: Don Julio.

A quick look at Google Maps made it even better. Not only was it along our route — it was actually just a couple of blocks from our Airbnb. That sealed it. We booked a lunch table almost two months before the trip.

And as if that wasn't enough, the credentials didn’t stop there. Don Julio has also been ranked #10 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list, and it holds a Michelin star. As our reservation date got closer, a few doubts started to creep in — at least for me. With that kind of hype, could it really live up to expectations? Could they really turn a piece of meat to be an experience? 

Turns out, that question was answered very quickly.

Even before we got to the table, the place was already doing its thing. While waiting outside, we were offered champagne at the front door — a small detail, but it set the tone instantly.

Not all queues are created equal 🥂

Fast-forward to the moment the steak arrived: Ojo de Bife. There was a brief pause before the first bite — that tiny moment where expectations are sky-high and you’re almost bracing yourself for disappointment. 

Then came the bite, and any doubt I had disappeared instantly. The meat practically melted in my mouth, and at one point I literally got chills. 😄 Looking back now, it’s hard to argue — this was very likely the best steak I’ve ever eaten.

This is why we came 🥩🔥

The service was also excellent throughout, and the sides weren’t just an afterthought either — the arugula and cheddar side in particular was muy rico, perfectly complementing the steak.

Premium quality comes with a premium price tag, and that lunch definitely pushed our daily budget well above average. Still — I would do it again in a heartbeat. The experience was unforgettable, and without a doubt one of the highlights of our time in Buenos Aires.

A few days later, on our last full day in Buenos Aires, we made our second big steak stop at La Cabrera, another place with a strong reputation. The meat itself wasn’t quite as perfect as Don Julio’s (still really good — it’s just that the bar has now and for the future been set extremely high...), but the overall experience was excellent: genuinely warm service, and sides kept arriving until the table looked like it had been upgraded to a buffet. The value for money was outstanding, and we left the restaurant very, very full.

The La Cabrera experience, sides very much included

-Sini & Mateo