When it comes to insider travel tips, it helps if you know someone who’s from the destination you’re gong to visit. As a travel and hospitality public relations consultant, Paula Carreiro knows the travel business better than the average traveler. Born in the city of La Plata, Argentina and raised in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, she’s also quite an expert on Argentinian culture and travel. In this exclusive interview, she talks about the magic of travel and also shares some valuable Argentina travel tips.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has taken Argentina off the tourism radar for most people, at least for now, it’s a good idea to start thinking about that next South America vacation, even if it’s still a ways off. There will surely be high demand once people are able to freely travel around the region. and some travel agents are advising booking even a year in advance for some bucket-list vacation experiences in South America.
Here are some great tips from Paula about things to do in Argentina — including Buenos Aires.
How long have you been working in travel public relations?
I’ve been doing PR for more than 15 years now. Currently, I work for the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi and also have my own PR consultancy business, PCPublicRelations.com. The main purpose is to generate awareness of tourism destinations and hotels through consumer and industry media publications to increase guests and visitation.
I like to think that my mission is to bring places and cultures closer through the joy of travelling. I believe that travel is the best way to learn about other people, face misconceptions, enhance compassion, and understand that at the end of the day we are all the same under different circumstances.
••••••••
ARGENTINA TRAVEL TIPS: Travel Expert Jennine Cohen on Argentina, Travel & Life During the Pandemic
••••••••
Argentina is such a legendary destination. How do you describe your home country to people who’ve never visited?
Argentina is indeed unique, and I tend to describe it like a cooking recipe, as it has a little bit of everything. The people, the food, the architecture are all a merge of Italian, Spaniard, and Latin American customs.
The city of Buenos Aires has everything that a big city can offer, from the cafes, to the bars, great restaurants and exciting night life. The territory is pretty vast — 1,073,500 square miles — and the weather and geography can vary from the dry and hot climate of the northern provinces to the chilling temperatures of the glaciers in the Patagonia. There are also great ski resorts — such as Bariloche, Chapelco, Las Lenas — and people are always surprised to learn that you can ski in Argentina.
What do you miss the most about living in Argentina?
For sure the breakfasts, with my favorite croissant; the coffee experiences, that is, being able to sit down at a table and gossiping and chatting with a close friend; the friendliness of the people and the unique sense of humor that just can’t be explained or translated.
••••••••
DON’T MISS: 7 Things You Should Know About Taking a Patagonia Cruise
••••••••
There are so many things to do in Argentina. What would you recommend as must-see and must-do activities and sites for a first-time visitor?
I’d certainly recommend exploring the city of Buenos Aires as much as possible. I think it’s unique in South America but, of course, I might be biased. Specifically, I’d suggest visiting the neighborhoods of Palermo Soho and San Telmo, attending a live performance at Teatro Colon, enjoying a typical asado, maybe at restaurant at Puerto Madero, and definitively attending a Boca Junior soccer match! Outside of Buenos Aires, I think that the Patagonia and the Perito Moreno national park as well as the wineries in Mendoza are also must-see spots.
What are some of your favorite Argentinean foods?
I personally love the croissants, both types (manteca and grasa), the dulce de leche and banana split homemade-style ice creams, and the cortadito. The empanadas are also great, but that’s something that you can also find at some places here.
When you visit, what is your idea of a perfect day?
I would definitively arrange to meet with some friends to catch up at a local café across a great cortadito and maybe enjoying an alfajor or a havanet from Havanna.