Food
Food in Argentina is not exotic or unusual, so it will generally not be a problem for anyone. If you like things hot however, then bring your own spices because it is not common to find hot spicy foods in Argentina, and even less on the base.
Preparing lamb on the stake – a traditional food
Food hygiene when eating out depends on the place where you go. In general there are no serious problems here, nor any that are different to any other part of the developed world.
A typical food here is the “empanada” which is a pocket of pastry containing various fillings such as minced meat, chicken or ham and cheese. “Asados” or BBQs of all sorts of meats are also very common, and even more so in the north of the country where they farm the cattle. There is also a lot of fish and seafood available in Puerto Madryn because it is a large fishing port.
Water
In all of the large cities within Argentina the water is potable and safe for you to drink. Once you leave these larger cities and move into less populated areas it is wise to look for bottled water, which is available everywhere.
In Puerto Madryn the water is well treated and safe to drink.
Paying Tips
In places such as restaurants and bars it is common to leave between 10% to 15% as a tip. Regarding taxis, hotel service, ushers in cinemas and theatres, beauty salons, and other places, you may choose to leave a tip according to the level of service provided.
Security
Argentina is known as a country without great danger, nor is it a terrorist target. Security in the country has degraded somewhat owing to the economic crisis in 2002. The most frequent problems are thefts during the night and the occasional armed robbery.
That you are a tourist – is obvious
As a foreigner to any country, you are more obvious than others and it is common to see travellers as a source of money. So it is wise to take some of the following commonsense precautions such as:
- watch carefully (or have always in hand) your backpacks and bags.
- take care when showing expensive things in the streets (cameras, telephones, watches, etc).
- avoid isolated or lonely places; always try to be where there are other people.
- keep your documents and money separate.
- do not hail a taxi in the street unless you can be sure that it is an official car (it can be hard to tell at times).
- do not wear jewellery or watches of great value (Rolex, diamonds, etc all show that you have money and make you more likely to be a target for theft).
Places that can be more dangerous include bus terminals, airports, lonely places, and night time. But always be on guard. Argentina is not unusually unsafe, but as with any country there are thieves and those who take advantage of the careless person.
You will find that restaurants and tourist zones outside of Buenos Aires such as Iguazu waterfalls, in the Patagonia of Argentina (this includes Puerto Madryn), the glacier zone, Valdes peninsula, Bariloche, Tierra de Fuego, etc. are very secure locations. But as always, be wise.
Iguazu waterfalls
An over-cautious website outlining security risks is that from the Australian government: Travel Advice for Argentina.
Health
Hospitals in Argentina vary considerably in quality, but for emergency situations they are normally good and all offer a free service even for travelers. There is no free service for the dentist or optometrist, however the private clinics do a good job at a reasonable price.
The hospital in Puerto Madryn
Sicknesses
Common diseases are controlled as a large percentage of the population has been vaccinated against them. There is no epidemic that affects Argentina as the government works quickly in immunising any area where there may be a small outbreak.
Technology
Mobile Phones (Cellphones) exist all over the country and if you would like to use one here you need to have an account with “global roaming” available or an unblocked GSM phone in which you can insert the SIM card (CHIP) purchased here, which gives you local prices for your calls. More information here.
Computers are very common these days and their prices are getting lower every year. Computers in Argentina used to cost a tremendous amount for many years but this is now changing and the cost to purchase them are comparable to other countries. However, laptop computer prices have not yet been reduced greatly.
Internet exists as Wifi in many parts of the larger cities and broadband is freely available in most parts of the country. Cyber Cafes exist in every city and town to the point of being on almost every corner, and offer internet at prices somewhere between $1-$2 pesos per hour. Some offer headphones, cameras, microphones, CD burning (creating), copying of photos to CD, scanning, etc, which can come included or at an extra price. All web-base email accounts are accessible from these cybers (such as Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail).
Digital Cameras are more and more common now, and the service for printing these photos is available in virtually all of the photographic shops. Memory cards of all types are also freely available for purchase although they may not be the latest or greatest sizes available.
Electricity
The electrical current in Argentina is 220 volts, 50 hertz and the plugs are of two types; the older form was two round points, and the newer one is with three planes, one for earth, in the same format as Australia and New Zealand.
The power outlets are now made to accommodate both types of plugs
Local Time
Argentina relates to GMT -03:00. There are no daylight saving hours or changes between the seasons and the time remains the same throughout the entire year. There are no time differences within the country – all of Argentina runs on the same clock.
Hours
Throughout Argentina it is very common to talk about time in the form of military hours (00:00-24:00) although most people also understand the use of a.m. and p.m. too.
Generally the shop times are divided between the morning and the evening. In the afternoons virtually everything except essential services and corner shops, internet and big shopping complexes remain open. This is known as “siesta” time. The morning hours are from 9:00 to 13:00 (1pm) and the evening starts at 17:00 (5pm) to 21:00 (9pm).
Religion
The official religion in Argentina is Roman Catholic followed by the Evangelical church.
Catholicism is even stronger in the north of Argentina
Useful Telephone Numbers
- Firemen: 100
- Police: 101
- Federal Argentine Police 131
- Rights for Children and Youth: 102
- Civil Defense (Buenos Aires): 103
- Environmental Emergency: 105
- Nautical Emergency: 106
- Medical Emergency: 107
Information 110
Official Time 113
International Operator 000
National Operator 19
Country prefix: 54
Buenos Aires area code: 11
Puerto Madryn area code: 2965
Calling Mobile Phones in Argentina:
0 + area code + mobile number (from within Argentina)
00 + 54 + 9 + area code + mobile number (international)
Calling Fixed Line Phones in Argentina:
0 + area code + telephone number (from within Argentina)
00 + 54 + area code + telephone number (international)
For international calls add 00 plus the country code.
You can make both national and international calls from public telephones and “locutorios” which are found in abundance in large cities. The advantage of using “locutorios” is that you pay only for the time that you have used, and you can see how much and how long that you have been talking such that you can limit your calls to what you want to spend.
Economic rates for telephone calls are generally from Monday to Friday between 22:00 (10pm) and 8:00 (8am) and Saturday from 13:00 (1pm) onward until 8:00 (8am) on Monday. During the other times all calls are at standard rates.
You can find fax services available in virtually all telephone centers and “locutorios” throughout Argentina.