Argentina in Love —Travel Love Stories without borders

February is here, and Argentina has a lot to say in the month of love. The panorama is perfect: summer heat, holiday season, and the country’s ability to captivate new fans. Contexts make it easier, and connections are boosted. But, before we begin, let’s see why Valentine’s Day is on February 14th. It all started back then, in the 3rd century in Rome. Emperor Claudio II prohibited marriage among young people, and Valentine, a priest who was against the decree, celebrated those marriages on the sly. Everything went well until the emperor found out, and Valentine was sent to be executed as punishment on February 14th, 270. So, we celebrate this priest’s act of love every February.

With this in mind, and to make the most of international love stories, we created a section showing Cupid’s role in Argentina. Because its landscapes are accomplices of kisses and first dates. Because people’s warmth is translated into open arms welcoming tourists. Because it tells touching tales with characters fully in love. Today, we’ll reveal some of these travel love stories. 

Mendoza — Switzerland: Among Vineyards an Adventure Tourism

Bárbara and Alex met in January 2020. The film scenario was set in Mendoza, Argentina’s wine capital, so the romantic element was guaranteed. Alex was travelling only around Patagonia, a lifelong dream. As a wine lover would do, he set foot on the grape elixir land, and surrounded by mountains, excursions, and local tastings, he met someone who would soon be his future wife. Barbie was working for an adventure tourism company, so meeting foreigners is part of her daily routine. Alex was one among many other clients, but Cupid’s arrow was strong this time. She confessed, “I’d seen him in the morning, so I devised an afternoon plan to invite him out.” That rafting excursion connected their paths, and it was a one-way ticket to a love story linking Switzerland, where Alex was born, and Argentina. Barbie told us, “On the first dates, we talked via a machine translator. People would look at us in the restaurant, confused. They didn’t understand.” Plans changed, and Alex came back to Mendoza to give their relationship his all. It didn’t go wrong at all: on June 21st, 2021, they said, “Yes, I do.” When asked about the country with the End of the World, Alex claimed, “I love the culture of asado among friends, the spontaneous gatherings, people’s warmth...” The Swiss is already used to local friendliness, reflected in his bond with Barbie. He concluded, “I’ve found she and her family are really kind and warm. She keeps me centred; she’s my north.”

Bariloche — Russia: The Flight Back Home Which Was Never Taken 

A round ticket to the south of Argentina and back to Russia ended up in a love story. Natasha was working for a Russian airline, and she only wanted to travel. So, like a good globetrotter, she set out on a voyage to Argentina with a friend. She chose several destinations: Bariloche, El Calafate, El Chaltén, and Ushuaia. She never imagined that her first stop had an utter surprise for her: Ricky. Distances shortened, and while visiting Bariloche’s unmissable, they fell in love surrounded by lakes and mountains. Yet, the Russian had all her adventure planned out, so she went on discovering the most wonderful corners of the country until she got to the world’s most southern place, Ushuaia. She confessed, “I kept on thinking about Ricky and the city. I pondered, ‘What if I come back?’” Once her Patagonian trip finished, she came back to Buenos Aires to fly back to her country. Passport in hand, luggage ready, and a flight taken… But the final destination was different. She told us, “I was in the airport, my friend took the flight to Russia, and I took one to Bariloche.” Her heart led her straight to the city where she had fallen in love, and she changed the course of her life to build a future next to Ricky. Today, they work at INVAP, have a three-year-old daughter, and love nature. Ricardo admits, “Whenever we can, we try to get away, and even if we both work with technology, we try to unwind at home.”

Natasha speaks Spanish perfectly, and she has become an Argentinian: she enjoys the asado ritual, wines, mates, she values people’s warmth and kindness, and, above all, Ricky’s heart of gold. She says, “I like his values, his human side, and the attention he devotes to our daughter.” They both embark on adventures and record them on Instagram (Dream Patagonia).