Five Once-in-a-lifetime Experiences in Santiago del Estero

The province with the country’s oldest city sits down 1,000 kilometres away from Buenos Aires. It surprises everyone with its local flavours and folk melodies that can only come from a cultural cradle. Santiago del Estero shines with a touristic offer for everyone to enjoy and fall in love with. Adrenaline, relaxation, nature, gastronomy, and history coexist in the same destination, and the concept of choosing your own adventure is honoured in Santiago del Estero.

So, which activities should be on the must-have experience list? 

1. Relaxing in Termas de Río Hondo

The tourist activity par excellence that earned it fame as a relaxation destination. Termas de Río Hondo has all the necessary ingredients to get the perfect result: hotel infrastructure, recreational services, and the best wellness practices. To put it simply, this is a spa-resort city ready to welcome tourists eager to try the hot springs, be lulled by its charms, and forget about daily stress. 

The city with the largest number of hot springs in the continent has earned its position on the podium for offering a completely satisfying experience. It sits over a mineralized hot spring of a 12-kilometre radius with carbon-ionised waters. They help cells grow, improve organic activity, alleviate rheumatisms, breathing problems, eczemas, and improve circulation and digestion. What is the best time of the year to visit it? During the Argentinian winter —swimsuit, a relaxed mind, and overall wellness that gets to every body cell. 

Yet, it is not only calm what this unmissable destination offers: there’s also something for motor racing lovers. Just a few minutes from the thermal paradise, there is the Termas de Río Hondo’s racetrack, where national and international racing, motorcycling, and cyclocross tournaments occur annually. You can visit right there the Automobile Museum and see a Formula 1 car first-hand.

2. Taking Pictures of Santiago del Estero, the Provincial Capital 

The Mother of all Cities makes quite a statement as a must-visit destination. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise since it was the first city founded in Argentinian territory. So, with such an honorary title, it is packed with places ready to be explored. Postcards-like pictures can be taken from different places, but they all guarantee the same: corners, folk clubs, museums, green areas, and pavement exuding history and culture.

The ideal panoramic points to admire the city from the heights are Torres Gemelas, the province’s highest buildings. With 24 and 18 floors, respectively, they manage to capture the city’s essence from the sky. What’s more, to get in the buildings, you enter a Cultural Passage linking both structures in a common area that works as an exhibition room for paintings, sculptures, local upholstery, and photographs.

Also, the flowery pink trumpet trees decorate the city’s main street, dying the scenery intense pink and framing the perfect photographs. 

3. Walking in Tara Inti Recreational Natural Reserve

Tara Inti means island of the sun in the Quichua Aymará language. With such an introduction, we imagine it’s already enough to sow curiosity and make you want to discover the treasures this reserve hides. Seventy-five kilometres away from the provincial capital, there is a 24-hectare green oasis packed with local flora and fauna, with more than 100 different bird species. Four viewpoints help you gaze at the natural spectacle and top off the immersive experience. 

The circuit consists of 600 metres of walkways outlining the perfect trail to wear out your trainers in nature. The instructions are simple: contemplate the environment and let yourself be taken away by the silence that is only interrupted by local animals’ soft sounds. Moreover, palaeontological remains from the Quaternary period can be observed. So, going trekking can also find its historical angle. 

4. Enjoying an Astrotourism Night with a Glass of Wine

Yes, you’re reading it right. Santiago del Estero also has a privileged position for the grape elixir, the symbol of the Argentine territory. In Beltrán, Robles department, the province shows off one of its little-known but worth mentioning sides. When the sun sinks and the stars embellish the dark sky, a new adventure begins. This includes tasting local wines, guided meditation classes, local recipes to test your palate, and the possibility of looking at the starry sky with binoculars and telescopes. 

5. Watching a Football Game in Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades

The stadium has a capacity for 29,000 seated people, box seats, stalls, and press booths. The major European stadiums inspired its modern design —giant screens, LED technology lighting up the grass… One of the most avant-garde stadiums in the country. Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades opened its doors in March 2021 and rapidly became one of the great must-visit attractions in Santiago del Estero. It hosts international and national tournaments, so if you want to enjoy a sport event, you can’t miss it.