Colombia Activa

CURRENCY

The official Argentine currency is the Peso. There are bills of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos and coins of 1 peso and 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents. You should be aware of counterfeit money.

ATMs

Availability is generally good but you should not rely solely on using international debit cards bearing the Cirrus or Visa logos to access funds (in Argentine Pesos). IMPORTANT: In many cases your card is returned at the end of the transaction. DO NOT FORGET IT.

CREDIT CARDS

VISA, AMEX and MASTERCARD are accepted in most hotels and mayor shops and restaurants. Shops normally charge extra for the usage of the card or give important discounts for paying in cash. There are many restaurants that do not accept credit cards, they only work with cash.

TRAVELLERS CHEQUES

Are accepted at most hotels, Banks and exchange houses (Casas de cambio) in main cities. They are not widely accepted outside the major cities.

CASH

US dollars /EUROS are not widely accepted outside the major tourist areas for cash transactions but it is worth bringing a small supply of dollars (small denominations) to exchange for pesos. Other currencies are not acceptable except at some banks and exchange houses.

BANKS

These are normally open in the mayor cities from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm. In smaller towns banks open at 7.00/8.00 am and close at 1.00 pm. Banks are closed on week-ends and holidays.

BUREAUX DE CHANGE

When exchanging money, you are advised to use only authorised bureaux de change, rather than informal traders.

WINTER

In winter major winds include the cool Pampero blowing on the flat plains of Patagonia and the Pampas after a cold front; a warm wind that can blow from the north in mid and late winter creating mild conditions; and the Zonda, a hot and dry wind (see also foehn wind), affecting west-central Argentina. Argentina also gets some snow in many southern and central places.

SPRING

In Northern region, spring is very short, but progressively lasting more southwards (around 3 months at Buenos Aires' latitude). During mid-October a large variety of wild and urban flora fully blossom. Thunderstoms and hailstorms are frequent. Temperatures are mild and nights are cool.

SUMMER

In summer temperatures are more diverse, with an average of 9 °C (48.2 °F) in the south and 27 °C (80.6 °F) in the north. Temperatures can reach up to 45 °C (113 °F) in southern parts, but by a short period. Cold fronts are frequent, lowering temperatures as much as 15 °C (27.0 °F).

AUTUMN

Is generally mild, windy and progressively lasting more southwards (around 3 months at Buenos Aires' latitude). Some forests and vineyards can bring along the autumn foliage, with its red and orange leafs, specially in mid-April. During these season, the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier but later on it becomes a distraction.