Argentina – its weather, seasons and best time to visit

Argentina is the eighth  largest country in the world, covering an area of 2.78 million km² (1.074 million mi²) which is about 1/3 the size of the USA.

It covers most of the Southern part on the South American continent and as such has a varied climate.

It is flanked by the Andes mountains in  the West, the Altiplano in the North, sub tropical rainforest in the North East and much of the central part of the country are wide open spaces, the pampas.

The South (Patagonia) is a series of semi arid plateaus.

 Seasons:

Summer: December to February

Autumn: March to May

Winter: June to August

Spring: September to November

Perito Moreno Glacier, El Calafate

North West:

Popular destinations: Salta, Jujuy, Mendoza

When to go: This is an all year round destination. Summer time can be particularly hot in the Mendoza region.

Climate: The climate is mainly dry, hot and subtropical. However  temperatures will vary with altitude with a wider range the higher you are. . Winters tend to be mild.

Rainfall is mainly concentrated in the summer months with 85 % of the rainfall between October and March.

Salta  winter min/max average temps  3/20 °C (37/68 °F)

Salta  summer min/max average temps 16/29 °C (61/66 °F)

Mendoza  winter min/max average temps  2/15 °C (36/59 °F)

Mendoza  summer min/max average temps 18/32 °C (64/90 °F)

Quebrada de Las Cochas, Salta

North East:

Popular destinations: Iguazu falls, Ibera wetlands

When to go: This is an all year round destination. Iguazu is particularly busy in January, February and Easter with local holiday makers. The dryer months from April to September are a particularly good time to go.

Climate: The climate is sub tropical humid with frequent rain and a high air humidity. Summer tends to be hot and wet whilst winter drier and fresh.

There is generally good sunshine and the rains tend to be in the form of a downpour in the afternoon or evening.

Iguazu  winter min/max average temps  11/21 °C (52/70 °F)

Iguazu  summer min/max average temps 20/32 °C (68/90 °F)

Iguazu Falls

Centre East:

Popular destinations: Buenos Aires

When to go: This is an all year round destination with a Mediterranean style climate.

Climate: The climate is humid temperate. Rainfall is all year round but heavier in winter. Summers  are sunnier and the rain tends to consist of afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Summer can be hot and humid and winters cool.

Buenos Aires  winter min/max average temps  11/21 °C (52/70 °F)

Buenos Aires   summer min/max average temps 20/32 °C (68/90 °F)

La Boca, Buenos Aires

South/Patagonia:

Popular destinations: El Calafate, El Chalten, Ushuaia

When to go: The best months to go are from October to April.

Climate: The climate is cold oceanic. A characteristic is the strong wind, especially in Summer. Rainfall decreases as you go east. In the west, rainfall can occur all year round whilst in the east it is concentrated in the winter months.

Temperatures are relatively cold even in summer  and this can be highlighted by wind chill. Snow is more likely in the west.

El Calafate  winter min/max average temps  -3/5 °C (27/41°F)

El Calafate  summer min/max average temps 9/19 °C (48/68 °F)

Ushuaia  winter min/max average temps  -1/5 °C (30/41 °F)

Ushuaia  summer min/max average temps 6/15 °C (43/59 °F)

Cerro Torre, El Chalten