Carnival is one of the strongest long weekends of the year along with Easter.
It starts on
Saturday, February 18
and ends on
Tuesday, February 22
(Monday and Tuesday are national holidays).
For many, a getaway before classes start;
for others, the ideal date to finalize the postponed vacations.
It is well known: like any long weekend, prices are high and hotel capacity runs out quickly.
It must also be taken into account that the second half of February is still vacation time for many.
“The long weekend of Carnival is
one of the most anticipated
both by Argentines who decide to get away and by those who take the opportunity to take the whole week.
If we compare with the long weekend of Carnival last year, we observe a
98% increase in interest
from travelers”, explains Paula Cristi, general manager of Despegar Argentina and Uruguay.
Mar del Plata, a destination that convenes all year round.
Photo Telam
For his part, Martín Romano, managing partner of Atrápalo Argentina, says that
demand increased by 60%
compared to last year.
"There are destinations that will have an occupancy of more than 90% and we are certain that
the demand will be sustained
from here until the days before the carnival because there are always many people who wait until the last minute to make the decision. The issue it is that when they decide, they may not find accommodation”, says Romano.
For example, from the agency they combined Valentine's Day and Carnival as a romantic getaway and designed a cruise experience with stops in Brazil and Uruguay: in less than 72 hours all the cabins for that date were sold.
The Christ the Redeemer, in Rio de Janeiro, a destination with high demand from Argentines.
Photo EFE/ Antonio Lacerda ARCHIVE
The overwhelming sales results and the strong demand for Carnival is also clear when speaking with the Travel Services agency where they say that the "availability of products, both in national and international destinations, is already exhausted".
"The tourist who did not anticipate and is looking for a destination now chooses to book something for the following Carnival week or directly in March as an alternative because they find much more attractive rates," says Guido Boutet, Marketing Manager.
The most chosen destinations and a striking fact
Within Argentina, the
classics
are always in the
ranking of the most chosen
for Carnival, be it Mar del Plata, Bariloche, Salta, the Falls, Mendoza or Ushuaia.
From the Despegar agency, they point out that the most chosen for that weekend are Iguazú, Ushuaia and Mendoza.
Moreover, they point out that in destinations where the festivities are very popular, such as Gualeguaychú (Entre Ríos) and Tilcara (Jujuy) "there is no longer availability."
Trekking in Bariloche, one of the most attractive destinations in Patagonia.
For Atrápalo, the most requested to date so far are Iguazú, Bariloche, the Atlantic Coast and Córdoba.
“A very striking trend is the
prominence of international destinations for these dates
.
There are a large number of Argentines who take advantage of the holidays to travel throughout the week and in these cases the most chosen places are Miami, Cancun and Rio de Janeiro”, says Cristi from Despegar.
In this he coincides with Boutet de Travel Services, which highlights the growth of destinations abroad such as
Brazil
(Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis and Buzios) and the
Caribbean
(Cancun, Punta Cana, Aruba and Cuba).
The paradisiacal beaches of Aruba.
The Caribbean, among the favorites of those who travel abroad.
In this case, "most tourists try to extend a few more days, taking advantage of the holidays to travel for a
minimum of 4 and a maximum of 12 nights."
For those who want to travel in Carnival outside of Argentina, the Caribbean is a good option, according to Boutet: "
Cancun today concentrates the preference of Argentines
but Punta Cana has grown a lot in recent weeks in a package format with all-inclusive hotels that help a lot to control spending at the destination,” he says.
And he points out that
Aruba and Cuba
are "excellent options with a good margin for post-Carnival reservations."
The End of the World Train, a classic from Ushuaia.
How much does it cost to travel in Carnival
Let's see some packages and their prices.
Iguazú
: from 2/18 to 2/22, $183,000 per person.
Includes direct flight and accommodation with breakfast, spa service and parking (Despegar)
Bariloche:
flight, 3 nights accommodation with breakfast, transfers, assistance, from $123,830 per person (Atrápalo)
Salta:
flight, 3 nights accommodation with breakfast, transfers, assistance, from $90,025 per person (Atrápalo)
Ushuaia:
from 2/18 to 2/22, $192,000 per person.
Includes direct flight, round-trip transfer, and accommodation with a view of the Beagle Channel, buffet breakfast, parking and hot tub (Despegar)
San Rafael
(Mendoza): bus tickets, 3 nights accommodation with breakfast, coordinator guide, assistance, from $64,045 per person (Atrápalo).
Villa Gesell:
bus tickets, 6 nights with breakfast, coordinator guide, assistance, from $64,860 per person (Atrápalo)
Rio de Janeiro:
from 2/18 to 2/22, $351,000 per person.
Includes direct flight and accommodation with buffet breakfast, gym and golf course (Despegar)
Cuba:
12 days / 11 nights.
Departure on 2/20, Includes airfare to Havana, transfers, 3 nights of accommodation in Havana with breakfast, 4 nights of accommodation in Cayo Guillermo with All Inclusive and 4 nights of accommodation in Varadero with All Inclusive, Cuba visa and travel assistance, from $942,005 per person, includes PAIS tax and perceptions (Travel Services).
look also
Summer 2023: which were the most visited destinations in Argentina in January
Tourism record in the Caribbean: which are the most visited destinations