"Traveling through Argentina was the best choice," says a Swiss family who traveled the country for 6 months

Much of the world was still holding its borders and its citizens in isolation when a Swiss family picked up a world map and turned their attention to “big countries, with many interesting things to visit”.

“

.

And now we can say that it was

.

It is told by Salomé Held, a Swiss citizen who in 2022, together with her husband Reto Stroh and their two children -Noah, a boy then 11 years old, and Mena, a girl who was 10 at the time of the trip-, spent 6 months

from north to south and from west to east, and they got the best of impressions.

“Our dream was to get out of the daily routine, be inspired by the life of other countries with different organizations of society and different approaches to the challenges, and have

.

We planned to start our trip in 2020 and visit several countries, but then, the Covid pandemic made such dreams impossible”, Salomé recounts from Switzerland via email.

Reto, Mena, Noah and Salomé: a Swiss family traveling along National Route 40. Stroh/Held family photo

However, as the situation improved, they thought that their dream trip could be more achievable if instead of covering several countries they

, so as not to have to cross borders, which was difficult due to the restrictions that governed so.

And

.

Now, back in her native country, Salomé sums up what they liked or surprised the most about Argentina: “The variety of landscapes, the climate and the wild life of the country are incredible, but what we liked the most

.

From the south to the north, we only met kind, helpful and warm-hearted people.

They always gave us big smiles, warm welcomes wherever we were, talked to us and took an interest in what we were doing”, he says.

From Ushuaia to La Quiaca and from Salta to Misiones

Towards the end of 2021, when the pandemic was already losing strength, the family learned that the Argentine borders would open on November 1 for foreigners, and they did not hesitate: they booked their tickets and we organized the shipment of their motorhome to

, in the province of Buenos Aires.

In the lonely Perito Moreno National Park, in the northwest of Santa Cruz.

Family photo Stroh/Held

It is

-Duro model- that was repainted and conditioned to turn it into a home on wheels, with a kitchen and four beds.

In addition to being very comfortable, its height and power allow it to travel on all types of terrain.

The itinerary of his trip was: "Buenos Aires - Route 3 to Ushuaia - Cabo Vírgenes (Santa Cruz) - Route 40 to La Quiaca, "with a long stay in the Puna".

And from Salta, through Santiago del Estero, Chaco and Corrientes (Esteros del Iberá), to Misiones (Moconá and Iguazú).

They then toured “a bit” of Brazil and Uruguay, and flew back to Europe from Montevideo.

Which places were the ones that you liked or surprised the most?

“It's hard to choose, because

”, Salomé cuts short, and points out that, in addition to classic places like Ushuaia, the Perito Moreno glacier, El Chaltén with the Fitz Roy hill and the Iguazú Falls, “which we loved”, the They surprised some

.

“For example, we loved the

(in the northwest of Santa Cruz), a very remote park but very well maintained, and where the park rangers are very friendly.

The landscape there is more than fantastic;

the turquoise blue water in front of the mountains is like from another planet.

We really enjoyed hiking,

and, at night,

, totally clear and without light pollution, something that

”.

Next to the cone of Arita, in Salta.

Family photo Stroh/Held

And he immediately highlights another aspect that they particularly liked: “Argentina is a

: it has an average of 16 inhabitants per km2, very different from Switzerland, where we live, with an average of 208 inhabitants per km2”.

“As we live in a very small country with a lot of people, we loved

that we found in Argentina.

As tourists we feel welcome everywhere, and everywhere we find plenty of space.

We had the feeling that Argentines are

than we are in Switzerland”, she affirms.

High altitude experiences

Continuing with special landscapes, another highlight of the family trip was

, in a section that linked San Antonio de los Cobres, in Salta, with Salar de Pocitos, Tolar Grande, Cono de Arita, Antofalla and Antofagasta de la Sierra to Hualfín, in Catamarca.

The four of them at almost 5,000 meters above sea level in Abra del Acay, the highest point of Route 40. Photo family Stroh/Held

“In Laguna Blanca we were able

(Hilos del Viento), an absolute experience

unforgettable mind.

The sound of the panpipes in front of the lagoon and the mountains was simply wonderful.

And the salty lagoons, the volcanoes, the dunes, the Ojos del Mar lagoon, in Salta, and the Campo de Piedra Pómez (in Catamarca), are

”, Salomé enthuses.

And he adds that they were constantly amazed by the fact that the landscape changed “every five minutes, with incredible colors and shapes.

And

above sea level, in the middle of nowhere, was a fantastic experience.”

“After

, we can say that it was an absolutely unforgettable experience.

Our favorite part was in the north, from Cafayate all the way to La Quiaca.

We loved being in these wonderful landscapes with their canyons, rivers, colorful mountains, cacti and many llamas and vicuñas.

For our children, the best was the

.

They loved climbing those rocks,” Salomé enthuses.

The Valley of the Moon in Jujuy fascinated the little ones in the family.

Killing in Switzerland

Another site that pleasantly surprised them was the

, "a province that seemed very interesting to us."

He says that there they learned about the Jesuit missions, the immigration of people from all over the world, and mate.

“Almost at the end of our trip we were able to see where the yerba grows and how the mate is prepared, and it was very interesting.

Now

.

It is a little piece of Argentine culture that we brought to Switzerland”, he says.

In Misiones they also explored the Moconá Falls and crossed the jungle “in the middle of nowhere, which was also a highlight for us because we don't have a jungle in Switzerland or in Europe.

.”

Salomé and her husband, Reto, believe that those who plan a great trip must be curious, flexible and open;

be willing to leave your comfort zone and know that not every day is perfect, because you also

such as the weather, problems with the car, the needs and times of the children or the state of the roads.

At the Cabo Virgenes lighthouse, km 0 of Route 40. Photo family Stroh/Held

“Since we traveled with our children, we had to organize school supplies, which was also a challenge.

We brought the materials from Switzerland and we were always working so that the children

.

And it was not an online job, but with sheets, books and tasks”, says Salomé.

And she remembers how special it was that her daughter Mena was able to receive

with her teacher from Switzerland.

She “she took her lessons in very special environments like national parks,

.

Since there was wifi in the park rangers office, it was possible, and really cool!” she enthuses.

Salomé says that at the end of the trip they felt “very grateful and happy for the fantastic that our dream has come true, and that it has been even better than we thought:

”.

“We learned a lot about the country, the people, the history, the geography and, above all, about life.

We had some family problems, but

.

We gained a treasure trove of unforgettable memories, made many friends, and got a new longing place.

to all the Argentinians we met and who made our trip unforgettable.

Thank you Argentina!" 

The family travels the world in their special motorhome, a converted Swiss military vehicle.

Family photo Stroh/Held

After their return to Switzerland, they made two other great trips with the same motorhome, through Central Asia and Australia, "but

," says Salomé.

And he says that they were very happy for the victory of the "Scaloneta" in the World Cup in Qatar, and that they would very much like to return to the country and visit their Argentine friends.

Route 40: stamped passport

The family traveled completely along Route 40, from km 0 in Cabo Vírgenes to La Quiaca, in Jujuy.

“We spent

from the south to the north, exploring the wonderful landscapes and natural wonders along the route, such as El Calafate with Los Glaciares NP, El Chaltén, Perito Moreno NP and many others,” he says. Salome.

And they completed all the stamps of the Route 40 Passport, a document that is delivered to those who travel this famous road and certifies the passage through different sectors, from Santa Cruz to Jujuy.

The family with the Ruta 40 Passport: the first non-South Americans to get all the stamps.

Family photo Stroh/Held

“The Passport was a perfect added challenge to drive on the road.

We always wondered where and what the next stamp stand would be like;

finally we got them all and we received the diploma of honor as

, ”She says, and sends a photo of the whole family holding the passport.

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