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These 15 Stunning Photographs Capture All That There Is to Love About the People, Land and Culture of Argentina

See images of the South American country’s charming cities, historic homes, beautiful beaches and majestic mountains

A road leading to a mountain
A road leading to a mountain
The granite peak of Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia rises more than 11,000 feet above sea level, attracting hikers and climbers from around the world. Ilhan Sen, 2023

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

These 15 Stunning Photographs Capture All That There Is to Love About the People, Land and Culture of Argentina

See images of the South American country’s charming cities, historic homes, beautiful beaches and majestic mountains

Photographs selected by Allison Scates

A road leading to a mountain
The granite peak of Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia rises more than 11,000 feet above sea level, attracting hikers and climbers from around the world. Ilhan Sen, 2023

Once a Spanish colony, Argentina has been an independent nation for 210 years. Now home to 46 million people, it is the second-largest country by area in South America.

Argentina’s landscape offers miles of shoreline and picturesque peaks, with venues for those who like to climb and hike or swim and fish. It also provides a peek into the past with historic old towns, featuring quaint and colorful structures from bygone decades. More modern cityscapes have popped up, too, giving tourists a mix of classic and contemporary. Take a look.
A man pushes his bike next to a blue house
In the historic town of Humahuaca, a pedestrian decides to face an uphill battle on foot, rather than pedaling on a bike. Julie Turkewitz, 2009
A historic building with palm trees
Buenos Aires’ stylish Recoleta neighborhood is known for its many cultural spaces. Diane Dugas, 2011
People sit inside a blue subway car
A subway car in Buenos Aires features works of street art that represent iconic national figures. Federico Borobio, 2016
A Black man sells hats on the beach. He has several hats stacked on his head
This seller, peddling goods on Villa Gesell Beach, knows that the easiest way to carry a hat is on your head. Federico Borobio, 2016
An aerial view of the city through a rock formation
Rock formations create a natural window that offers a spectacular nighttime view of Balcarce. Federico Weyland, 2020
A fishing boat on a lake
A fishing boat at rest in La Brava Lake. Federico Weyland, 2019
A man on horseback wrangles sheep
Wrassling isn’t just for cows. Sometimes gauchos have to wrangle sheep. Jose Maria, 2021
A man sits on a horse in a field of grass
In Argentina, the baqueano is known as the one who knows the land — a person with an instinctive sense of direction and an intimate bond with the territory. Nicolas Jacobo, 2023
A Hispanic woman holds a goat with her baby on her back
Along Argentina’s Inca Trail, a woman carries a small goat and a small slumbering human. Graciela Caldero, 2009
A brightly colored house
It’s common to see buildings boasting bright colors while walking the charming streets of Buenos Aires’ La Boca neighborhood. Jaymie Hilliard, 2009
A man looks into a storefront
A window shopper surveys a store’s colorful inventory. Henry Alfred Bugalho, 2010
Two houses sit in the desert at sunset
A woman sits in the window of a modest building in the desolate town of Capitán Castro, where growth and infrastructure changes have affected local industry. Now, few residents remain. Rodrigo Illescas, 2022
A young Hispanic boy sits on the street with flowers
An enterprising child uses buckets and overturned stools to display flowers for sale.  Adriane Guy, 2010
Hikers climb up a snow covered mountain
Climbers look toward the summit of Mount Fitz Roy. Leo Pon, 2015

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