• Colombia!

    Colombia: Caribbean Sea coast. Go Now!

    Colombia
    Although most of the people live inland, Colombia also has its share of coastline along the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea (pictured). Go Now!

  • Ecuador!

    Ecuador: Sally Lightfoot Crab. Go Now!

    Ecuador
    The Galapagos Islands and Ecuador are home to incredible wildlife, such as the famous Galapagos Turtle and the lesser known, but more common Red Rock or Sally Lightfoot crab (pictured). Begin Your Journey!

  • Chile!

    Chile: Torres del Paine National Park. Go Now!

    Chile
    The Andes dominate much of Chile, including the breath-taking Torres del Paine National Park (pictured). However, the country also hosts the world's driest desert and a thriving metropolis. Begin Your Journey!

  • Venezuela!

    Venezuela: Los Roques. Go Now!

    Venezuela
    Rooted in Europe, Venezuela boasts an impressive history, culture, and beauty, including the Caribbean Coast (pictured). Explore Venezuela!

  • Bolivia!

    Bolivia: Salt flats. Go Now!

    Bolivia
    This hidden gem is full of surprises, from the impressive salt flats (pictured) to the migrating flamingos. It also clings to the most historic indigenous culture on the continent. Explore Bolivia!

Social Life in Argentina

Behavior

The Argentines are conservative in most aspects of their lives and this is best seen in their behaviors. They tend to dress and act conservatively, much of which is based on the doctrines of the Catholic Church. However, in the political realm and on the social front, they are quite liberal compared to many other South American countries.

As a visitor to Argentina try to follow the lead of the locals by dressing somewhat conservatively (see below for details), dining in the local etiquette (see our Argentina Dining & Food Page), and avoid doing anything that makes you stand out as a foreigner (although most locals will surely pick you out as a tourist no matter how hard you try to fit in). Also try to avoid being loud, rude, showing off wealth, or getting noticeably drunk in public.

Dress

Historically much of Argentina was ranch country and today many people still make a living by ranching. Due to this, gaucho, or ranch clothes are still popular and some aspects of this dress have made their way to mainstream fashion. Traditionally, the ranchers or cowboys would wear long pants in white, black, green, or blue that are durable enough for horse riding. On top they would wear ponchos, which were simple, but durable as it is worn in a style similar to a cape and generally only used during the colder and windier months.

Although you will see few people in the cities wearing ponchos today, the pants, called bombachas de campo can be found in parts of the country. Likewise, the footwear in parts of the country also reflects the gaucho culture as boots are common as are the more common alpargatas.

However, today most Argentines wear fashionable western-styled clothing. Fashion and style are important to the Argentines and most people dress quite nicely for every day events, from work and a meal out to relaxing in the home. Obviously in the home people tend to be more relaxed, but even here many Argentines will wear nice pants and a stylish top. For dinners many people will dress to impress as the shoe choice for many people will reflect their personality and match their outfit. Men also tend to dress very nicely as jackets are not uncommon. Of course there are also many people in Argentina who prefer jeans and a soccer (football) jersey (kit).

Although there are few things that should entirely be avoided when traveling to Argentina in terms of dress, it would be wise to wear fashionable western clothes to match the locals. If you don't want to be spotted as a foreigner, avoid tennis shoes, gym pants or shorts, and t-shirts. These items are found in Argentina, but are not real common. Fortunately, if you insist on wearing this there is no offense in doing so.

This page was last updated: November, 2013