Safety in Argentina

Street crime: Petty theft is a real problem in the big cities. Never hang a bag on the back of a chair in a cafe, and keep an expensive phone out of sight at busy intersections.
La Boca: Do not wander beyond the painted Caminito street. Turning the wrong corner here can end in an aggressive robbery.
Taxis: Use radio taxis or the apps. Flagging cars down at night in unfamiliar neighbourhoods is a poor idea.
Motochorros: Thieves on motorbikes snatch bags and phones from moving traffic. Walk away from the kerb and keep valuables on the building side of the pavement.
Patagonia: The south is essentially crime-free. The danger there is unpredictable weather, ferocious wind and long stretches of trail with no phone signal.
Protests: Argentines demonstrate often and block roads while they do it. Avoid crowds in central Buenos Aires, and check your own government's travel advisory if you are arriving during a political flashpoint.

Argentina is calmer than Brazil, but Buenos Aires demands attention, and the country's monetary system creates its own field for deception.

The exchange rate is the trip's main subject. For years Argentina ran an official rate and a parallel "blue" rate differing several-fold. Street changers (arbolitos) on Florida shout "cambio" and offer an excellent rate — then pass counterfeit notes or short-change you. Use legal channels: bank exchange, Western Union withdrawals, or paying by foreign card at the official tourist rate. The rules have changed often — check the current arrangement before you travel.

Counterfeit notes. They appear even in honest exchanges. Learn to tell: a genuine note has a clear watermark and raised printing.

The "stained clothing" trick. A Buenos Aires classic: something is spilled on your shoulder, a sympathetic passer-by rushes to help, and your bag departs.

Motorcycle thieves. A phone in your hand in the street is snatched at speed. Palermo and Recoleta are calmer; La Boca beyond the tourist street of Caminito is noticeably more dangerous.

Taxis. The driver swaps your note for a counterfeit and says you handed over the wrong one. Pay in small notes and use apps.

Currency transactions. Changing money with street dealers is formally illegal. Tourists are not prosecuted for it in practice, but that illegality is exactly what leaves you defenceless if cheated: there is nowhere to complain.

Documents. Carry a passport copy. Police may establish your identity.

Drugs. Possession of small personal quantities has been decriminalised through case law, but selling and buying remain criminal.

Drones. ANAC registration is required, and flights over cities and people are restricted.

The Malvinas. The Falklands question is emotionally charged. Calling them the Falklands in conversation with Argentines is taken badly.

National parks. Patagonia, the Perito Moreno glacier and Ushuaia enforce strict rules: stay on the trails, do not approach the glacier edge, and register before setting out.

Driving. Distances are enormous, filling stations are sparse, and coverage disappears in places along Route 40. Plan fuel in advance.

Protests. Pickets and street closures are a regular part of life in Buenos Aires. A foreigner should simply walk around them.

Vaccinations. None mandatory. Yellow fever and hepatitis A are advised for the north and Iguazú.

Water. Tap water in Buenos Aires and the major cities is drinkable. In the north and the interior, bottled is better.

Altitude. The north-west — Salta, Jujuy, Purmamarca — sits at 2,000 to 2,500 metres, and the passes toward the Chilean border and Abra Pampa rise above 3,500. Altitude sickness there is real, and locals drink coca mate. Ascend gradually, and spend the first day without exertion or alcohol.

Patagonia. The weather turns within an hour and the wind is constant and strong. El Chaltén and Ushuaia can bring snow in summer. The sun is harsh regardless: the ozone layer is thinner in the south and people burn even under cloud.

Healthcare. An Argentine peculiarity: public hospitals treat everyone free of charge, foreigners included. Standards are uneven and queues are long. Private clinics in Buenos Aires are good and inexpensive by world standards. Insurance is still needed.

Meat and wine. Portions are enormous, wine is cheap, and asado is heavy. Stomach upsets here come more often from overeating than from hygiene.

Emergency numbers: 911 unified, 107 ambulance.

Argentina sits mid-table on the Corruption Perceptions Index. Police are generally correct with tourists.

Tourist police. Buenos Aires has the Comisaría del Turista, a station specifically for foreigners with English-speaking officers, in Monserrat. Reports for insurers are taken there and help with documents is given.

Reporting theft. A denuncia is needed for your insurer and to replace a passport. In Buenos Aires it can be filed online.

Do not resist a robbery. Attackers are sometimes armed, and a phone is not worth the risk.

Geography. Palermo, Recoleta, Puerto Madero and San Telmo by day are calm. La Boca beyond Caminito, Retiro by the bus terminal, and Constitución are districts nobody strolls through, especially after dark.

Protests and strikes. Avenue closures and marches are an ordinary part of city life and have nothing to do with a foreigner's politics. Simply walk around them.

Languages. English is spoken in the tourism sector and rarely outside it. Spanish will serve you well.

Emergency number is 911.