Argentina Guide
The Atlantic resorts and the Pampas
Luján
Officially founded in 1755 on the site of a shrine containing a tiny ceramic figure of the Virgin Mary, Luján, about 70km west of Buenos Aires, is now one of the major religious centres in Latin America. The Virgin of Luján is the patron saint of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay and the epic basilica erected in her honour in 1887 in Luján attracts around five million visitors a year. This Neo-Gothic edifice is one of the most memorable – though not really the most beautiful – churches in Argentina. Its main interest lies in its role as a machine dedicated to perpetuating the cult of the Virgin, the centrepiece of a town that seems designed as a kind of antechamber to her sanctuary. The town's other major attraction, the vast Complejo Museográfico Enrique Udaondo, is a multiplex museum with an important historical section, as well as Argentina's largest transport museum.
The one decent accommodation option around the bus terminal is the Biarritz, on Lezica and Torrezuri 717 ( 
02323/435988; Price: $90-150). The simple but reasonable rooms all have a/c and cable TV; breakfast is included. In general, you're better off heading to the streets to the east of the basilica. At 9 de Julio 1054, La Paz ( 02323/424034; Price: $90-150) is one of Luján's oldest hotels, offering airy rooms and a pretty garden overlooked by the basilica's towers. Two blocks east of Plaza Belgrano, there's Los Monjes, at Francia 981 ( 02323/420606, 
www.hotellosmonjes.com.ar ; Price: $90-150), with attractive decent-sized a/c rooms, a good breakfast and a swimming pool. The Hoxon, at 9 de Julio 760 ( 02323/429970, www.hotelhoxon.com.ar ; Price: $90-150), also offers comfortable rooms, if rather lacking in character; the hotel has an outdoor pool, a sunbathing area and a gym.
For eating, there are mainly parrillas geared up to feed hungry pilgrims on Avenida San Martín, while next to the tourist office you'll find La Recova, a restaurant offering pleasant outdoor seating and a simple, reasonably priced menu that focuses on pasta. Luján's most famous restaurant is a long way out of the centre: L'Eau Vive at Constitución 2112 ( 02323/421774; open for lunch and dinner Tues– Sat) is fifteen blocks east along Avenida San Martín from Plaza Colón and most easily reached by taxi. The restaurant's main claim to fame is that it is run exclusively by nuns. The cooking – a traditional European menu – is generally excellent.