What is up in Argentina? I am still getting a large number of swap requests just from that country. There are some gorgeous homes offered for exchange in Buenos Aires. That is the kind of destination that "sells itself" from a home exchange standpoint, with its fascinating culture, gorgeous architecture and wonderful restaurants. I have also received offers from elsewhere in Argentina: Cordoba, which I know to be a large city far from Buenos Aires; and a gated beach resort.
While I have been tempted by many of these attractive swap offers, the gated resort did not interest me at all. Traveling by home exchange is about experiencing the local culture. We will not be able to do that from within the barred walls of an exclusive retreat.
Here is the problem: vacation properties in a foreign country isolate you from the very things a home exchanger wants to experience.
On my honeymoon we did a swap in Barcelona. The exchangers allowed us to use a guest home located next to their family home. One weekend we were invited to accompany them to their vacation home on the island of Menorca. I took a bike ride around the island and discovered a British vacation enclave. The entrance was marked by a large British flag. Inside the gated compound it was little Britain, complete with chip shops. This is the sort of artificially "Spanish" home exchange that does not tempt me in the least.
We have had many offers for swap properties in coastal regions of Europe. Some of these beach communities are made up of endless high-rise apartment buildings with nary a spec of local culture to be found. They allow people from Northern Europe to escape to the southern sun for a week of sunburn and booze. The same sort of places exist in the USA, Mexico and many other countries.
People who live in a big city generally want to escape to a more rural setting for vacation. If you are looking for a relaxing get-away in your own country you might want to spend time in the same sort of resort environment enjoyed by your fellow citizens. I live in the USA. If I am offered a luxury retreat in a nearby vacation destination I might want to go. But if I travel all the way to South America or Europe I do not want to spend my time locked away in an artificial environment like a vacation resort community.
Luckily, the internet allows us to check these things out ahead of time. You can get a very clear idea of the local flavor, or lack thereof, in any proposed home exchange destination. Remember, not all home exchanges come complete with local flavor.
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