The capital of Santa Fe province is a proper student town built around the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, yet it stays affordable and unhurried. It sits on the Setúbal lagoon and the Paraná river, so summers revolve around beaches, boats and riverside bars. It is small enough to feel like home within weeks.

• A major national university plus a compact, bike-friendly layout make daily life simple
• River beaches and lagoons on your doorstep for the long, hot summers

Student nightlife clusters in the Recoleta and Candioti districts, where bars spill onto the pavement, and the classic santafesino move is ordering a 'liso', a small, ice-cold draught beer. In summer the Costanera and the lagoon beaches become the social hub. Santa Fe even calls itself the birthplace of Argentine beer.

• Order a liso at a Candioti bar, where the tiny draught glasses are a local institution
• Spend summer evenings along the Costanera by the Setúbal lagoon
• Ask the Santa Fe Studcasa group where UNL students gather for intercambios and pre-carnival events

Santa Fe is one of the cheaper Argentine cities, so €400–600 a month covers a room, food and a good social life. Bring US dollars and change them through Western Union or the blue market for the best rate, as paying by foreign card at the official rate roughly halves your money.

• Shared rooms near the centre or UNL typically run AR$120,000–220,000 a month
• Change cash via Western Union rather than paying by foreign card
• River fish, alfajores santafesinos and cheap set lunches keep food costs low

Students concentrate around the city centre, the university zone and neighbourhoods like Candioti and Guadalupe near the lagoon. Rooms in shared flats are usually arranged informally, which spares you the guarantor a formal lease requires. See any place in person before paying.

• Search ZonaProp and local Facebook groups such as 'Alquileres Santa Fe' for shared rooms
• Candioti and Guadalupe put you near both the centre and the waterfront
• Ask in the Santa Fe Studcasa group, as outgoing students often hand over their rooms

Santa Fe is famously flat, which makes it one of Argentina's best cities for cycling, with dedicated lanes across town. City buses use the SUBE card, and the neighbouring city of Paraná is a quick trip through the Hernandarias subfluvial tunnel under the river.

• Get a bike, as the flat grid and cycle lanes make it the easiest way around
• Load a SUBE card for the city buses
• Cross the Hernandarias tunnel to Paraná for a change of scene in about half an hour

The Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) is the anchor, a large, respected public university with faculties across the city and a strong international exchange office. The Universidad Católica de Santa Fe and UTN's regional campus round out the options. Terms run March to July and August to December.

• UNL's international office runs orientation and buddy schemes for incoming students
• Faculties are spread out, so confirm which building your courses are in before term starts

Rules depend heavily on your nationality. Many passport holders can enter visa-free as tourists for 90 days, and some students effectively study on that basis for a single semester, extending once if needed. Officially, longer stays require a student visa arranged through an Argentine consulate before you travel.

For the student visa you will typically need an acceptance letter, a criminal-record check, a birth certificate and consular legalisation, so start early because it is slow. Once in Argentina, student-visa holders register for temporary residence and get a local ID, the DNI. Always confirm the current requirements with the consulate for your country.

• Many nationalities: 90-day visa-free tourist entry
• Longer stays, student visa from an Argentine consulate
• Student visa needs an acceptance letter, police check and legalised documents
• On arrival with a student visa, register for temporary residence and a DNI

River fish rules here, with surubí, dorado and pacú turning up grilled or in stews, best washed down with a liso. Santa Fe brews Argentina's best-known beer and takes its alfajores seriously. The iconic Puente Colgante suspension bridge, lit up at night, is the city's postcard.

• Try grilled surubí or a river-fish stew at a Costanera restaurant
• Snack on alfajores santafesinos, the local twist on Argentina's favourite treat
• Walk or cycle across the illuminated Puente Colgante after dark

The Centro holds the historic core, government buildings and shops. Candioti, north and south, is the nightlife and café belt, Guadalupe sits by the lagoon and its beaches, and Barrio Sur and Boulevard offer quieter, affordable streets close in.

• Centro for convenience and history within walking distance
• Candioti for bars, restaurants and student life
• Guadalupe for lagoon beaches and a calmer, residential feel

Being in the Litoral means water and easy trips. Paraná is minutes away through the river tunnel, Rosario's big-city buzz is a couple of hours south, and the Cayastá ruins and Rincón's wetlands make good day trips. Head north into the province for the Litoral wetlands and birdlife.

• Cross to Paraná in half an hour for its riverside parks and hills
• Take a bus to Rosario (about two hours) for its riverfront and nightlife
• Explore the Cayastá ruins or the wetlands around Rincón for a day on the water

Summers are hot and very humid, and the city has flooded in the past, so check the season before you pick a low-lying neighbourhood. As everywhere in Argentina, live on Western Union cash rather than card payments, and get comfortable ordering your beer by the liso.

• Change money via Western Union, not your foreign card, for a far better rate
• Buy or borrow a bike, since it is genuinely the best way to get around the flat city
• Pack for humid heat if you arrive in summer, and favour higher-lying neighbourhoods