Buenos Aires
One of the World’s great cities, the scale of Buenos Aires can initially be daunting. but hit its streets and you’ll be transported into a series of barrios or quarters, ranging from elegant European boulevards to colourful working class docklands.
Perito Moreno Glacier
A vast glacier that, until recently, was one of the last advancing glaciers on earth. With a face that’s over 5km long, and the height of a 20 storey building, the scale of it is truly humbling. For a better sense of scale, take a boat tour on the lake that it calves into, or a walking tour onto the glacier itself.
Patagonia
Inspiration for writers and scientists over the centuries, Patagonia covers a vast area of mostly flat semi-desert country, rising up to the Andes.
Tierra de Fuego
The legendary “Land of Fire” at the bottom of the continent has claimed the lives of many sailors since Magellan first rounded Cape Horn. It’s a beautiful landscape of mountains, glaciers and islands, with a spirit all of its own.
Sport
Whether its football, rugby or polo, Argentinians are sports mad, and a trip to a local game is a wonderful insight into the national psyche. Passions can run high so go with a local if you can.
Bariloche
Perfectly situated on a lake in the Andes, Bariloche is almost too pretty for its own good. The ideal base for outdoor activities like trekking, skiing or rafting, Bariloche is also famous for its chocolates – ample reason not to leave town at all.
Iguazu
The sheer scale of Iguazu defies words. Comprising 275 falls along almost 3km, and pouring thousands of tonnes of chocolate brown water over a drop of up to 80 metres, Iguazu is a tropical vision of both paradise and destruction that will have you struggling for superlatives.
Misiones
The lost Jesuit Missions in the North of Argentina offer great cathedrals carved from red sandstone lying ruined amid the forests. Deeply evocative, they point to a bloody history in this less-explored area of the country.
Estancias
The true spirit of Argentina is encapsulated in the gaucho – these cowboys of the south muster huge herds of cattle to feed the nation’s hunger for red meat. A stay on an estancia offers a vision of a simpler way of life – with the promise of food and drink aplenty.
Tango
Perhaps Argentina’s most famous export. Tango sums up the character of the nation in a dance – fiery, melancholic, nostalgic and laced with machismo and femininity. Expect to see tango dancers busking in town squares, and tango radio stations blaring from car stereos. A tango dinner show is a highly recommended.
