Welcome to your digestible insiders guide to Argentina, home of tango, Malbec, Lionel Messi, and a darn good steak. As the 8th-largest country in the world stretching 2360 miles from the subtropical north to the subantarctic south (much of which is carved by the Andes Mountains), Argentina’s almost inconceivably diverse landscape has to be seen to be believed. While the Iguazu Falls rages in a humid rainforest, gauchos roam the vast Andean plains, thundering ice calves from the Perito Morena Glacier in Patagonia, and Argentine Amerindians sit on the doorstep of their adobe houses in the cold desert. All the while, passionate porteños discuss politics and football in the Parisienesque port city of Buenos Aires. So, where will you begin?

In this guide we introduce you to Argentina’s very best destinations both famous and less-well-traveled to help you plan an unrivaled South America vacation. From city jaunts to remote mountain hikes and relaxed wine estates, you can do it all, if you want to.

Tango Your Way Around Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America, possesses the elegance and poise of a European city and the fervor and fire of a Latin American soul. The two combined create an indescribable yet palpable atmosphere that you can’t help but crave more of once you’ve left. While neighborhoods like Recoleta, Retiro, and Palermo flourished from the wealth of European merchants in the Belle Epoque era, impoverished porteños (people of the port) tangoed on the docks of La Boca and San Telmo. From the city squares to traditional milongas, tango is still very much a part of Buenos Aires’ identity.

Today, the city’s port area has become a jigsaw of gentrified working-class barrios known for their traditional cafe-bars, dimly lit speakeasies, and of course, a rich maritime heritage. Meanwhile, Recoleta, Retiro, and Palermo are enriched by a strong interest in the arts. Rows of street murals are woven between major museums like MALBA and independent galleries, as well as ornate libraries and theatres. The best way to explore Buenos Aires? From the comfort of a sophisticated historic hotel like the Alvear Palace or Palacio Duhau which hark back to the city’s heyday.

Feast Your Eyes on Picture-Perfect Patagonia

Stretching over 400,000 square miles across the southern tip of South America to Ushuaia, aka ‘The End of the World’, Patagonia is the adventurer’s ultimate natural playground. Vertical bare mountain peaks, gigantic glaciers, vivid turquoise lakes, serene fjords, temperate rainforests, and the world’s biggest cold desert (yes, you read that right) piece together to form the most tremendously beautiful landscapes on earth. They also form some of the challenging and rewarding hiking routes too.

If you’re looking to embark on the most epic journey of your life, start at El Chalten in Los Glaciares National Park. From here, you can follow your personal pro-hiking guide or make your own way to the region’s picture-postcard peaks, Cerro Torre and Mount Fitz Roy. Their jagged columns rise like a beacon of nature’s brilliance upon your approach. Alternatively, follow the thunderous sounds of ice calving as you approach the Perito Morena Glacier (the world’s third-largest freshwater source) from El Calafate. From the icy elements, the glowing log fires, hearty meals, and rejuvenating spas of Patagonia’s luxury chateaux and retreats provide the perfect respite.

Sip South America’s Most Successful Wine in Mendoza

Sprawled across the high plains of the Andes in west-central Argentina, Mendoza has become reputed as one of the New World’s finest wine regions. Its high altitude and arid climate make the perfect terroir for the region’s famous full-bodied wine, Malbec. Despite having only been first planted in 1994, the dark, dense, and robust Malbec grape variety possesses a sense of superiority and prestige. In turn, Mendoza’s vineyards and wineries, mainly spread across Lujan de Cuyo and the Uyo Valley, also exude a certain prestige and refinement.

Luxurious hotels and estates like Cavas Wine Lodge, a stylish boutique hotel and winery nestled within the vast vineyards in the Andes foothills, provide the perfect base for immersing in the viticulture and lifestyle of rural Mendoza. Spend your days sipping wine samples at famous wineries like Budeguer and Antigal Winery, traveling by horseback from one to the next. For a change of pace, stop by the bodegas as you explore the Spanish colonial streets of central Mendoza, the vibrant youthful heart of the region.

Live the Alpine Lifestyle in Bariloche

From snow-capped mountain views to cabins with bonnet roofs, Bariloche is like the Alps of South America. Perched on the Nahuel Huapi glacier lake in the temperate rainforests of the Patagonian Andes, its enchanting scenery entices outdoorsmen year-round. As the winter snow veils Cerro Catedral, the mountain looming over a crisp Bariloche, it transforms into one of the largest and most desirable ski spots in South America. Every visit begins with a shoot down the powdery slopes overlooking the lake and finishes with a soul-warming sauna and a lake-view dinner at private hilltop lodge.

Meanwhile, the summer days can be dreamt away whilst hiking around Cerro Catedral which provides a palette of a boundless blue sky, emerald green hills, white-tipped mountains, and a turquoise lake. Bariloche is made even better at this time of year with luxurious hotel resorts and private lodges tucked between the trees for the ultimate privacy. Resorts like Llao Llao are all about practising your swing at South America’s most scenic golf course, indulging in soul-rejuvinating spa treatments, and being waited on by keen-to-please staff.

Discover the Diversity of Northwest Argentina

Tucked into the Northwest corner of Argentina, the Salta and Jujuy provinces are less worn than some of the country’s more accessible tourist destinations, but their cultural diversity makes them one of the best. Having been founded in the 16th century by the Spanish Royal Forces, the vibrant provincial capitals, also named Salta and Jujuy, are distinguished by their decorative Spanish colonial architecture. Meanwhile, the vast Andean plains in the south are dotted with ranches roamed by gauchos and the northern hills are home to Argentine Amerindians living the simple life in their adobe houses. There’s nowhere else, therefore, that gives you a truer insight into Argentina’s far-reaching history and culture.

Sitting on the high plains of the Andes Mountains and edging towards the Atacama Desert, the region’s diversity extends to its landscapes too. Iron-rich red mountains prickled with cacti carve through the native northern towns of Humahuaca, Tilcara, and Quebrada, while the Salinas Grandes, Argentina’s vast salt bed stretches across the south. After rambling across this magnificent region, switch to a slower pace at the vineyards and wineries of Argentina’s lesser-known wine scene in Cafayate.

Hear the Iguazu Falls Roar

From the arid red mountainous landscapes of Northwestern Argentina, we head to the humid subtropical Northeastern tip of the country to explore the roaring Iguazu Falls. This earth-splitting waterfall system measuring 2.7 kilometres long across the Argentina-Brazil border is by far the largest of its kind in the world. Of the 275 waterfalls, the tallest drops a dizzying 82 metres into the Deveil’s Throat, a narrow death-sure chasm along the Iguazu River. The immensity of this overflowing scar on the earth’s surface is made greater by the earth-shattering sound it generates as 1,756 cubic meters of water crashes into the river each second.

From melodic nature hikes to find the falls’ most advantageous vistas to wild Great Adventure Boat Rides through Iguazu River itself, there are many ways to experience this natural wonder of the world. Let the all-inclusive Awasi Iguazu take care of your adventures with personal guides and envelope you in rustic luxury at its 14-villa lodge hidden in the rainforest. Meanwhile, Hotel Gran Melia located inside the park provides a quiet and peaceful respite from within the park itself to provide epic waterfall views of its own from its sumptuous suites, restaurants, and infinity pool.

Plan your epic Argentine Exploration Now

Learn more about Argentina’s top destinations and plan your stay there by speaking with a dedicated luxury destination expert today toll free on 1 855 217 9045 (USA/Canada) or by filling in our online contact form.