Argentina Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

Buenos Aires
Soak up San Telmo's arty atmosphere, with its many cafes, antique shops, tango clubs and a Sunday market. Stroll through chic Recoleta, famous for its grand cemetary, where many prestigious Argentinians are buried, and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts) (www.mnba.org.ar).

La Boca
Marvel at the multi-colored houses and artistic talent of La Boca, where Italian immigrants settled to work in the shipyards and the tango was supposedly born.

Pampas
See the top spots of the Pampas and visit the scenic peaks of Sierra de la Ventana (www.sierradelaventana.com). Note the traces of colonial past in Santa Fe and glimpse the pink granite rock formations of Lihue Calel National Park.

Iguazú Falls
Be dazzled by the sheer power of Iguazú Falls (www.iguazuargentina.com). Experience Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat) via a system of catwalks over the thundering water and take an exhilerating boat to the base of the falls.

Corrientes
Visit one of Argentina's oldest cities, Corrientes, and see Santísima Cruz de los Milagros church and the San Francisco convent. Corrientes is the land of the chamamé, a type of rhythmic music derived from the polka.

Valdes
Be awestruck by nature on the Valdes Peninsula. See herds of seals, sea lions and take a whale watching boat trip then visit the penguin colony at Punta Tombo.

Lakes
Take in the scenery of glacial lakes, mountains and forests in Bariloche's Lake District. Continue on to Lanín National Park, dominated by the extinct, snow-capped Lanín Volcano (3,776m/12,386ft).

Tierra del Fuego
Travel to the ‘end of the earth' at Tierra del Fuego (www.tierradelfuego.org.ar), the gateway to the Antarctic. Explore the marine and bird life of the Beagle Channel by boat and wander through Ushuaia, the world's most southerly city.

Salta
Discover the architecture of colonial Salta (www.turismosalta.gov.ar). Stop in on the nearby pre-Incan ruins at Santa Rosa de Tastil and travel through the stunning red gorge of the Quebrada de Humahuaca (www.quebradadehumahuaca.com), scattered with verdant oases.

National Parks
Feel the chill in Los Glaciares National Park (www.losglaciares.com). The Perito Moreno Glacier is its centerpiece, where huge icebergs calve and topple into Lake Argentino. Wander around the Ischigualasto National Park (www.ischigualasto.org). This desert valley is also called 'the valley of the moon', owing to its distinctive rock formations and fossils dating back 180 million years.

Top Things to Do

Trekking
Immerse yourself in Argentina's vast landscapes, mountains and deserts; stunning scenery is guaranteed in the Lake District around Bariloche and San Martín, the Sierras de Córdoba and around Mount Fitzroy in Los Glaciares National Park (www.losglaciares.com).

Dine at a parrilla
Have an all-out meat feast at a traditional Argentina grill restaurant. Sample morcilla (blood sausage) chinchulines (intestines) or just go for a slap of prime Argentine beef.

Skiing
Zoom down the eastern slopes of the Andes. The best time to visit is from May to September. Bariloche is the oldest and best-equipped ski resort, although purpose-built Las Leñas (www.laslenas.com) is gaining popularity.

Learn to tango
Get into the rhythm of the city and learn how to tango at one of Buenos Aires' lively milongas (tango halls). If you'd rather be more of a spectator, catch a tango show instead. We love the Friday night show at the Faena Hotel and Universe (www.faenahotelanduniverse.com).

Rafting
Charge down wild rapids on the River Manso near Bariloche, the River Atuel near San Rafael or the Juramento Rapids near Salta.

Shopping
Shop until you drop in bustling Buenos Aires, a city with a well-earned reputation as a shopper's paradise. The elegant and cosmopolitan microcentro (north of Avenida de Mayo) includes the Florida and Lavalle pedestrian malls and the Plaza San Martín.

Visit an estancia
Escape the craziness of the city, and head out into the pampas to witness the workings of an Argentine farm. Some offer the chance to ride horses like an Argentine cowboy. Others provide unadulterated luxury.

Horse riding
Saddle up on a horse trek amid the arid, rose-tinted mountains around Salta in Argentina's far northwest.

Visit a bodega
Taste some of the New World's best wines and learn about the region's winemaking heritage at a traditional bodega in Mendoza.

Party 'til dawn
No party animal's trip to Buenos Aires is complete without dancing the night (and following morning) away in one of the city's impressive clubs. On a warm night, the terrace outside Pacha (www.pachabuenosaires.com) on Costanera Norte is the perfect spot to watch the sun come up.