Seven Patagonian lakes – their sparkling waters emerald, ultramarine, cobalt, turquoise, cerulean, sapphire and indigo – linked by a rugged mountain road: a magical route best explored in a 4WD.
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Like their neighbours across the river in Uruguay and Brazil, the people of the Northeast of Argentina do know how to party, not least in Gualeguaychú in the lead-up to Lent.
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A visit to one of the world’s last advancing glaciers is a treat for the eyes and the ears; count impossible shades of blue as you listen to a chorus of cracks, thuds and whines.
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The shimmering lagoons of these vital wetlands attract myriad birds, from tiny hummingbirds to majestic herons.
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Take a stroll down the cobbled streets of San Telmo, a bohemian neighbourhood in the South of Buenos Aires full of tango bars and antique shops, talented street performers and decaying grandeur.
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A prehistoric mural, an early finger-printing exercise or ancient graffiti? Whatever it is, this delicate tableau of many hands is one of the continent’s most enchanting archeological sites.
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Despite frigid temperatures and extreme altitude – 6959m – the highest peak outside the Himalayas can be climbed with the right preparation and a knowledgeable guide, making for a world-class mountaineering experience.
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Try your hand at cattle-herding or sheep-shearing at a working estancia – one of the great Argentine institutions – and get an authentic taste of the gaucho way of life.
Ready to give it a try? See what happened when one of our travel experts tried being a gaucho for the day.
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Take a boat or paddle a kayak around the swampy islets and muddy creeks of Tigre – a subtropical Venice right on the capital’s doorstep in the Buenos Aires Province.
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The world’s biggest dinosaurs once roamed Neuquén Province – nothing will convey their immensity more than standing underneath their skeletons or seeing their giant footprints in the rock.
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Shaggy llamas and silky-fleeced alpacas, imposing guanacos and delicate vicuñas – all four distant relatives of the camel can be spotted along Argentina’s cordillera.
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Whitewashed settlements nestled against polychrome mountains, dazzling salt-flats, lush valleys and cactus forests, windswept steppe and deep gorges – some of the planet’s most incredible scenery.
Quebrada de Humahuaca and the colorful mountains, Salta - Argentina © Gonzalo Buzonni/Shutterstock
Once Argentina’s most feared penal colony, now vaunted as the world’s southernmost city, Ushuaia sits proudly on the Beagle Channel, backed by serrated peaks and a bijou glacier.
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It is no exaggeration to say that nothing else holds the same grip on Argentine society as football – some say no trip to the country is complete without attending a match, especially at either River Plate or Boca Juniors in the capital Buenos Aires.
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What better to accompany a juicy grilled bife de chorizo than one of the Mendoza province’s award-winning malbecs or syrahs?
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The local answer to the barbecue, and inseparable from Argentinidad (the national identity), these meat-roasting rituals are prepared with the utmost pride and devoured in carnivorous bliss.
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South America’s great mountain range offers world-class trekking, not least in the Fitz Roy sector of the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.
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Known simply as the Cataratas, Iguazú Falls, the world’s most awe-inspiring set of waterfalls is set among dense jungle, home to brightly coloured birds and butterflies.
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Península Valdés is a natural wonder and home to a staggering array of wildlife – but for many the giant blubbery elephant seals steal the show.
Elephant seals © Kris Clifford/Shutterstock
Las Leñas for the jet-set après-ski, Cerro Catedral for traditional pistes and Tierra del Fuego for the world’s most southerly resorts – winter sports in Argentina combine great snow with a lot of showing off.
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The undisputed highlight of La Rioja Province is a World Heritage Site dominated by giant cliffs of deep pink sandstone – once home to dinosaurs, now the protected habitat of condors, guanacos and foxes.
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The prestigious resting place of Argentina’s great and good – even Evita sneaked in – this cemetery is one of the world’s most exclusive patches of real estate.
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Rugged gauchos, nodding pampas grass and herds of contented cattle are the famous inhabitants of Argentina’s most archetypal landscape.
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Despite the unappealing meaning of its native name – “he who choked himself to death” – this perfect symmetrical cone of a volcano is both a beauty to behold and a treat to climb.
Lanin, Patagonia, Argentina © sunsinger/Shutterstock
Argentina’s looms, kilns and workshops produce fine ponchos, pots and silverware, as well as world-class leatherware, jewellery and, great for souvenirs, mate paraphernalia.
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