Destination: Argentina

Beautiful, defiant and intense, Argentina seduces with its streetside tango, wafting grills, fútbol (soccer), gaucho culture and the mighty Andes. It’s one formidable cocktail of wanderlust.

Things not to miss

• Trying your hand (or feet) at the tango
• Standing in the Playa de Mayo in Buenos Aires
• Wandering the cobblestoned streets of San Telmo in Buenos Aires
• Seeing the Iguazu Falls
• Sampling a local Malbec, perhaps at one of the local parrillas, or steak houses
• Sitting in the stands for a futbol match
• Driving through the Lake District
• Explore Cordova, a university town with Colonial architecture

When to go

The best time to travel to Argentina depends on where you want to focus your trip. Some factors to consider: Summer, December through February, is the best time to visit the extreme landscape of Patagonia. You’ll find fewer crowds in Buenos Aires during the summer, but it can get hot, too.

The prime time to visit Buenos Aires is in the spring (September through November), when the temperatures are cool and the purple jacarandas are in bloom. A great time to see Mendoza or the Lake District is in the fall, when the foliage pops—and there are fewer crowds.

City Life

Arriving in Buenos Aires is like jumping aboard a moving train. The modern metropolis whizzes by, alive with street life from busy sidewalk cafes, to hush parks carpeted in purple jacaranda blooms in springtime. Stylish porteños (residents of Buenos Aires) savor public life – whether it’s sharing mate (a tea-like beverage) on Sunday in the park or gelato under handsome early-20th-century stone facades. There are heaps of bookstores, creative boutiques and gourmet eats. Buenos Aires isn’t the only stunner – Córdoba, Salta, Mendoza and Bariloche each have their unique personalities and unforgettable attractions, so don’t miss them.

Natural Wonders

From mighty Iguazú Falls in the subtropical north to the thunderous, crackling advance of the Glaciar Perito Moreno in the south, Argentina is home to a vast natural wonderland. Diversity is a big part of it. The country that boasts the Andes’ highest snowbound peaks is also home to rich wetlands, rust-hued desert, deep-blue lakes, lichen-clad Valdivian forests and Patagonia’s arid steppes. Wildlife comes in spectacular variety, from penguins and flamingos to capybaras, giant anteaters, whales, guanaco herds and more. In this vast country, stunning sights abound and big adventure awaits.

Food & Drink

Satisfying that carnal craving for flame-charred steak isn’t hard to do in the land that has perfected the art of grilling. Parrillas (grill houses) are ubiquitous, offering up any cut you can imagine, alongside sausages and grilled vegetables. Thin, bubbly pizzas and homemade pastas also play central roles, thanks to Argentina’s proud Italian heritage. But there’s more. Buenos Aires fads are fun and fast-changing, bringing gourmet world cuisine to both upscale restaurants and the shady cobblestone neighborhoods. Grab a table, uncork a bottle of malbec, and the night is yours.

Argentine Culture

Cultural activities abound here. Tango is possibly Argentina’s greatest contribution to the outside world. The steamy dance has been described as ‘making love in the vertical position.’ And what about fútbol (soccer)? Argentines are passionately devoted to this sport and, if you’re a fan, chanting and stomping alongside other stadium fanatics should definitely be in your plans. Add a distinctive Argentine take on literature, cinema, music and arts, and you have a rich, edgy culture – part Latin American and part European – that is thoroughly distinctive.

Sources: Lonely Planet, Travel and leisure

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