Tours in Argentina

Ask for a table in Buenos Aires and nobody will think of eating before the evening is well along. That is the rhythm of the country in one habit. Things start late, run long, and are better for it. Argentina is large enough that you should not try to see all of it, so pick a region and give it real time.

Buenos Aires is the obvious start. Walk through San Telmo, then Recoleta, then down to the colourful streets of La Boca, and you will feel three different cities. Order a coffee and a medialuna, sit at a corner café, and watch how people talk. From there the country pulls in every direction. Mendoza is wine country, with vines laid out against the Andes. Salta and Jujuy in the north are all red rock, high desert and adobe villages. Iguazú is a wall of noise and spray in the subtropical forest. Down south, the glaciers around El Calafate and the peaks of El Chaltén draw hikers, and Ushuaia sits at the end of the road.

Where we have a tour, it is in the lake district of Patagonia. From San Martín de los Andes, a 4x4 climbs through native forest to Mallín Grande, a mountain meadow with a small stream running through it. It is quiet up there. You get open views, cold clean air, and a snack by the water. Bring a jacket, because it is colder than in town. It works well for families, and the guide can adjust the day if you are travelling with a stroller or wheelchair.

Not seeing the place you want on the list? Ask. A local guide can take a request for a walk through Buenos Aires, a day among the vineyards, or a trail in the far south, and shape it around how you like to travel.