Elite Traveler September-October 2015

EXPLORE ARGENTINA

TOTHE END OF THE EARTH vineyards. Choose your landscape and then plan your route, says former resident ChrisMoss Argentina has the size and variety of a small continent, offering everything from sophisticated urban architecture and dining to subtropical waterfalls and mountain-framed

Argentina is breathtaking and dizzyingly beautiful. It’s also huge – around 3,100 miles from the Bolivian border to the tip of Tierra del Fuego. Some of it is nicely paved – handy for a road trip – but no wise traveler wants to spend all their time on the move. When flying to this vast triangle at the bottom of South America, the key advice is to pick an activity, a region (or two) and stick to them. Broadly speaking, the killer choices are Buenos Aires (BA to locals) and its cutting-edge culture and gastronomy; the balmy Pampas and a bit of polo; Patagonia’s glaciers and vast empty horizons; the jungle-swathed waterfalls of Iguazú; and Mendoza’s wineries. The country lends itself to independent travel, but it makes sense to hire good guides for the more specialist experiences, whether you get your kicks from Hispanic art and architecture, ice-trekking or sampling vintage Malbec. Argentina has a rich pre-Columbian history, but the modern nation was founded by Europeans and molded by settlers from all over the world. This is one of the reasons it’s one of the most welcoming and outward-looking country; contemporary social mores and the latest trends in gastronomy or art sit side by side with long-held country traditions. A lot of the fun comes from traveling between, say, a fusion restaurant in BA and a gaucho- run barbecue in the sticks. Which is relatively easy because every town or city has an airfield or small airport. Flight routes fan out from BA, making it a natural stopover. From there it all depends what time you have – wherever you go expect sturdy Criollo horses and hunks of Angus steak, landscapes that lend themselves to action and adventure, and stylish design and comfort when you check in to your hotel or rural estancia .