Bariloche, Argentina

The fairy tale city of San Carlos de Bariloche lies on the shores of the majestic Lake Nahuel Huapi, 438m (1437ft) deep. Glacial carved mountains and vibrant forests surround the lake. The name Bariloche comes from the Mapudungun word Vuriloche meaning "people from behind the mountain." In the 1930s the center of the city was built to have the appearance of an alpine town ("Little Switzerland") with many buildings made of wood and stone. Even Swiss Alpine Rescue Dogs - St. Bernards - are a regular sight in town. Bariloche Accommodation caters for everyone offering a range of accommodation to suit couples, singles, families and groups. You can choose from private rental houses and condos, luxury hotels, or bed & breakfast style accommodation.

Many excellent Bariloche hotels and vacation rentals can be found along the stunning lakefront or directly on the ski slopes where ski in and ski out Bariloche houses provide the ideal accommodation option for skiing enthusiasts. The breath-taking views of the Andean mountains and Lake District guarantee an unforgettable stay.

Bariloche, Argentina

They do make it easy for you in Argentina: Mendoza is where you go for wine, and San Carlos de Bariloche (much more commonly known as just Bariloche) is where you go for snow. Another Patagonian destination, it’s a beautiful Argentine town with a Swiss-German twist. First the skiing: Catedral Alta Patagonia is a ski resort located about an hour from Bariloche (you can get a cheap bus there). It has 40 lifts and over 100 km of marked trails for your carving pleasure. Look up and you’ll be rewarded with stunning views and the odd Andean Condor as well. From 15 September until 15 October is generally regarded as the best time to go. And if you don’t want to ski, or you’re there at another time of the year? Never fear, because Bariloche brings you not only skiing but also mind-blowing Swiss chocolate, rafting, camping, climbing and hiking, with a side order of sailing, swimming and fantastic fishing in the nearby lake.

El Chaltén, Argentina

El Chaltén is one of Argentina’s lesser-known tourism spots. That’s probably because it’s fairly inaccessible – it has no airport, and the fastest way to get there is a slow 3½ hr bus ride on unsealed roads from El Calafate. El Chaltén was built in 1985 as a way of helping to secure a disputed border with Chile. Today however it’s raison d’être is solely tourism: it’s located at the northern end of Los Glaciares National Park near the mountains Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, making it a hotspot for hikers, climbers, mountaineers and anyone who just wants to enjoy the ridiculously amazing scenery. The most popular thing to do in the El Chaltén area is hike or climb Cerro Fitz Roy, but there are more hiking opportunities than you can shake a stick at, so bring your walking boots (and poles, don’t forget the poles). Some say that the mountains and glaciers here are the equal of those in Torres del Paine national park across the border in Chile.

Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

From one water-based attraction to another! This one is frozen, but still there are some similarities with Iguazú Falls because like the falls, Perito Moreno glacier in Los Glaciares National Park is very well served by an extensive system of catwalks that allow you to get very close to the face of this breathtakingly massive river of ice. Clearly catwalks are something that Argentina does very well! Perito Moreno glacier is located in Southern Patagonia. It’s a chunk of ice 250 km2 (97 sq mi) in area and 30 km (19 mi) in length. It’s one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in the Andes, which (by the way) holds in its icy grasp the world’s third-largest store of fresh water. There isn’t a whole lot to do at Perito Moreno glacier except walk around and get different angles on the ice, but it’s such an impressive sight that doing so is actually a fun way to spend half a day or so. If you’re lucky and patient you might see the glacier calving, which is very cool, and there are also short boat trips out into the lake that the glacier flows into if you want to get even closer to it.

Iguazú Falls, Argentina

People come from all over the world to see what is perhaps Argentina’s star natural attraction: the mighty Iguazú Falls. Made up of some 275 individual waterfalls and cascades, the park in which they’re located has an amazingly comprehensive and well-maintained set of catwalks that allow you get right up close and personal with the vast sprays of water.  At the heart of the site is a semicircular waterfall called ‘the Devil’s Throat.’ These falls are 80 meters high and a massive 2,700 meters in diameter, and because of the excellent catwalks, you can stand right over their edge in perfect safety. Iguazú Falls receive about 1 million visitors a year and have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1984.