Buenos Aires & Patagonia

Much like a fillet steak and a fine Malbec, Buenos Aires and Patagonia are a match made in Argentine heaven. Vacations combining the two are the full package: tango and trekking, chic barrios and sweeping glaciers, vibrant cafe culture and jaw-dropping mountain scenery.

These trips are convenient, too, as international flights to Argentina inevitably arrive into or depart from Buenos Aires, so rather than hopping straight on a connection to Patagonia or onto a long flight back home, you can bookend your break with a few days basking in the unique energy of the ‘Paris of South America’.

Put simply – unfortunately you do need to fly really. If you only have a couple of weeks to explore this part of the world then the two-day bus journey from Buenos Aires down to El Calafate (and the two days back) is going to eat up some serious vacation time.

If you prefer to limit traveling time, then focus on just one part of Patagonia. El Calafate, for example, is a convenient gateway to the Perito Moreno glacier as well as spectacular hikes in Los Glaciares National Park and the fairytale Fitzroy Massif. Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, arguably the jewel in Patagonia’s well-adorned crown, is also thus a three- to four-hour drive from El Calafate.

Travel with a responsible vacation company, whether on a small group tour or a bespoke, tailor made vacation, and they’ll arrange any necessary internal flights for you – booking tickets, airport transfers or car hire where required to seamlessly sew up your Patagonian adventure.

Once in the heart of Patagonia you could be lacing up walking boots for a multi-day trek in Torres del Paine; embarking on a road trip to the creaking foot of a turquoise glacier; cruising across an ice-strewn lake; or horse riding with gauchos. If all that sounds a bit too strenuous, relaxing with a hearty dinner of sumptuous Patagonian lamb served up in a boutique bolthole might be more up your cup of tea – or mate – we are in Argentina, after all.

If you start your vacation in Santiago, Chile, finishing it with a bang in BA is a popular choice – and your toes will be tapping tango rhythms all the flight home. From Buenos Aires, you also have the option to extend your vacation by a couple of extra days and fly north to Iguazu Falls. While Indiana Jones may have brought these falls to the big screen when he implausibly thundered over them in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Iguazu has long been considered one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.

The faded, rough-around-the edges, grandeur of Buenos Aires’ oldest barrio may lack the chic Parisian charm of Palermo or elegant Recoleta, but it’s here that you’ll find the beating heart of the city. Dancers tango on street corners to busking violins; cobbled squares host lively antiques markets; and on a Sunday evening Porteños and tourists alike come here to dance the night away at the outdoor Milonga del Indio.

UNESCO-listed Torres del Paine’s majesty remains undiminished by its popularity. This is serious hiking territory – with the four-to-five day W Trail in the shadow of the jagged Paine peaks one of the finest hikes in South America – although less-serious walkers are also catered for by the park’s network of eco-lodges and refugios. Boat trips across the turquoise Lago Pehoe offer splendid views of the iconic Cuernos del Paine.