Argentina

Unusually, it holds its balance rather than receding, and you can hear the ice wall calving into the lake. Boardwalks are laid out well enough that simply walking gives you several angles. Around ninety minutes by road from El Calafate.

Where Brazil gives the panorama, this side takes you right above and beside the water. The Devil’s Throat platform is the set piece and you take the spray head-on. There is a lot of walking inside the park, so allow a full day.

Trails start from the village itself, so day walks need no technical gear. Setting off before dawn gets you the peaks turning red. The wind is serious — bring a windproof layer.

Beyond stage shows, locals actually dance at social halls called milongas. Taking a beginners’ class first and then going to a milonga gets you far closer to it. The Sunday street performances in San Telmo are worth seeing too.

Northern highlands where the rock strata show as bands of colour. It follows a route used since before the Inca, so the villages and markets feel Andean. It is high enough that altitude needs respecting.

The port where Antarctic ships leave from, and described as the southernmost city in the world. Cruises on the Beagle Channel and the national park trails are the main things to do. Cool and windy even in summer.

Both Perito Moreno and Fitz Roy sit inside this park. Several glaciers descend from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, some reachable only by boat. El Calafate and El Chaltén are separate entrances.

The protection covers the surrounding forest and wildlife, not only the water. A park train and boardwalks make it easy to move around. Coatis will go for your food — keep bags closed.

Red stone remains of communities built by missionaries and the Guaraní in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Close enough to Iguazú to combine by road. Some run evening tours under lights.

Hundreds of hand stencils made nine thousand years ago by spraying pigment over a hand held to the rock. It is remote and needs a hire car or a tour. A good stop if you are driving through Patagonia.

Southern right whales breed here, alongside sea lions, penguins and orcas that come onto the beach to hunt. The whale season runs roughly June to December. Access by road from Puerto Madryn.

Desert where the strata that produced early dinosaur fossils lie exposed. Wind-carved formations give it the look of another planet. Summer is extremely hot.

The neighbourhoods are distinct enough to walk separately — San Telmo, Recoleta, Palermo. Dinner starts after nine, so shift your day later. There is a separate domestic airport from the international one.

El Calafate for the glacier, El Chaltén for the walks. The two are about three hours apart by road, so they pair naturally. Book early for the summer season.

In the lake district, with hiking and kayaking in summer and skiing in winter. It is also a chocolate-shop tourist town. There is a lake crossing route into Chile.

Vineyards known for Malbec spread out around the city with the Andes behind them. Cycling or touring the wineries is the standard day. It is also the gateway to Aconcagua.

Coloured canyons and highland villages, with food and music unlike the centre of the country. Salt flats and a cactus national park are close. Take the first day slowly at altitude.

The way in to Península Valdés, with diving available too. Timed to the whale season you see them close from a boat. Windy and cool.

Glaciers and trails are open and the days are very long. Outside this window many lodgings and routes shut. The wind means a windproof layer even in summer.

The dry season gives clear skies and brings out the colour in the canyons. Summer rain can cut roads. Nights drop below freezing, so layer.

October–November and March–May are mild and good for walking. Midsummer is hot and humid and locals leave on holiday. Winter rarely drops below freezing.

When southern right whales come into the gulf to breed. Orcas hunting on the beach happens in a narrower window. Boat trips cancel in bad weather.

Prices and exchange rates move enough that older travel writing is not a guide. Schemes applying different rates to card payments and cash exchange have operated, so check the current position shortly before you go. Keep cash in more than one place.

Restaurants open after eight and locals start eating around nine or ten. Arrive early and you will have the room to yourself. Afternoons are bridged with a coffee and something small.

Buenos Aires to Ushuaia or Iguazú is more than a day by bus. Booking domestic flights early is much cheaper, and Patagonian routes fill in high season. Check which airport your flight uses.

The pronunciation and forms of address differ from Spanish learned in Spain. Outside tourist areas English is limited. Keep a translation app and your address saved.

The cities use 911; elsewhere police is 101 and ambulance 107. Watch for pickpockets around the sights and use ride-hailing at night. Travel insurance is worth having.

Towns are hours apart and some routes run only a couple of buses a day. If you hire a car, check the distance between fuel stops. Border crossings into Chile take time.