With its wide open spaces, its gauchos and the tango, Argentina has a soul which is both virile and sensual. A land of contrasts where the solitude of the plains is a foil to the bustle of the city, a country with a strong sense of identity.

This is yet another South American country which everyone can picture in their minds. It is a new country peopled by intrepid immigrants and characterised as much by the immensity of its pampas as by the buzz of its capital. Buenos Aires, a metropolis of 12 million inhabitants, is a place of lively economic activity tempered by the sensuality of the tango and the vibrant art of living of the cafés and the different neighbourhoods, some chic some Bohemian. While you should stay awhile in this modern city, people also visit Argentina to explore its provinces. There’s the region of Mendoza, famous for its vineyards and its proximity to the Andean range. A promised land for wine tasting and immersing yourself in the world of the high mountains. Further to the north, the regions of La Rioja and Salta are a base from which to take “nature” excursions: the canyon near Cafayate, the salt desert of San Antonio de los Cobres, Moon Valley…

As you head south, you are gradually drawn into the infinite and somewhat surreal landscapes of Patagonia. A land of cattle rearing where man – even on horseback – is a rare sight, which later gives way to the rugged terrain of the far south of Argentina, that place where the continent seems to stretch to meet the South Pole. The southernmost tip, Tierra de Fuego, battered by the wind, offers up its towns such as Ushuaia at the world’s end and confirms yet again just how incredibly diverse Argentina can be.