Things to see and do in Argentina

Buenos Aires is a heady mix of vibrant Argentine culture and cosmopolitan city life. Soak up arty atmosphere in San Telmo - a southern neighbourhood packed with cosy cafés, antiques, and tango clubs; spend a lazy Sunday wandering the colourful market sprawled across Plaza Dorrego and Defensa. For a high-brow afternoon, take a stroll through chic Recoleta; its grand cemetery is the final resting place for many prestigious Argentinians, while the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts) (www.mnba.org.ar) exhibits a host of world-class artwork.

Marvel at the rainbow of painted houses and artistic talents of La Boca - a colourful neighbourhood in southern Buenos Aires. One of the area's star attractions is football team Boca Juniors' home ground: The Estadio Alberto J. Armando – also known as La Bombonera (the chocolate box).

Los Glaciares National Park (www.losglaciares.com) is the second largest in Argentina and runs for 170km (106 miles) along the border with Chile; it is characterised by rugged mountains and clear lakes. Some 40 per cent of the Park's 6600 sq km (2548 sq miles) is covered by vast ice fields that hold 47 major glaciers. The largest glacier is Upsala, but the most popular is the mighty Moreno glacier, where massive chunks of ice shear off and fall into Lago Argentino, the largest lake in Argentina, to form icebergs. Visitors can view the advancing Moreno glacier from catwalks and platforms.

The flat and fertile lowlands provide optimum respite from hectic city life. Head out into the Pampas and stay at an estancia (traditional Argentine farm). Many offer horse riding around the local beauty spots, open log fires in the winter months, and a banquet of South American meats. See the top spots of the Pampas and visit the scenic peaks of Sierra de la Ventana (www.sierradelaventana.com). Note the traces of colonial past in Santa Fe and glimpse the pink granite rock formations of Lihue Calel National Park.

Charge down wild rapids on the River Manso, near Bariloche. This thunderous force of nature, lined with picturesque forest and jungle, is born from the glaciers at the foothills of Mount Tronador, and winds its way through to Chile. Other top rafting options are the River Atuel near San Rafael or the Juramento Rapids near Salta.