• Trek Argentina's vast landscapes, mountains and deserts; stunning scenery is guaranteed in the Lake District around Bariloche and San Martín, the Sierras de Córdoba and around Mount Fitzroy in Los Glaciares National Park (website: www.losglaciares.com).

• Dine at a parrilla, or grill restaurant, where a large variety of barbecue-style dishes can be sampled in authentic Argentine fashion.

• Ski down the eastern slopes of the Andes (best May to September). Bariloche is the oldest and best-equipped ski resort, although purpose-built Las Leñas (website: www.laslenas.com) is gaining popularity.

• Get into the rhythm of the city and learn how to tango at lively milongas (tango clubs) or watch a tango show at venues throughout Buenos Aires.

• Raft down wild rapids on the River Manso near Bariloche, the River Atuel near San Rafael or the Juramento Rapids near Salta. 

• Shop until you drop in Buenos Aires, a city with a well-earned reputation as a shopper's paradise. The elegant and cosmopolitan microcentro (north of Avenida de Mayo) includes the Florida and Lavalle pedestrian malls and the Plaza San Martín.

• Head for the hills from Salta on the dizzying Tren a Las Nubes (website: www.trenalasnubes.com.ar). It winds its way over bridges and viaducts, through gorges and deserts, and across shimmering salt flats to over 4,000m (13,000ft).

• Visit an estancia to witness the workings of an Argentine farm. Some offer the chance to ride horses like an Argentine cowboy. Others provide unadulterated luxury.

• Saddle up on a horse trek amid the arid, rose-tinted mountains around Salta in Argentina's far northwest.

• Taste some of the New World's best wines and learn about the region's winemaking heritage at a traditional bodega in Mendoza.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.