Argentina

Reasons to go:

1. The area around El Peñón, Catamarca Province

The only thing that this otherworldly beautiful place lacks is a marketing manager, and hence it remains largely undiscovered. I explored it on a one-way road trip from Salta to Mendoza. Here is a list of places I visited during the trip, listed in chronological order and numbered from most to least memorable:

• Beautiful jungly drive from Salta to El Carmen.
7. Multi-coloured mountains. There are three great viewpoints: Mirador A la cercanía de los 14 Colores del Hornocal (-23.201818, -65.188096), Painter’s Palette (-23.617754, -65.410175; which was my favourite), and Mirador panoramico de Purmamarca (-23.745321, -65.496491) also known as Cerro de los Siete Colores (it’s a hard to find viewpoint, but put in the effort to be rewarded with amazing views and to avoid paying for worse viewpoints inside the city). When passing through Tilcara, stop for excellent pasta at Bienmesabe restaurant.
8. Salt flats. Beautiful drive from Purmamarca to Salinas Grandes Jujuy (-23.599456, -65.879239), beautiful salt flats.
• Beautiful drive from Salinas Grandes Jujuy to San Antonio de los Cobres. Viaduct Polvorilla is still on my to-visit list (as it required a 4x4 car).
• Beautiful drive from San Antonio de los Cobres to Campo Quijano; and from El Carril to Payogasta via Piedra del Molino peak. A direct drive from San Antonio de los Cobres to Cachi might be even more awesome, but the road was closed at the time I was there.
2. Los Cardones National Park (land of big cacti). Both the road from Payogasta to Recta del Tin Tin (-25.210379, -65.971453) and the road from there to Peña El Colte (-25.260307, -66.213167) are a must, for different reasons.
2. Quebrada de las Flechas (-25.701002, -66.138513) and a walk to Mirador El Ventisquero (-25.706053, -66.117683) - unbelievable rock formations. The whole drive from Peña El Colte to Cafayate is beautiful.
• In Cafayate my best memories are wine tasting at Vinos Stutz (-26.073922, -65.973084), dinner at Árbol Negro Bodega Garage and breakfast at Flor del Valle Bakery. Still on my to-visit list is Piattelli Vineyards where you can taste wines produced in Cafayate and Mendoza (different climates), comparing each grape varietal side by side.
5. Garganta del Diablo. Beautiful drive from Cafayate to Garganta del Diablo includes 3 attractions: Garganta del Diablo (-25.848631, -65.699405) - an amazing rock formation that looks like a throat that you can climb into (the “prohibited” sign at the beginning of the climb only says that it is prohibited to proceed in flip flops); The Amphitheatre (-25.855527, -65.700553) - an amazing rock formation (with no climbing opportunities); a flat walk from (-26.017674, -65.824639) into the beautiful landscape, away from tourists.
• Beautiful drive from Cafayate to El Peñón and beyond to Antofagasta de la Sierra. Stop at Dunas de la Difunta (-26.854675, -66.746706) to climb the dune to recover from a long drive.
1. The area around El Peñón (see below)
9. Sitio Arqueológico El Shincal de Quimivil (-27.689662, -67.183458) - explore an ancient Inca city with an audio guide in English.
6. Cable Carril “Chilecito” in Chilecito - old mining infrastructure. Cable Rail Station 1 “Chilecito” (-29.18047, -67.491714) is an interesting place to stop, but Station 2 “El Durazno” (-29.133075, -67.565507) is absolutely not to be missed.
• Beautiful drive from Chilecito to Villa Unión.
3. Talampaya National Park (-29.784501, -67.993367) - I took a tour to Talampaya Canyon and Shimpa Canyon, there might be other good options of what to do in the park. Book in advance. During the wet season (December to February) tours might be cancelled due to roads turning into rivers, during the windy season (May to October) the environment becomes hostile.
3. Ischigualasto Provincial Park (-30.163861, -67.84326) - awesome landscapes and rock formations, but it is the history of dinosaur evolution that makes this place special. Guided tours (during which you drive in your own vehicle) start every hour on the hour. There are also two museums full of dinosaur bones, but the museums are operated by the local university’s staff and so might be closed on some days when the park is open. Check in advance to avoid disappointment. Not possible to book in advance.
4. El Leoncito National Park - a beautiful 8km hike with amazing mountain views. It is mandatory to register with the park rangers (-31.795962, -69.33363) before starting the hike and after you finish hiking; you can start hiking anytime between 9am and 4pm.
4. Astronomical Complex CASLEO in El Leoncito National Park (-31.798589, -69.295664) - the best option is to book a combined overnight visit (Visita Completa, Nocturna y Diurna) that includes night sky observation with amateur telescopes, accomodation, breakfast, a tour of the big optical telescope and sun observations with an amateur telescope.
• Beautiful drive from El Leoncito to Mendoza. A detour from Uspallata to old Desvio las Leñas train station is a beautiful drive that includes 3 attractions: the old Desvio las Leñas train station (-32.821208, -69.983279), a wonderful view of Aconcagua (-32.822848, -69.938499) and Puente del Inca (-32.826622, -69.910895) which is a touristy spot but is still worth stopping. If in need of food, stop for pasta at La Lore Pasta-Bar (-32.59354, -69.348703) in Uspallata.
• Mendoza (see below)
• The wine region north of Mendoza (see below)

The area around El Peñón
This area is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I’d prefer to explore the area on my own, but you do need a serious 4x4 for that (everyone here drives Toyota Hilux). If you arrive in a not-so-all-terrain car, your options are to take tours starting from El Peñón or Antofagasta de la Sierra. Tours go in 3 general directions:

Campo de Piedra Pómez - an immense expanse of volcanic rock, an otherworldly landscape characterized by a vast and ancient flow of pumice from the eruption of Volcán Blanco. The tour starts by driving around the Volcan Carachi Pampa (-26.481588, -67.342784, -26.434287, -67.481732, -26.452157, -67.508796, -26.498054, -67.507582, -26.590656, -67.504813, -26.588285, -67.482698, -26.585172, -67.456265) and the last stop is at the Campo de Piedra Pómez carpark (-26.592951, -67.44422). When I visited, the new entrance to this protected area was being built at (-26.482455, -67.387587), so I expect soon the route will have to start here.
Salar de Antofalla - breathtakingly beautiful drive from Antofagasta de la Sierra. The route included (-25.582739, -67.529839), Ojos del Campo (-25.612659, -67.672686), (-25.678318, -67.738291), Vega de La Botijuela (-25.745218, -67.821352) where the owner will want to charge you money for being on his private (breathtakingly beautiful) land, Tinchos Vulcano (-25.959589, -67.744424) and (-26.080055, -67.593028).
Volcan Galán (-25.996724, -66.905238) - one of the largest exposed calderas in the world. The tours enter the caldera by car and take you to the lagoons inside the caldera. I didn’t have time to do this tour.

Notes:

The wet season here is from December to February. Flamingo season is from September to May.
A lot of accomodation options are not on Booking.com. This is the case not only in El Peñón and Antofagasta de la Sierra, but in other places between Salta and Mendoza too. Zoom in on the place where you’d like to stay, find accomodation options marked on the map and try to contact them directly via phone or email.

Mendoza

Mendoza is a great place for working from home. The best place to stay is between the Plaza Independencia and the Parque General San Martín. This neighbourhood has many gems: amazing ice cream at Angolo Dolce and at Alma de Helado, bread and pastries at Brillat Savarin, vegetarian restaurant Caléndula, Anna Bistró loved by locals. Avoid the touristy area east of Plaza Independencia. Parque General San Martín is a great place for running, both flat and uphill.
Azafran - tasting menu (vegetarian option available, wine pairing optional), one of the most tasty ones I’ve ever tried. Booking required.
Still on my to-try list: drinks at The Garnish Bar and La Central Vermutería.
Outside city center there are great options for dinners and lunches in wineries (listed in my order of preference): Casa Vigil El Enemigo (dinners only, tasting menu, wine pairing unavoidable); Club Tapiz serving food with olive oil, vegetables, dried fruits and wine of their own production; Espacio Trapiche (wine pairing unavoidable). Bookings strictly required at all wineries.

Notes:

Both Cabify and Uber apps work in Mendoza.
Sube card works on all public transport in Mendoza, Buenos Aires and other big cities.
Mercado Central is where you find imported goods like coconut milk cans, tofu, and sundried tomato paste. Everyone there knows everyone, ask any shop about what you are looking for and they’ll point you to the right shop.

The wine region north of Mendoza

There are 3 wine valleys: Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and Uco. To make the most of this area, first research which bodegas make the kind of wine you like, then book your visit with them, and finally arrange the transportation (in Maipú and even Luján de Cuyo it could be a bicycle, in Uco you’ll need a driver). If it’s a last minute plan, then use an agency that already has everything pre-booked.
In Maipú Valley I had a good experience with Wine and Ride. The highlight for me was Las Guapas Bodega where I got to try Malbec rose wine that spent 4 months in skin contact at a very low temperature. The result was nothing like Malbec and nothing like rose wine, it tasted brightly of strawberries.
In Uco Valley I had a good experience with Ampora Wine Tours. The highlight for me was Bodega Familia Zaina, where they make small batches of interesting wines, mixing oenology with tarot cards.
Another option, which I haven’t tried, is to use the Cabify bodegas option in Cabify app. A single fee covers transport to and from a winery and a waiting time of up to 8 hours. I imagine it is easy to negotiate with the driver to visit other wineries for an additional fee covering extra work and fuel.

2. Southern Patagonian Ice Field

Hiking from El Chaltén

Fitz Roy / Laguna de los Tres hike, ~20km based on your route choices. The hike starts from (-49.320254, -72.894909) in El Chaltén, after initial climb it remains mostly flat until (-49.285243, -72.953509), from there you have two options - a steep one and a flat one. The steep option leads to Laguna de los Tres (-49.280957, -72.983987); I didn’t do this route but it must be spectacular. The flat option is to explore left and right: view to Fitz Roy (-49.288982, -72.955827), mirador Piedras Blancas (-49.275032, -72.952705) and mirador Glaciar Piedras Blancas (-49.264604, -72.949762) with a spectacular view of the glacier. Where the route splits and you have the choice whether to go via Laguna Capri or not, I recommend you go via mirador Fitz Roy (-49.300284, -72.920191) on the way there and via Laguna Capri (-49.302853, -72.929678) on the way back, that way you can relax on the shore of Laguna Capri for the whole of the remaining time until you absolutely have to return to El Chaltén. Do this hike on the best weather day as it includes the best views, but the immediate surroundings are beautiful throughout the whole hike so it is totally worth it even in miserable weather.
Laguna Torre hike, ~20km based on your route choices. The hike starts from (-49.333993, -72.899766), and follows the Rio Fitz Roy until you reach Laguna Torre (-49.329916, -72.989218). Decide whether you’ll hike all the way to Mirador Maestri (-49.316527, -73.005121), which is definitely worth it if the visibility is good. Return to El Chaltén via (-49.324899, -72.981088). The immediate surroundings are beautiful throughout the whole hike so it is totally worth it even in miserable weather.
If I had another day, I would have done the hike to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado (-49.359442, -72.967521).

Hiking from near El Chaltén

Chorrillo del Salto waterfall (-49.295521, -72.907705) is just 500 flat meters from the nearest car park (-49.299845, -72.903588), 3km from the start of the Fitz Roy / Laguna de los Tres hike.
If I had another day, I would have done the 4km hike to Glaciar Huemul viewpoint (-49.073363, -72.901847) from (-49.082815, -72.892122), 35km from the start of the Fitz Roy / Laguna de los Tres hike. According to Erin Mushaway: “The hike has a small entry fee, as the entire trail is on private property. The trailhead is right by the free parking lot next to the cafe. Pay at the kiosk selling snacks. It’s an easy hike through a forest and it’s completely different from anything you’ll see in El Chalten. It’s humid, moss-covered, and gorgeous.”

Notes:

The two best restaurants in El Chaltén are The Asadores (two options only - vegetarian or not) and Maffia (pasta restaurant, everyone in El Chaltén told me it’s their favourite). Both restaurants are super busy, so you must book.
La Roti - perfect place to buy great hiking food.

Perito Moreno Glacier
While hiking from El Chaltén allows you to see glaciers from afar, at this national park (expensive) a glacier can be observed up close and from above. And Perito Moreno Glacier is gorgeously beautiful and very active. Balcon Inferior was my favourite spot for observing it.

3. Buenos Aires

Neighbourhoods

3.1 Palermo Soho

Palermo Soho is the best place to stay in Buenos Aires. Locals would recommend the area around Plaza Inmigrantes de Armenia, but anywhere in Palermo Soho is nice. Palermo Soho is surrounded by other nice neighbourhoods (Palermo Hollywood, Belgrano, Villa Urquiza, Villa Crespo, Recoleta), but all the best food is here.
Gran Dabbang is one of my favourite restaurants in the world. Don’t be put off by high prices, they are doing themselves a disservice by not calling it a tasting menu. This fusion restaurant is the most exciting place for a dinner in Buenos Aires. They don’t take bookings, so arrive before the opening time and you’ll see how quickly it gets full.
For vegetarian/vegan food - Puerta (brilliant small menu) and MUDRÁ Plant Based By Matthew Kenney (vegan sushi, long menu, cocktails).
If you are in desperate need of Indian food, Taj Mahal Cocina de la India is the best place I found. Punch Curry Bar offers curries at fast-food speeds, great if you are pressed for time.
Rapa Nui (at Malabia 2014) is great for ice cream (it’s hidden at the very back of the chocolate shop). They have flavours you won’t find anywhere else: patagonian berries and goat milk dulce de leche (DDL).
Sam Canillas - great bakery with pastries and bread.
Backroom Bar - they have a nice cocktail menu.
Still on my to-try list: Sarkis (an Armenian restaurant) and Verne Club (cocktails).
Towards the AEP airport there are many great running routes. I love that they build Puente Peatonal Dorrego - a bridge for runners. The track around the pond surrounding Paseo El Rosedal Garden is always lively with runners, roller bladers, cyclists and outdoor fitness classes.
Check events at La Rural - they usually have a lot of cool stuff going on.

3.2 Palermo Hollywood

Alchemy - the best ice cream shop ever! The menu looks like a bar menu (rum, Baileys, Cynar, Pina colada, etc.) mixed with other surprise flavours (beetroot, avocado, blue cheese, etc.).
Cang Tin - great vietnamese restaurant with great vegetarian options.
Crizia Restaurante - seafood restaurant with an aspiration to maybe develop a vegetarian tasting menu too. For now they have at least one good vegetarian starter+main combo, and the seafood tasting menu is available only if you have no vegetarians in the group.
Mumbai Indian Food is ok.

3.3 Belgrano

Cruasan - the best pastries in Buenos Aires. Locals told me La Kitchen is also good.
Still on my to-visit list: Chinatown (Barrio Chino).

3.4 Recoleta

Cementerio de la Recoleta - beautiful historic cemetery; allow loads of time to explore it properly.
Centro Cultural Recoleta - a big creative space with loads of things going on.
Museo del Agua y de la Historia Sanitaria - at the very least check out the beautiful exterior of the building. Access inside only with guided tours.
Florida - pedestrian street with many beautiful buildings in various states of repair.
El Ateneo Grand Splendid - an old theater that is now a bookshop with a restaurant on the stage.
Still on my to-try list: Atelier Fuerza bakery.

3.5 San Telmo

El Zanjón - a great museum of Buenos Aires history told through a notable historic building. Guided tours only.
Doppelganger Bar - notable not so much for the cocktails, but for the fun of sitting at the bar.
Anfiteatro parque Lezama - every time I walked past it there was live music. Not tango for tourists, but locals gathering for their favourite death metal bands and folk dancing (not on the same day).

3.6 La Boca

Usina del Arte - this fun creative space in an old power station is not to be missed. Find a plaque inside that tells you about its history.
Paseo de las Artes Pedro de Mendoza - a very long gallery, with art visible through glass walls even when the gallery is shut.
Fundación Proa - this art gallery had a great exhibition when I was visiting. On the top floor PROA cafe offers good views and a vegetarian fugazzetín that will try to kill you (way too much cheese). PROA21-nuevo espacio experimental was not open when I visited.
Fundación Andreani - an interesting art space, very experimental.

3.7 Tigre

Tigre is a nice destination for a day trip, convenient to get to by Tren de la Costa. But it is crowded and everyone is here to go on a boat trip, so aim to get here early, get on a boat and get out of the mess. It’s best to get a boat at high tide, otherwise you’ll need a very small boat to get anywhere fun.
There are commuter boats that are much cheaper than tourist boats, but when they are full they don’t stop at pick up points. I saw a crowd of locals in utter desperation as the 10th commuter boat passed by without stopping to pick them up, at that point I was happy that I overpaid for a tourist boat.
Still on my to-try list: La Cocina de Daksha and Pishko Qenti Heladería Y Cafetería Artesanal.

Other stuff

Still on my to-visit list: Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, Basilica Maria Auxiliadora & San Carlos.

Notes:

Locals desert Buenos Aires around Christmas time and return only in late January. Best restaurants (the ones not aimed at tourists) and many shops are closed for most of January. This is not a city for New Year’s celebrations.
Sube metro card is simple to buy at any metro station. It works on all public transport in Buenos Aires, Mendoza and other big cities. One card per group is sufficient, no need to buy one per person.
Cabify works well in Buenos Aires. I’ve not tried Uber.
Jumbo is the best stocked supermarket (there I found DDL made from buffalo milk - dulce de leche di latte di bufala). Second best is Disco (same owners).
While you are in Buenos Aires, enjoy ice creams like there is no tomorrow. Try traditional sambayon flavour - egg yolks and marsala or port-style wine.
Read about Arroyo Maldonado and then look out for street markings indicating its presence.

4. Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego Province

Outside Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
There are a lot of hiking opportunities around Ushuaia. I only had time for the most popular hike - Laguna Esmeralda, and I loved it. From the beginning of the trail (-54.721852, -68.121948), I hiked to Laguna Esmeralda (-54.69231, -68.12884), around it, and then up to Laguna Turquesa (-54.733154, -68.14296) to get a beautiful view of Laguna Esmeralda from above; 17km total.

Inside Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
In the park there are 4 long trails and an area with loads of short trails, Lapataia. There are three drop-off/pick-up points inside the park served by mini-buses and taxis. I took a mini-bus from Terminal de Ómnibus de Ushuaia (they depart every hour on the hour) to the first stop (-54.846511, -68.481283; the start of the Senda Costera) and got picked up at the last stop (-54.855153, -68.577928). Last mini-bus at 19:00.

I did the Senda Costera trail from (-54.846511, -68.481283) to (-54.841084, -68.559822) first (this is one of the most beautiful trails in this park, so allow yourself time to properly enjoy it without rushing to the pick up spot), followed by as many short trails in Lapataia as I had time for. My highlights from the short trails were watching beavers (and the devastation these invasive species cause to the ecosystem) through my binoculars at the end of Senda Castorera (-54.855235, -68.594303) and making it all the way to the lighthouse (-54.860785, -68.560515) at the end of Senda de la Baliza. The whole 18km hike was very enjoyable and easy.

Notes:

Isla Vegana was my favourite place in Ushuaia. They make great vegan sandwiches for hiking, focaccia, alfajores with vegan dulce de leche, and much more. And they sell local craft beer.
The best meal I had in Ushuaia was at Paso Garibaldi restaurant.
La Anónima - is a very well stocked supermarket, given the location.
If you are in need of any hiking/expedition gear, guys at Campamento Base shop will sort you out.
In Ushuaia taxis are metered inside the city and fixed price for hiking destinations outside the city. It is usual to pay a return fare and agree on the pickup time for the return journey with the taxi driver. If you are happy to depart and return on the hour, mini-buses are often a very similar and much cheaper option. You’ll need a taxi to depart early in the morning or to return after 19:00 (during the summer the sunsets in Ushuaia are very late).
Tourists seem to look for Western Union on Google maps and form long queues at those locations. To avoid queueing, see the map of all branches and identify locations that don’t show up in Google maps searches. In Ushuaia, there are very long queues at 12 de Octubre 169, but nobody knows about the location inside a phone cover shop at Avenida San Martín 999 (they do have lower limits on withdrawals, check with them before making a transfer) - keep this secret, use them quietly.
Starting from the letters of Ushuaia (-54.811274, -68.315664), it’s conveniently a half-marathon distance to the end of the road in Playa Larga nature reserve (-54.818273, -68.187350) and back. On the bright side, this route is exciting - industrial parts of Ushuaia, great views of the harbour, stunning beauty of Playa Larga nature reserve. On the down side, jumping out of the way of speeding lorries and being covered in dust once they pass you is clearly not safe.

Cruises to Antarctica depart from Ushuaia

My advice is to pick the best ship and save money on everything else (avoid reseller fees, pick the cheapest cabin on the ship, the cheapest flights, etc.). What you are looking for is a ship with the least passengers (100 is perfect) and twice-daily zodiac cruises/landings included in the price of the trip. For the planet, choose an operator that is part of IAATO. For your comfort during Drake Passage crossings and bad weather, choose a ship with stabilisers; either way stock up on sea sickness pills. Dimenhydrinate (under the brand name Dramamine) worked for me, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Bring many alternatives with you - Scopoderm patches (not available anywhere in Argentina, prescription only in other countries), sea sickness antihistamines, ginger pills, etc.
The best time to go is late January and early February, when winter sea ice has already melted (allowing you access to interesting places), but it is still summer.
To book in advance, use Adventure Life to browse available cruises with useful filters and CruiseMapper to find out the age, size, ownership and other details about the vessels you are considering. Then book directly with the operator; if you get asked whether you are an individual or a travel agent then you know you’ve avoided resellers.
If you are already in Ushuaia, ask local travel agents for last minute opportunities. I don’t know how many people get lucky, but this does happen.

Food and drink in Argentina:

Both Buenos Aires and Mendoza are worthy of gastronomy tourism.
Most wines are made to local taste - they are easy to drink, they taste young and lack body.
More than half of Argentinians have some degree of Italian ancestry, and yet most Italian food in the country is inedibly bad.
DDL stands for dulce de leche. Try to catch them all - made from cow milk, goat milk and buffalo milk.

Notes:

Argentina is on holiday in January. In residential areas of big cities many restaurants and shops close for Christmas and reopen only in late January. In national tourism destinations everything is booked out for January.
The currency situation in Argentina is fascinating, I’d love to do a PhD on this topic. At the time when I visited, the best way was to send myself money through Western Union and withdraw cash from a local branch; this way I got twice as much ARS for the same amount of currency in my bank account compared to paying by card. The situation is constantly changing, so do your research before your trip. Note that tourists seem to look for Western Union on Google maps and form long queues at those locations. To avoid queueing, see the map of all branches, identify locations that don’t show up in Google maps searches, and use them quietly.
Based on the coverage map I chose Claro prepaid sim card and it worked well. Buy the sim card in a Claro shop (passport required, cash only), then top up in corner shops as needed (ask for “recarga Claro”). On your phone, with Claro sim active, you can see how much money you have on your account and how much different packages cost here.
Sube card works on all public transport in Buenos Aires, Mendoza and other big cities. One card per group is sufficient, no need to buy one per person.
Here they are called Islas Malvinas; do not under any circumstances call them Falkland Islands.
Movies to watch before you go: Argentina, 1985.