Secret Argentina: Buenos Aires, Patagonia & An Estancia Stay

Transfer. Two-night stay in Puerto Madero, between Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur (Buenos Aires Ecological Reserve) and Cafe Tortoni. Right in the middle of Buenos Aires. The hotel has incredible, diverse views of the city. Contemporary art is now infiltrating the hotel industry, and this hotel is a prime example with its paintings and light effects. From the bedding to bathroom facilities, the comfort of the bedrooms and their guesthouses is flawless. A hint of modernism gives them the look of a high-end hotel. In the kitchen, chef Alejandro Bontempo also sets the bar, with his impeccable ingredients, accomplished technique and bright ideas. Guests tend to rave about the food. And the quality of the wine cellar. To feel a sense of balance in body and mind, you can get a massage and use the sauna, gym and indoor swimming pool.
The itinerary includes - Buenos Aires must-sees. Accompanied by a private guide, you'll start off with the streets that cut through the city: Avenida 9 de Julio, Avenida Corrientes and Avenida de Mayo. Then it's off to La Boca, a small colourful and picturesque neighbourhood, followed by the elegant Recoleta with its very distinguished cemetery (Evita Peron, Victoria Ocampo and Raul Alfonsin are buried here), and finally old San Telmo, with its rich architecture and numerous antique shops and dealers.

Transfer to the airport and fly to Rio Grande. Pick up the rental car and drive to the ranch, some 60 miles south. You'll then reach a 42,000 acre estate, where flocks of sheep have all the space they need. The white-walled house offers simple comfort and true rustic warmth. The instant closeness you feel with the hosts is down to the remoteness of the estate and the friendliness of the Fuegian people. There's no Internet here, not even a phone signal - just horses and the wind. Expect delicious southern cuisine too, which you'll be able to enjoy with the family. The feeling of being at the end of the world is ever-present here. Hike through forest full of white beech (Nothofagus pumilio) and to the steppes on the majestic Atlantic coast.

Now it's off to Ushuaia. You'll spend two nights on the banks of the Beagle Channel. Most of the decor is stone and wood, which fits well with the spectacular natural setting. The rooms are spacious and pleasingly simple. Each has a nice bathroom. The spa offers treatments by professional therapists.. The pool is open to the great outdoors, or closed, depending on the weather. The chef has taken inspiration from French traditional cuisine, which he applies to his dishes. Try lamb from the region or southern king crab (which is not an ordinary crab, but a super hermit crab). And, as the feeling of being at the end of the world makes everything special, afternoon tea is also special.
Option - Private tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park.

In the itinerary - Cruise along the Beagle Channel. You'll board a boat with a private skipper and head south to pass the Bridges Island, with its blankets of delicate cushion plants, soft purple Magellan geraniums, striped olsyniums with arched petals, and dahlias, whose flowers form scarlet pompoms. On Bird Island you'll see the imperial cormorant, the Dominican gull, Chilean skua, and many more. A snack is served during the cruise. Before returning home, you'll pass the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, which was built in 1920 to the east of Ushuaia Bay to warn ships of the rocks. Near the coast is the Fuegian steamer duck. The Argentinians call it a steamer duck because it is flightless and stirs the water like a Mississippi steamboat.

Return the car to Ushuaia airport and fly to El Calafate. Pick up your new rental car. Head to El Chalten. Spend two nights on the outskirts of the village, on the banks of the Rio de las Vueltas. You'll stay in a pretty country house, surrounded by trees and a garden where lupins grow and a white picket fence marks its boundaries. Mount FitzRoy is just across the water. The interior of the house has a cosy, country feel. The floors shimmer and the fireplace and wood stoves hum. There are antiques almost everywhere you turn, which provides a contrast to the decor. The rooms are charming and comfortable and have good amenities. In the kitchen, the chef cooks up modern cuisine using local produce wherever possible.

El Chalten is the main village around Mount FitzRoy, which overlooks it from the west. Often covered in mist, this gigantic granite peak is 11,171ft high. You can hike at the foot of the mountain. The area is the perfect place to go for a walk. The village overlooks Los Glaciares National Park and has many signposted paths and all the facilities you need. Wardens in the National Park are happy to give directions and suggestions. And, while beech species still make up the bulk of the forestry, the fauna here is mainly Andean, with rheas, guanacos, southern guemals and condors to name but a few. Spending just two days here will allow you to enjoy the hiking atmosphere and gorgeous scenery. Then it's off to Patagonia - time for more fresh air!
Option - Trek to Laguna de los Tres.

Head off to El Calafate. Stay for three nights on Lago Roca. The ranch is around a hundred years old and its pastures are shared by sheep and Hereford cows. Although you'll see cyclists coming around the corner on their mountain bikes, you're more likely to see riders galloping along. Gauchos are not just part of a romantic setting, they actually do round up the cattle. The house offers a mixture of waxed wood, stone and leather. The trip will leave you wondering how you ever got by without these things! It's rustic and comfortable, designed for a bit of recuperation after work or going out to explore, made for comfort after work or exploration, or after just being in the great outdoors. Rooms offer everything you need for a restful night. Breakfast will give you all the energy you need to get going. The vegetable garden provides the vegetables and the herds provide the lamb that the grill roasts to absolute perfection.

In the itinerary - Departing from Punta Bandera, embark on a catamaran cruise on Lago Argentino, home to the great Andean glaciers. You'll then head north-west, where you'll sail among the icebergs that the glaciers cast off into the lake and get just a stone's throw away from the most impressive one of all, Spegazzini, whose front is a towering 410ft high. Then, get a bit of a history lesson on a ranch on the Cristina Channel. The life of the early gauchos of these regions was an epic affair. Even today it still has some very specific conditions to cope with. Finally, you'll hike - think of it as a three-hour walk - to Los Perros waterfall, from where you'll have a lovely view of the Rio Caterina valley. Then it's back to Puerto Bandera. The outing lasts 14 hours, and you'll be accompanied by a private guide.

Return your car to El Calafate airport. Flight to Buenos Aires. Transfer. Overnight stay in Palermo Soho. Now it's back to urban life. The hotel has comfortable rooms, which are decorated in pastel colours. Common areas have a pretty cool pop vibe and encourage relaxation. At the small bar, you'll be getting ready to go out; there are excellent restaurants in the area. And there's plenty of things to do on your last evening, with the district being one of the city's liveliest, which is saying something.