Some of Argentina’s characteristics are world-famous, while its other charms have gone unheralded. Everyone knows it is the home of tango, but less well-know is the fact that the highest peak in Americas, Aconcagua, lies on iuts wester n border; Argentina beef is world-renowned, but few had heard about the rare glacial formations of  the lake district; and while the name Tierra del Fuego is familiar to most, not many know that Ushuaia, on its lower shore, is the southernmost town in the world. Ushuaia is also the main port of wild life cruises through the Straits of Magellan and as far afield as Antarctica.

Beyond the sophisticated metropolis of Buenos Aires, rough-riding gauchos, and the wide open spaces of Patagonia and the Pampas, Argentina will astonish the visitor with fine wines, jungle waterfalls, colonial cities and penguin colonies. You can create a vacation here with the activities as diverse as horseback trekking in the Andes and gambling in the seaside casino.

Settlers have come to Argentina from a wider range of countries that has been the case elsewhere in South America. The influence of immigrant communities is still visible around the country: in cricket and polo matches introduced by the English, alpine-style ski resorts, German Oktoberfest and Welsh Eisteddfods.

While certain attractions in Argentina have long been appreciated by select groups, such as climbers in search of a challenge and ornithologists pursuing filled-out life lists, the country has gone virtually undiscovered by traveling world at large. Argentina is enough of the beaten track that you can romp on the resort beaches surrounded only by Argentines, and it is possible, on a lucky day, to have a national park to yourself.

As visitors go about the enjoying the refinements of Buenos Aires or the natural beauties of the interior, they should make a point of meeting Argentines along the way. An afternoon spent chatting with a bunch of spirited porteños (residents of Buenos Aires) in a café, or talking horses with a seasoned gaucho in Patagonia, will help first time visitors to appreciate the Argentine’s fascinating culture, of which are justifiably proud.