Argentina is a massive South American nation with terrain encompassing Andes mountains, glacial lakes and Pampas grassland, the traditional grazing ground of its famed beef cattle. The country is famous for tango dance and music. Its big, cosmopolitan capital, Buenos Aires, is centered on the Plaza de Mayo, lined with stately 19th-century buildings including Casa Rosada, the iconic, balconied presidential palace.

In the Pampas are estancias (ranches) and Spanish colonial Córdoba, founded in 1573, now a university town. Mendoza is the heart of Argentina’s wine country, known for Malbecs and other red wines. In the Andes region, 6,962m Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere’s highest peak. Straddling the Brazilian border, dramatic Iguazu Falls thunder 82m into tropical jungle. The Alpine-style town Bariloche is a base for skiing, hiking and exploring the Lake District. And Patagonia’s vast steppes stretch to Península Valdés, home to whales and penguins, and Tierra del Fuego, an island chain off the country's southernmost tip.