A common ritual for many young Argentines on the back of completing their secondary school examinations, is a trip to the south of Argentina with nothing more than a carpa (or tent), mochila (back-pack) and a group of buenos amigos! This pilgrimage to the camping sites of Patagonia is, of course, not exclusive to young people from Argentina and they are joined by a smaller crowd of overseas travellers with similar aspirations. That said, some people visiting Argentina arrive without a tent (perhaps favouring the reasonably-priced hostel accommodation), and leave wishing they’d packed their camping equipment in order to get that little bit closer to Argentina’s natural wilderness. If you have got space for your camping gear this is a great way to explore the south of Argentina in particular, which is generally more expensive than other regions in the country (in terms of accommodation, eating out and day-to-day expenses).

The lack of “quality” beaches is regularly identified by locals and tourists as one of the few absences in Argentina’s otherwise rich and diverse physical geography. While many porteños migrate to the coastal zones of Buenos Aires Province (Mar del Plata, Pinamar, Miramar etc.) during the exceptionally warm summer months of January and February, the majority concede that beaches in the coastal zones of Uruguay and Brazil are far superior. However, if you look hard enough there are a number of spectacular beaches and coves to be found inland, alongside the lakes of northern Patagonia. These don’t necessarily subscribe to the traditional beach resort model but do offer unique locations to lap up the sun and take a dip in the crystal clear waters which flow from the surrounding mountains of the Andes.