Globalista

Imagine the Swiss Alps: craggy, snow-dusted mountains soaring up from sparkling lakes of emerald green and indigo blue, but in the 1930s before tourism arrived. A chalet-style hotel sits alone on the lake shore; crisp, clean silent air; just a single kayak on the water. You ride horses into landscapes not reached by any motor, and hike all day without seeing a soul.

Argentina’s most picturesque region is wonderfully dramatic but relatively untouched. Its central town, Bariloche, was only founded in 1902 and was inundated in the 1930s by German and Swiss settlers who set the tone with chalet-style architecture and chocolate shops, wild boar and fondue. But the Lake District extends over 600 kilometres along the Andes, and encompasses incredible variations on the theme of mountain, tree and water. There are entire forests of monkey-puzzle trees, mysteriously silent, in northernmost Pehuenia; virgin Valdivian rainforest in southernmost Los Alerces; and a rare wood of arrayanes trees, with twisting trunks of cinnamon-coloured bark in Villa la Angostura. The broad turquoise Chimehuín river is thronged with rainbow trout, heaven for fly-fishers, and the whole area is a paradise for adventures, whether hiking Mount Tronador, white-water rafting into Chile or galloping from a traditional estancia over the Andes. And after your exertions, you’ll find your lakeside lodge has a superb spa. Lie back and gaze at the astonishing view.

You can preview the Best Hotels featured in our Globalista Report below. Or buy the full Globalista Report for this destination, available at the bottom of the page.

Bariloche was the Lake District for many Argentine visitors. This is where the hotels are concentrated, and mostly they’re huge, modern and mediocre. But 25km along the lake there is one very famous and beautiful hotel, Llao Llao, and a crop of smart new boutique hotels have opened along the shore in between. Elsewhere in the lakes, accommodation is best described as rustic; adjust expectations accordingly. What’s important is getting out into the spectacular natural surroundings, and the best way to do that is at one of two superb estancias: Peuma Hue for luxury and Huechahue for horse-riding.

For more quality travel information on this destination, simply buy the full Globalista Report (£15) below: