Mendoza: 9 outdoor activities in Argentina's adventure capital

After being foster parents to eight children for two years, Chris and Lindsay Harvey were looking for a change in lifestyle.

There are off the beaten path destinations, and then there’s Antarctica. One of the driest, coldest and windiest places on the planet, the majestic icy wilderness attracts scientists from around the world keen to study the unique environment.

It’s hard to know if Milan’s fashionistas are bemused more by my driving or by my vehicle as I stall, splutter and crunch the gears while double-parking the tuk-tuk on Via Monte Napoleone, the city’s swankiest street. Both it and I look comically out of place on a thoroughfare dripping with designer shops and high-end motors. I’ve just seen a Hermès shirt with a €10,500 price tag and spotted the Argentina World Cup winner and Inter Milan star Lautaro Martínez laden with Gucci shopping bags, and bouncing into a blacked-out Hummer with his girlfriend and minder.

Inspired to live life more fully following the death of a friend, New Jersey native Tom Turcich, set himself a goal to see and experience the world on foot.

There’s a common misconception that entrepreneurs are so single-minded that they don’t have any time for hobbies. That they have to be so focused on their business that they can’t shift their attention to something that is simply interesting to them.

Known for its European architecture and booming cafe culture, Buenos Aires is among the most visited cities in South America. Chic neighborhoods like Palermo and Recoleta offer easy access to the city’s large green spaces and vibrant food scene, while San Telmo allows you to see Buenos Aires on a tighter budget and Palermo is the gateway to Argentina’s best nightlife. Fun, unique home rentals are everywhere in the city, and no matter which neighborhood you decide to stay in, Airbnb has many options. To give you a helping hand to choose, here are some of the best Airbnbs in Buenos Aires.

There’s so much more to Argentina than Buenos Aires, Iguazú Falls, and Mendoza — you only have to take a road trip in Salta to find out. A two-hour flight from the capital, Salta is a somewhat off-the-radar region. Quaint colonial towns, dusty Andean villages, and wine bodegas sit framed by dramatic mountain peaks and fascinating red rock formations. Throw in some beguiling salt flats and the highest pass on any national highway in the world and it’s all rather spectacular.

The Puna de Atacama is the high plateau of the Atacama Desert that stretches across northern Chile and Argentina. Last August, during the South American winter, we visited this eerie Mars-like landscape, where volcanoes, sand, and salt mingle. In the middle of the Puna sits one of Argentina’s highest villages, Tolar Grande, with an elevation of 11,500 feet. Surrounding it are some of the tallest peaks in the Andes, many soaring well over 20,000 feet high. We stayed in the village for a few days, experiencing how hard it is to live at high altitudes, in such a desolate and remote location.

Why battle the crowds in Europe this summer when there are so many charming, even unexpected, destinations? Below are a few places to while away the summer, including a revamped motel on a beach in New York; Airstream suites under the stars in Utah; new addresses in Kentucky that pay homage to horse culture; and a ranch in Wyoming that’s introducing activities like cuddling with goats and learning about llamas. And if you’re longing for an international getaway, it’s low season in Argentina, where a boutique hotel has opened amid the vineyards and wineries of Mendoza. Whether you’re interested in raising a glass or in the raisingof llamas, a quiet getaway awaits.

For many visitors, entering Germany will be a straightforward procedure, especially for those who wish to stay fewer than 90 days.

The Carretera Austral – Chile’s Southern Highway – begins nowhere and leads nowhere. Over 1000km in length, it was hewn and blasted through the wettest, greenest and narrowest part of the country. This sliver of Patagonia is a majestic land of snowcapped volcanoes, Ice Age glaciers, emerald fjords, turquoise lakes and jade-coloured rivers, set among lush temperate forest where giant trees seem to drip with rain the whole year long. The Carretera was built with the very purpose of settling this damp, secluded sliver of territory, but the only way to reach it from the rest of Chile is by boat or plane or overland from Argentina. Few roads can feel more remote.