The Best Luxury Resorts in Argentina

In a prime location surrounded by glacial lakes and mountains, the Llao Llao Resort resemble a grand alpine hotel from the outside, while its interior, with wood, stone, leather and antlers, resembles a hunting lodge. All 228 rooms, suites and studios offer views across the 37-acre (15ha) property. For more privacy, book the lakeside two-bedroom cabin. The resort sports swimming pools, a tennis court and an 18-hole golf course and is a portal to Patagonian activities such as fly fishing, biking and skiing. If you have some time, do the rounds of the famous craft-beer circuit in the area.

From the grand villa to the luxury room, each Cavas abode is a stand-alone building surrounded by vineyards in the Andean foothills, each with a patio, plunge pool and rooftop terrace with a wood-burning fireplace. Enjoy the spa and yoga retreat or horseback riding through the vineyards. The restaurant is recognized for seasonal, organic fare, and the short drive north or south on Provincial Route 15 will lead you to famous wineries such as Catena Zapata and Viña Cobos.

Océano Patagonia offers comfy rooms with kitchenettes; however, the true luxury here is the front-row beach and Golfo Nuevo view from your balcony. The resort sits on the Unesco World Heritage site of Península Valdés, where wildlife abounds, including southern right whales, Magellanic penguins, orcas and dolphins, sea lions, elephant seals and 181 species of birds. Let Oceáno arrange activities for you and take your pick of anything from whale watching to horseback riding.

Set on a natural hillside terrace within the Cerro Alarkén Nature Reserve, 800ft (245m) above sea level, Arakur, with clean-lined airy rooms, lets you take in the bay, the summit of Alarkén and the forest. The heated pools and king crab dinners are a must, as is a trip on the charming End of the World steam train through the Tierra del Fuego National Park.

Salta is brimming with Spanish colonial architecture, and the Kkala Boutique Hotel is a prime example, also boasting local building materials, including stone and cardón cactus wood. Colorful traditional Andean decor meets modern comfort throughout this hotel near the city center. Dip into the heated swimming pool after exploring sites such as the Cathedral of Salta and Pajcha, an indigenous art museum, before heading out again for dinner.

The luxurious villas here are built from stone, wood and other natural materials, with their soft earthy shades reflecting the long mountain range and calciferous soils of the Uco Valley. Wine lovers can frolic in 1,500 acres (607ha) of vineyards and learn more about winemaking, while hedonists will take pleasure in Francis Mallmann’s Siete Fuegos restaurant and the indoor spa. Adventurers, on the other hand, can’t miss a pre-dawn horse ride to a mountain plateau. Alternatively, just relax by the pool with a glass of malbec.

Los Cauquenes sits on the Beagle Channel’s shores, near the Tierra del Fuego National Park and a few miles from the Chilean border where the Andes begin their descent to the ocean. Cozy, airy rooms feature pared-back decor so as not to detract from views of the channel or mountains. Enjoy the indoor-outdoor pool and full-treatment spa, go boating along the channel and hike the nearby glaciers.

The log cabins at Puerto Pireo sit on the banks of the glacial lake Nahuel Huapi. Wood and stone interiors, along with sturdy furnishings, fit seamlessly with their natural surroundings, and though rustic in appearance, each accommodation is equipped with a jetted bathtub, heated floors and a kitchen. Take advantage of lake activities such as boating and kayaking; the hotel can also arrange horseback riding and fishing. Imbibers should ask about the Bariloche beer tour.

Iguazú Grand is a great pick for families, as rooms offer plenty of comfortably furnished space. The resort also has 20 acres (8ha) of landscaped property and large indoor and outdoor pools. It’s especially friendly for children, offering supervised activities for the young ones and a games center for older kids, allowing parents downtime in the fitness center or spa. One restaurant specializes in haute cuisine, and the other (because this is Argentina) is a grill that uses organic and sustainable ingredients.

The elegant minimalism and quietude of Casa de Uco successfully blends in with the surrounding mountains and vineyards. Shared spaces, rooms, suites and villas feature wood and stone elements and earthy-toned textiles and furniture. This hotel is a place to dine and drink well – much of the food is sourced from its organic garden, and the wine cellar is top-notch.

This Spanish colonial-style estate is 75mi (121km) from bustling Buenos Aires. Originally a 19th-century post-house and then a working estancia (cattle ranch), this farmhouse and the outbuildings are now full of modern luxuries. Befitting the heritage, gauchos (cowboys) team up with horses here, and La Bamba de Areco is the home of an internationally competitive polo team of the same name. Traveler or horse, this is the perfect place to be fed and watered (or wined) and enjoy the wide-open spaces.