Argentina: Aires and graces

The contrast to the night before, when we enjoyed hunks of meat the size of breezeblocks at one of Buenos Aires's famous parrillas – traditional restaurants where pretty much every part of the cow meets its fate on a grill – couldn't have been more marked. But these contrasting culinary adventures are just a microcosm of what makes Argentina such a fascinating place to visit.

Buenos Aires is the perfect gateway to Argentina but, as our eloquent but erratic taxi driver from the airport put it, entering this chaotic, cosmopolitan city is a bit like jumping on to a moving train. Crossing the 16-lane roads on a green man will do more for your heart rate than a tango lesson.

The city is split into a loose collection of neighbourhoods, or barrios, one of the most captivating of which is Palermo – a whirl of shops, restaurants, bars and galleries. Dissected by pretty tree-lined boulevards, it sometimes feels as though you are gliding around Palermo, with its just-right mix of modernity and traditional. Home Hotel perfectly encapsulates this spirit. As one of the city's first boutique hotels, it has a marvellous pool and gardens that transport you far away from the city's bustle.

In many ways, drama is the lifeblood of Argentina, underpinning everything from its corruption-hit politics to its people's obsession with football. So when we find ourselves scrambling up the terraces at La Boca stadium, trying to avoid the cups full of urine being thrown from the opposition fans above us, we focus on the spectacle ahead.

Our trip to watch Diego Maradona's former team, Boca Juniors, is utterly enthralling. From seeing the terrace hard-men tucking into ice-lollies to the dozens of flares making their way past security (strangely, though, my wife's tampons were confiscated), the day is a series of contradictions. However, even non-football fans would struggle not to become hooked on the riot of colour and the infectious atmosphere at the stadium.

The following day is a more relaxing affair, with a trip around some of the cultural highlights of Buenos Aires – including the Museum of Latin American Art, which ranks in stature with the likes of Tate Modern and New York's MoMA. Nearby is the eerie yet engrossing Recoleta cemetery, which is packed with giant tombs housing the great and good of Argentina's past, including the former First Lady Eva Pern.

Recoleta is where the city's old money lies. It has a faster pace than Palermo and also houses some of the more interesting buildings. Buenos Aires is blighted by some 1960s-built horrors but for every decrepit tower block there is an Art Deco dazzler. The five-star Sofitel hotel – built as offices by a shipping magnate in the shape of a lighthouse, high enough so he could see his boats in the docks – is a great example of this, complete with a superb French restaurant Le Sud just off its jaw-dropping glass atrium.

But no trip to Argentina is complete without getting out of the city, which is why, just a three-hour flight from Buenos Aires, we found ourselves as close to the bottom of the world as we're ever likely to get. Patagonia has a vast range of climates and landscapes but our little corner, near the Lake District town of Bariloche, had all the drama of a Scottish glen but enveloped in an alpine green lushness.

We opted for a luxurious all-inclusive stay at a remote ranch called Peuma Hue, meaning Place of Dreams in the area's native Mapuche language. As the name might suggest, Peuma Hue did have a slightly hippy feel but the sheer goodwill and effort put in by the staff was infectious. Our stay saw a pattern emerge of low energy (sleeping, sipping wine by the lake or reading next to log fires) and high energy (kayaking, rafting, horse-riding and walks in the mountains accompanied, Lassie-style, by owner Evelyn's dogs). The ranch seemed to have a magical effect of relaxing every last fibre in you, and it was no surprise that every time we ventured into the communal areas we would find another person who had just extended their stay.

Heading north to the other end of Argentina is the awe-inspiring Iguaz, 14 miles of thundering waterfalls set in the jungle on the border with Brazil. It is one of these natural wonders where your holiday snaps simply don't do it justice, most noticeably with the apocalyptical Garganta del Diablo, or Devil's Throat, which draws you in – not literally – with its sheer scale and the velocity of its waters.

If you have time, it is worth going to the Brazilian side of the falls first, where you get a great panoramic view of the 250-odd waterfalls in the Iguaz national park, then tackle the Argentinian side, which allows you to get within inches of the cascades. An even closer look at the falls is possible courtesy of a speedboat ride under them, which although pricey is worth it. Bear in mind, though, it is wise to bring a change of clothes as there really is no hiding place from the spray – as we found to our cost.

The trip to Iguaz was marred slightly when we realised – too late – that a cash machine had given us poorly forged bank notes instead of the real deal. But this was a mere blip during three weeks of exploring one of the most exciting, inviting and awe-inspiring countries on the planet.

Fact file: Argentina

Isango! (www.isango.com) runs three-day tours of Iguaz Falls with guides, hotel and transfers, from 199 per person.

A great base for exploring the centre of Buenos Aires is the Hotel Emperador (www.hotel-emperador.com.ar), complete with extensive walled gardens, with prices from 127 a night. Home Hotel (www.home buenosaires.com) is in Palermo, with rooms starting from 88 per night.

Peuma Hue (www.peuma-hue.com) is about a 25-minute drive from the town of Bariloche and has a variety of log cabins and rooms available. All-inclusive rates start from 144 per person per night.

Note that all prices are subject to a 21% government tax.