Argentina Rewilded: Iberá Wetlands, Whale Coast & Penguin Colonies

¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to Argentina—land of passion, poetry, and unforgettable flavors. After breezing through customs with VIP assistance, you’ll be whisked away to your boutique or luxury hotel, where leafy boulevards, fragrant jacarandas, and the rhythm of porteño life await just outside your door.

Take the afternoon to shake off the jet lag your way: wander to a nearby café for a strong cortado, stroll through a local market, or simply unwind in the comfort of your room.

Tonight, we kick things off with flair at Fogón Asado, an experience that reimagines the Argentine grill like you’ve never seen. Picture fire, finesse, and flavor as chefs prepare a multi-course tasting menu right before your eyes. Each dish tells a story—from the crackle of the coals to the hand-picked wine pairings. It’s more than dinner—it’s a sensory welcome to our way of life.

Today is all about discovering the soul of Buenos Aires. With your private guide (hand-picked for their storytelling chops and local insight), you’ll explore the many faces of this city: the faded charm of San Telmo’s cobblestones, the explosive murals of La Boca, the grandeur of Recoleta’s palaces and cemetery. Whether you’re drawn to queer history, Jewish resilience, architectural gems, or all of the above—your tour will be tailored to you.

As the sun dips low, we head into one of my favorite Buenos Aires rituals: cooking together. Experiencia Bodegón is hosted by my dear friend Nacho Bravo, a chef with the soul of a poet. In his cozy home kitchen, you’ll learn to make the kinds of dishes that live in every Argentine memory—empanadas sealed with love, milanesas crisped to perfection, and desserts whispered about for days. And like in every true Argentine gathering, the best stories are told around the table—or while waiting for the onions to caramelize.

Today we leave the tango and traffic behind and head north to one of my favorite places in Argentina. After a short flight to Posadas, you’ll travel into the heart of the Iberá Wetlands—an untouched Eden I return to whenever I need to reconnect.

Your destination is El Tránsito, a historic estancia with elegance, soul, and views that stretch for miles. Settle into your room, breathe in the wild air, and listen: you’ll hear frogs, birds, and the wind rustling reeds. Night falls gently here, and your first dinner overlooking the wetlands will feel like a quiet exhale.

There’s nothing like waking up with the wetlands. At sunrise, the world glows gold—and you’ll glide silently through mirror-like lagoons on a boat safari that feels like a dream. Capybaras scurry, caimans blink lazily, and marsh deer graze at the water’s edge. It’s a peaceful, raw kind of beauty.

After lunch and a well-earned siesta, the afternoon is yours. Ride horses with local gauchos, track birds with a guide who knows every call, or visit a conservation project restoring life to this fragile ecosystem. As someone who’s seen too many of our native species disappear, witnessing the return of jaguaretés, guacamayos, and giant otters brings tears to my eyes—and reminds me why we travel this way: to heal and to protect.

Dinner tonight is lovingly prepared, rooted in Guaraní traditions passed down through generations. You’ll taste chipás still warm from the oven, and mbejú made from manioc flour and memories. Under a sky ablaze with stars, we gather by the fire to sip mate and share stories that linger long after the embers fade.

Your second day in Iberá invites an even deeper connection. Choose your own adventure: paddle into hidden corners by canoe, ride out in a 4x4 at sunrise, or slow down for a long look at a jabirú dancing through the marsh.

Later, you’ll get to meet the people who call Iberá home—families turning traditions into new futures. Join them in the kitchen for hands-on cooking, or learn about Guaraní music, crafts, and stories that resist time. One of the most powerful moments here is witnessing how former hunters are becoming wildlife guides, rewriting their relationship with the land. It’s not just sustainable tourism—it’s hope in action.

Tonight is your final evening in Iberá. Let it be slow, full of laughter, wine, and the kind of silence that feels alive.

Wake up early if you’d like—there’s time for one last mate by the lagoon, one last goodbye to the birds overhead.

Your driver will take you back to Posadas for your flight to Buenos Aires. Once you return, you’ll be transferred to your hotel, where you can enjoy a relaxed evening. You might choose to head out for a final dinner in one of Palermo’s buzzy wine bars, or just soak in your hotel’s views with a glass of Malbec in hand.

One thing’s for sure: you’ll carry a bit of Iberá with you—its stillness, its resilience, its wild beauty.

This morning, you’ll trade city streets for wide Patagonian skies with an early flight to Trelew. From there, enjoy a private transfer across the steppe to the Valdés Peninsula—an otherworldly stretch of coastline where land, sea, and sky meet in stark, breathtaking beauty. Settle into your eco-lodge or base in Puerto Pirámides just in time for sunset, when the wind quiets and the colors stretch endlessly across the cliffs.

This is the kind of place that rearranges your senses. I brought my dad here for his 60th birthday, and we spent a whole afternoon just sitting on the cliffs, thermos of mate in hand, watching whales roll and breach just meters away. It’s the kind of quiet spectacle that stays with you forever.

You’re in for one of the world’s great wildlife experiences. October is peak season in Golfo Nuevo, when Southern Right Whales fill the bay—mothers nursing their calves in calm, protected waters. You’ll head out on a small, respectful boat excursion designed for up-close (but non-intrusive) encounters. Often, the whales come to you.

Back on land, the afternoon is yours. You might choose to simply return to that cliffside perch with your mate, watch the waves swell, and breathe in the silence. Or opt for a gentle guided walk to spot marine fossils and seabirds along the coast.

Today’s adventure takes you deep into the wild heart of Peninsula Valdés on a private 4x4 safari. With your expert guide, you’ll traverse gravel roads and lonely beaches to observe elephant seals in their harems, sea lions basking on the rocks, and—if luck is on your side—Patagonia’s most dramatic predator: the orca.

The cliffs here drop steeply into the sea, offering staggering views and unforgettable moments. Inland, keep your eyes peeled for guanacos, Darwin’s rheas, armadillos, and foxes across the arid steppe.

This is Patagonia in its rawest, wildest form. You’ll cap off the day with a hearty dinner back in town or your lodge, likely featuring just-caught seafood and a good glass of Torrontés. Let the wind sing you to sleep—whale songs not far behind.

Today, you fly to the last stop—and what a finale it is. Ushuaia, cradled between the jagged spine of the Andes and the glacial waters of the Beagle Channel, is often called el fin del mundo—the end of the world. But down here, it feels more like the beginning of something ancient and wild.

Check into your boutique hotel, where the windows frame mountains that catch fire at sunset. The air is crisp and tinged with sea spray and snowmelt. Tonight is yours to savor: perhaps a soak in the spa overlooking the Beagle Channel, or a bundled-up stroll along the waterfront where the silence is broken only by seabirds and the distant horn of a ship bound for Antarctica.

This morning, you’ll set out into the mythical Tierra del Fuego, a landscape of mossy lenga forests, glacier-carved valleys, and windswept shores. As you hike through the park’s trails with your naturalist guide, you’ll learn about the resilient flora and fauna—and the stories of the Yámana people, who once navigated these frigid waters in canoes, clad only in seal fat and firelight.

In the afternoon, step aboard a boat and navigate the legendary Beagle Channel. Past Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse—the “Lighthouse at the End of the World”—you’ll spot sea lions lounging like old sailors, colonies of imperial cormorants, and snowcapped mountains rising from the sea. It’s not hard to see why Darwin was forever changed by this place.

Brace for adventure: today you’ll join local fisherfolk for a king crab expedition on the icy waters of the channel. Pull up your sleeves and your traps—it’s an honest day’s work, and the reward is extraordinary.

Once docked, you’ll head to a rustic shack on the shore where your catch is cooked over an open fire, served with butter, lemon, and the kind of camaraderie that can only be found after braving the cold together. There’s nothing like the taste of freshly caught centolla, steaming in your hands, with windburned cheeks and a view of snow-dusted peaks in the distance.

Your final full day is pure joy. Travel eastward for a private excursion to Isla Martillo, where the beach belongs to thousands of waddling, honking Magellanic penguins. October is a magical time, with chicks beginning to emerge and the possibility of spotting rare Gentoo and even King penguins among the colonies.

With expert naturalists guiding your respectful visit, you’ll walk among these comical yet graceful creatures—close enough to feel the wind from their flippers as they rush to the water. It’s an unexpectedly emotional encounter, the kind that grounds you in the moment and stays in your memory forever.

That evening, return to Ushuaia for a celebratory farewell dinner overlooking the Beagle Channel. Toast to the journey, the landscapes, the laughter—and to having reached the very edge of the world.