argentina

Laying claim to the world's biggest rainforest, driest desert, largest salt pan, along with a string of exceptional archaeological sites and stunning natural wonders, Latin America is not short on enthralling and unusual destinations. Here's a clutch of our favourites.

With the winter ski season coming, the craving for that soft white powdery piste is starting to kick in, and you might be thinking, where should I go? With so many options where can you go to get this year's fix  of adrenaline rush and the feeling of that fresh scripts wintery wind in your face as you ski down chosen run: blue, red or black. For this season we want you to set your sights beyond Val d’Isere, because we have a list of some weird and wonderful mountains from which to hurl yourself.

They say Buenos Aires is the Paris of South America, so maybe it's not that incongruous a starting point for the race formerly known as the Paris-Dakar Rally.  Founded in 1978, the bone-shaking, engine-rattling ride attracts adventurers on cars, quad bikes and motorbikes, and is one of the most thrilling and dangerous event in sport.

It has been held in South America since security concerns forced it away from its traditional route, which ran from the foot of the Eiffel Tower to the capital of Senegal.

Street Luge
Presumably invented by lazy skaters who couldn’t be bothered to stand up, the extreme sport of street luge involves lying prostrate on a giant skateboard and hurtling, feet first, down a road at pant-wetting speeds.  Lugers can reach speeds above the ground, that feels even faster than it sounds.

With no hint of machine power in sight, lugers are sent crashing downhill by the force of gravity alone.  You steer around bends by leaning into them and brake by using your feet.  The fact that lugers must wear full motorcycle leathers and a crash helmet indicates that, yes, this pursuit isn’t without risk.  Street luging is popular in the States, Australia, Switzerland and Germany and UK.

Paragliding

Dolomites - Italy
In the Bond movie ‘For Your Eyes Only’ 007 stayed at the five-stared Miramonti Majestic Grand Hotel, in Cortina d’Ampezzo part of the Dolomiti skiing area. Here you can enjoy the luxurious facilities with one exception; you will not get the chase down the slopes by some rifle wielding rogue assassins. The Dolomites is will know for it majestic ski slopes and an ideal winter break destination.

Jamaica

Most of us visiting Argentina flock to popular Buenos Aires, Mendoza and other hotspots, but the outback of Salta and its adjoining Puna Desert in the Catamarca are some of the gems waiting to be explored.  At altitude of over 3000m, Salta and Catamarca are located in northwestern Argentina; this giant adventure playground shows you another side to Argentina. The scenery of the region rivals that of Atacama and Uyuni allowing you to come up close to its volcanoes: llamas, flamingos and vineyards.

As you travel south of Salta down to Puna and Catamarca, you pass through the red-rock canyons of Quebrada de las Conchas, home to the Devil’s throat – a sort of stone amphitheatre.  Next is Cafayate, one of Argentina’s most famous wine towns, known for the fruity white Torrontes, the red malbec, Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon.