Camping y Balneario Municipal de Cortaderas

Torn between mountain marauding and lazing by (artificial) lakes? You don’t have to be: at Camping y Balneario Municipal de Cortaderas in the San Luis province of Cuyo, Argentina, hikes and dykes are both within easy reach.

Not only are there splendid views of Conlara Valley and the Sierra de los Comechingones from the site, but you can be out exploring them in no time at all. Trails through the Villa Elena ravine reserve and to the pretty Esmeralda and Chorro de San Ignacio waterfalls start within five minutes of base, and lengthier hikes to old mountain mining villages start at El Filo observation deck, just under an hour away.

If clambering through mountains doesn’t float your boat, head instead to the Pisco Yaco dam five minutes from site for sandy beaches, watersports, canoe and kayak hire, and horseback riding, and to get your adrenaline pumping on some zipwires.

Site days are a must here too: kick back in the pools (one large, one paddling) taking in those stunning views, put your feet up in the shade of the small native forest, then make your oh so leisurely way to the restaurant for mountain trout and mountain lamb grills. You can always do your own cooking if you’d prefer, as there are barbecue areas and communal grills dotted around the site for guests.