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Everyone knows about Argentina’s steak culture (and it is strong enough to power every carnivore’s dreams) but that’s not where the cuisine ends. Those handheld pies called empanadas, the alfajores cakes, the wide array of shellfish, the stellar coffee: Buenos Aires has something to offer all passionate eaters.

If you have time to venture into the province of Buenos Aires, a visit to an estancia (ranch) allows a glimpse of Argentina’s rural culture, its horses, gauchos, grand houses, and elegant traditions.

The Uco Valley has put Mendoza on the world map for its wineries and winemakers, gastronomic experiences, luxury lodgings, and matchless beauty.

Go Bar occupies an old colonial house on a leafy Mendoza street (formerly Winery & Company). Its old, worn wooden floors speckled with sunlight have just the right vintage feel for wine browsing. It’s several rooms are stacked with wrought iron shelves featuring the region’s numerous wine labels. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and will give you the perfect packaging to carry wines in your suitcase back home. Chile 898 (corner of Montevideo)

The Andes are home to numerous active and extinct volcanoes. As recently as 2008, the entire town of Chaitén had to be evacuated when its namesake volcano erupted, piling thick ash over thousands of square miles; half the city’s 7,000 inhabitants never returned. The 22,000-foot-tall Ojos del Salado volcano, on the border with Argentina, is, in fact, a fairly easy climb from the Chilean side. Villarrica Volcano, snowcapped and postcard-perfect, lies near Pucón and attracts visitors year-round, who ascend to admire its crowning crater lake. Parinacota, on the border with Bolivia, provides more of a challenge to climbers, mainly because of extreme cold and winds. And if hiking becomes a ho-hum way to visit volcanoes, you can actually ski the Lake District’s Osorno Volcano.

Travelers who think heaven should include golf, tennis, horseback riding, mountains, vineyards, and mouthwatering food and wine all in one place should book a stay at Algodon Wine Estates. The property rolls across 2,000 acres of picturesque foothills in San Rafael, Mendoza. The land blossoms with walnut, pear, and plum orchards, miles of olive groves, and a world-class vineyard producing a wide range of varietals. Eight estancia-style suites are housed in the Algodon Villa and Algodon Lodge, featuring wood-burning chimneys and wraparound stone patios overlooking the vineyard and surrounding estate.

The sprawling property has a history that dates back to Argentina’s golf legend Jose Jurado, whose descendants (also professional golfers) owned and designed the first nine holes of the estate’s golf course. Today’s 18-hole course winds through lush vineyards, glacial water reservoirs, olive trees, and fruit orchards. The championship tennis facilities feature seven clay courts, one hard court, and two grass courts. With such an attractive range of on-property activities, it might take some willpower for guests to venture beyond the estate grounds, but the natural wonders surrounding San Rafael are worth a visit.

If you only visit one plaza while you are in Mendoza, this is the gem to see. It’s constructed like a typical Spanish plaza with a central fountain with a monument of San Juan representing Argentina’s patriotic Spanish roots. Its beautiful ceramic tile work and seven painted murals are reminiscent of Seville’s Plaza de Espana. The scenes depict Mendoza’s foundation in 1561, the discovery of the Americas, scenes from Don Quixote, as well as the epic poem Martin Fierro. On the weekends vendors sell artisan handicrafts, and you’ll see locals strolling through or lounging about with their families.

Antares is an artisanal beer company started by three friends from Mar de Plata, Argentina, in the 90s. They first learned about homebrewing from a Californian on a post-college trip to Florida. A few years later the three started brewing artisanal beer together, and today they’re the leading craft beer producers in Argentina with bars all over the country. Named after the most brilliant star in the Scorpio constellation, Antares was used as a guide by seamen for centuries. You’ll find German Kolsch, Scotch Ale, English Porter, Babylonian Honey Beer, Irish Cream Stout, Barley Wine and Antares’ Imperial Stout on the menu. Salud!

The Juan Cornelio Moyano museum of natural sciences and anthropology is one of the oldest and most prestigious museums of its kind in Argentina. Built in 1911 and named after Mendoza’s first constitutional governor, the museum has 80,000 specimens of mineralogy, paleontology, anthropology, ethnology, archaeology, and zoology. There are 500,000-year-old fossils and anthropological artifacts from the Inca and Huarpe cultures. Prado Español and Av. Las Tipas, “Extremo Sur del Lago” in General San Martin Park, Mendoza; +54 261 428 7666

La Peatonal is a four block pedestrian street that starts at Plaza Indpendencia and transforms into Calle Sarmiento. Restaurants, cafes and bars all have outdoor seating tucked under the shade of Mendoza’s leafy trees. Clothing boutiques, pharmacies and other businesses attract both locals and tourists. This is the place to grab a coffee (I don’t recommend the food) and people watch. Saturday morning is the busiest time to witness life unfolding in Mendoza.

Chef Vanina Chimeno recently debuted María Antonieta in downtown Mendoza. You’ll find grilled meat aplenty but also house-made pastas such as broccoli orecchiette Belgrano 1069, Ciudad, 54/(0) 261-420-4322. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.

One of the most widely sold mineral water brands in Argentina comes from Villavicencio, a private nature reserve located on the way to Uspallata, about an hour from downtown Mendoza. It is a historic route because General San Martin took it on his way to Chile to free Argentina from the Spanish crown. The road leading up to Villavicencio has a dizzying 365 curves and has been given the name “Camino del Año” or “Road of the Year”. On the reserve is a picturesque hotel and spa built in 1940, where the wealthiest families in Mendoza used to summer vacation, bathing in the crystal mountain waters and natural hot springs. Today, the hotel has been named a National Historic Monument. It’s closed to the public, but you can hike around the hotel and surrounding nature reserve. There’s a $25 peso entrance fee that includes a guided visit. It’s open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Las Heras isn’t Mendoza‘s most picturesque of avenues, but it’s replete with leather shops and souvenir stores selling chotchkies and trinkets. You can pop in and out of the stores until you find something you like. Cueros Armados is worth checking out for women’s leather jackets and Las Viñas for cheap mate gourds. You’ll also find items made from “carpincho,” which is the tanned hide of Argentina’s indigenous rodent the capybara. Start at the Carrefour on the corner of Las Heras and Belgrano and walk east. Mercado Central is on this street, which attracts a lot of tourists, and consequently wily pick pocketers. Be attentive of your belongings.

The Vines of Mendoza Tasting Room is owned by a private real estate group of the same name. It is not to be confused with The Vines Wine Bar & Vinoteca located in the Park Hyatt Mendoza hotel, which too is owned by The Vines of Mendoza. A pioneer in Mendoza’s hospitality scene, The Vines of Mendoza was one of the first places in the province to offer its guests guided wine flights in a communal tasting room. Bilingual wine experts well-versed in Mendoza’s varietals are friendly and informative. It’s a great place to sample hard to come by wines from local boutique wineries. With over 1,300 wineries in the Mendoza region, the Vines of Mendoza Tasting Room can take you on an intoxicating wine tour without ever having to leave your seat. But good luck getting out of it by the time you are done! Espejo 567; +54 261 438-1031.

Mendoza has suffered devastating earthquakes that have reduced the city to rubble. The earthquake of 1861 destroyed most of the city. Instead of repairing all the damage, the city decided to build a new city center southwest of the original location. They created a large principal plaza—Plaza Independencia—surrounded by four smaller plazas: Plaza San Martin; Plaza Chile; Plaza Italia; and the most picturesque, Plaza Espana. These open spaces created a safe retreat for residents to gather in the event of another destructive earthquake. On weekends the plazas come alive with artisan markets, food vendors, lip-locked lovers and families. Enjoy the people watching and be aware of your belongings.