5 Best Hotels in Side Trips from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Thick vegetation surrounds the tomato-red 19th-century country house that's the center of the eco-action at Bonanza. The idea behind the establishment is to share the natural wonders of the area with visitors through organized walks, kayak expeditions, and horseback rides. Ten-foot ceilings, rustic furniture, and nothing but green outside the huge windows are among the simple pleasures. Hearty barbecues (meat or a veggie option) and drawn-out mateadas (mate tea and cake) are also highlights. The day package includes two guided activities, lunch and use of the facilities.

Dating from the 1830s, the venerable La Bamba de Areco was once an important stop along the road from Buenos Aires to northern Argentina. In the heart of the pampas, the rustic ranch has been converted into a luxurious boutique hotel that combines period details like beamed ceiling and shuttered windows with pampering amenities like king-size beds dressed in Egyptian cotton sheets. La Pulpería, the property's oldest building, holds a formal dining room (you can also dine outside under the plane trees), a bar, and a breakfast area. There's also a pool, and horseback tours of the property are offered.

You'll get a warm welcome at this rootsy B&B, which is surrounded by a lush garden. The 10 air-conditioned rooms and two cabañas open onto a shady veranda where you can enjoy your breakfast; from there it's a couple more steps to the pool. Pine paneling gives the simply furnished rooms a country vibe.

Less than an hour south of Puerto Iguazú (35 minutes from the falls), the posada (inn) was built in 1943 to lodge guests to the yerba mate plantation, and the new owners, a lovely and helpful couple, reopened it in 2007. The interiors were renovated but retain their charm and remarkable craftsmanship, most notably in the dining room/library. The large rooms are not fancy but very comfortably furnished. Meals for the set two-choice menu are lovingly prepared and may be enjoyed on the veranda. Activities include kayaking on the Paraná River, which borders the property, and a ride along the river to the magical and secluded salto Yasy, a small waterfall and swimming hole (or wading, in dry season), or just lazing by the swimming pool. Staff are very knowledgeable of the area's flora and fauna and, if you're in luck, will call attention to a howler monkey.

A glorious five-bedroom house designed by Alejandro Bustillo is over 200 yards of jungle from the posada, with its own access road, and is also available for up to 12 people. Built for the original worldly owners, it's filled with period furniture as well as black-and-white photographs of family here and in faraway places. The house includes its own, albeit smaller, swimming pool, and the house staff includes a cook, though guests are free to use the kitchen and outdoor parrilla.

Dense tropical vegetation overhangs the wooden walkway that leads to this tiny guesthouse's three rooms, tucked away in a pale-blue clapboard house. They're not fancy, but the wood and wicker furniture and brightly painted paneling are cheerful and welcoming. So is owner John Fernandes, who's full of information and advice about Iguazú, which he shares with you over high-octane caipirinhas at the nightly cocktail sessions.