Fresh air meets foodie heaven in Tandil, a charming city in Argentina’s Pampas region framed by a 2.5-million-year-old mountain range. Discover world-class delis selling salami and cheese, grand colonial buildings housing craft breweries and wild landscapes for bouldering and mountain biking.

Things to do

Treat your taste buds at La Epoca de Quesos, Tandil’s mecca for all things cheesy. Set in a vintage brick warehouse, this rustic delicatessen is topped from floor to ceiling with locally-produced cheese, cured meats, pickles and preserves. Delight in a generous tasting or sit down in the restaurant for “picadas”, a plate piled high with gourmet produce that pairs perfectly with a bottle of Malbec.

For sweeping views over Tandil, hike through Cerro El Centinela, a beautiful hilltop park. There’s a chair lift that can whisk you further up the cliffside, mountain bikes for hire and a wooden hut selling handicrafts and organic produce. If hunger strikes, stop for a pastry at The Parador cafe.

Are you a craft beer connoisseur? Visit Cervecería Harriz, the city’s most popular microbrewery. Grab a wooden table in the courtyard or cosy up next to the stone fire and choose from a chalkboard menu of amble ales, triple IPAs, porters and dark lagers.

See a replica of La Piedra Movediza, a famous 300-tonne granite rock that once balanced precariously atop a hill outside of town. The massive stone was known to teeter ever so slightly throughout the day until it eventually fell in 1912. In 2007, the replica stone was placed in its original position, in addition to a wooden viewing platform and walking circuit.

Getting around

You can fly into Ástor Piazzolla International Airport in Mar del Plata and drive two hours into Tandil. Alternatively, take a four-hour bus or drive from Bueno Aires. A rental car is ideal for exploring Tandil.