Hikers, skiers and outdoorsy types flock to San Martin de los Andes right throughout the year to seek out one of Argentina’s more off-the-beaten-track gateways to the mighty heights of those most iconic of South American mountains.

The town itself ebbs and flows with the turning of the seasons, and booms once in tune with the pistes of nearby Cerro Chapelco and again with the summer thawing of the trekking trails that wind their way deep into the ridges and volcanic mounts of the Lanín National Park. Smaller crowds in the off-season are charmed by its cosy ambience of wood and stone structures, and hand made chocolates, as the whole region ticks over to the chirp of birdsong or the crackling onset of ice.

San Martin de los Andes tour guides themselves are quick to tout the town’s position on the edge of Lácar Lake, which affords travellers some fantastic—if freezing—wild swimming opportunities, oodles of fly-fishing spots and pleasant boating prospects to boot. There are also the bubbling springs of Lahuen Co to enjoy, and the dramatic vistas of so-called Seven Lakes circuit, which encompasses the sparkling surfaces of the Filo Hua Hum, the pretty town of Villa La Angostura and the majestic heights of Lake Correntoso.