Bahia Bustamante

This remote 100,000-acre sheep farm in south-east Argentina is the most extraordinary haven for marine wildlife, its pristine white beaches home to up to 100,000 Magellan penguins and 4,000 noisy sea lions. Huge colonies of cormorants and oystercatchers nest here, along with several native species. It’s been likened to an Argentine version of the Galapagos Islands, but being here feels even more special as it’s all private land and a real off-grid experience. They offer a variety of superb guided activities, including boat trips to see wildlife, a 4x4 visit to a 60-million-year old petrified forest, and trekking along a dry river, whose 15m-high canyon walls were formed in the Jurassic Era.

Historically, Bahia Bustamante was a tiny town established by pioneer Don Lorenzo Soriano to harvest seaweed and his grandson Matias now runs it as a hotel - the old workers’ houses converted into 11 guest cabins - and it’s still simple and austere, with limited electricity and cosy blankets woven from their wool. The focus is entirely on the vast empty surroundings, which you can explore on foot, by 4x4, by bike or on horseback.

Bahia Bustamante is also home to a pioneering wine project with experimental vines grown directly on the beach!