Sunrise Horseback Ride

A 4:30 am wake-up call is never pleasant, and if you're sleeping off a steak dinner that didn't even begin until 10:00, you'll need supernatural fortitude to face the morning. But adrenaline quickly takes over on the trail—a series of hushed switchbacks your horse will somehow navigate in absolute darkness, and when daybreak finds you sipping yerba mate around a bonfire at 9,000 feet, watching the eastern horizon bloom with color, you won't be wondering whether it was worth it. Just make sure to don a poncho (or two—the wearable blankets favored by the gauchos layer well) to guard against the dry desert cold. For those who prefer to saddle up at a more civilized hour, daytime rides through the vineyards are easily arranged.