The back story
San Antonio de Areco and the estancias: a day in the pampas
The gaucho town of San Antonio de Areco, its silversmiths and its old bridge, and a day at an estancia with horses, asado and the open pampas.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Roberto Fiadone · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsSan Antonio de Areco is a small town in the pampas west of Buenos Aires, known for its gaucho traditions, its silversmiths and saddlers, and the estancias around it, where you can spend a day in the country: riding, an asado lunch and displays of horsemanship. The town’s own site is areco.ar.
Getting there
By road west across the pampas, about 120 km from Buenos Aires; the estancias can arrange transfers.
The town
The old bridge over the Río Areco, the main square, the silversmiths and the Museo Ricardo Güiraldes.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Jorge Royan · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsSan Antonio de Areco is about 120 km from Buenos Aires, in the estancias’ own words.
The estancias
La Bamba de Areco, a Relais & Châteaux estancia, and the Estancia El Ombú de Areco, founded in 1880, both offer days in the country and overnight stays.
Our advice: book a “día de campo”, a day at an estancia, rather than trying to see the pampas from a car.
Why it's on our list
- Getting there
- The town
- The estancias