1000 Places to See Before You Die 14 - Estancia Stay in Argentina



In Argentina you absolutely have to experience the life of the gaucho (South American cowboy). Well, it probably won’t resemble the actual life of an actual gaucho that much, but it will smack of it. I went to Argentina in 2014 on a group tour, and during this trip we stayed on an estancia (farm) for 2 nights. During the day we went horseback riding in the mountains and in the evening we had a barbecue dinner. The last night the estancia crew cooked a traditional asado (barbecue buffet) for us, complete with local wine. 



Appetizer. The meal was very much meat based...

Manning the barbecue
The Beast


The area we stayed in was pretty hilly. I don’t know if it was actual mountains or it just seemed that way for a flatlander like me! I had expected flat prairie-like surroundings for riding, but it was proper off-road trekking, if you can call it that. I am an absolute beginner when it comes to riding horses, and seeing the terrain, I was a little bit concerned, but it turned out to be fine. It was definitely more challenging that I had anticipated, but I actually like that. Sometimes, riding horses as a tourist can seem like the horse is just focused on getting through the circuit and back to its feed bag. But this actually involved some active participation on your part to steer your horse and keep it in line. Which was fun and not at all above a beginner’s abilities. And we got to see some stunning views along the way. 






The second day we also got to try our hand at lassoing. I was ready to fail miserably, and I did, but I had fun doing it. The crew were super nice and helpful and showed their skills in a mini show, so we could see how it was really done! 


Showing us how it's supposed to be done!

An estancia stay can be a nice break between the city-hopping that often goes on on these longer trips, and it was nice to get out and see a bit of greenery, after being stuck in a bus taking us from city center to city center. Even if your trip involves more countryside stops than ours did, an estancia stay can be a nice way to calm down and take a few deep breaths after hustling and bustling around the continent. 

There are a number of estancias you can stay in, so make sure to have a good look around and see what the options are. Remember to check how much time on horseback you will have, if food and drink is included and what other activities they can offer. We stayed at a place that also offered polo sessions, but I do believe that was for another budget. We stayed in our own tents by the main house and cooked our own food apart from the last day when the crew provided a picnic lunch and the barbecue dinner. I don’t know if they do similar budget trips for individuals/couples, as our stay was booked through the tour company and we had a group of about 18 people, I believe. I will leave the link below, so you can check it out. Otherwise there are other options, and I am sure you can find one to suit your needs! Be sure to check how far you will be from town as most of these places will likely be pretty solitary. Plan accordingly with food and activities for some down time, e.g. books and board games or a deck of cards. And then sit back an enjoy the starry nights and wonderful calm of the countryside with a glass of wine in hand. 




The Estancia where we stayed: The estancia

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