A genuinely argentine experience and one that reflects our traditions
and culture in their original atmosphere.
There are a lot of "estancias" in Argentina offering
many options for the tourist mainly located in the province
of Buenos Aires and in Patagonia (mostly in the province of
Santa Cruz) although there are other such rural establishments
in the Northwest, Northeast and Central Region of the country.
Each region has its own characteristics depending on scenery,
ranch size, architectural style and type of food. Services available
are many from accommodation in ranch houses to hayrides and
participation in daily farm chores such as dairy and grain production,
and the breeding of cattle, sheep, horses, goats, among others.
Argentina is well-known because of its vast farming lands
as reflected by the weight of agriculture on the nation's
economy.
Within the country's territory, agriculture and cattle breeding
are concentrated around establishments of varying characteristics,
depending on the type of operation, size and category, and
which are accordingly classified into estancias (ranches),
fields, farms and mixed farming units.
There are more than 800 ranches in Argentina, many of which
date back to the 18th century and earlier. In some of them,
ranch houses are magnificent, comfortable and richly furnished
mansions built in English, French, Italian or Spanish Colonial
style. When these establishments operate as guest ranches,
it is the landholders' families who provide services to visitors.
Ranches and farms are scattered from the North to the South,
and from the East to the West of the 2,791,810 Km²-long
Argentine territory within the American continent. They are
mostly concentrated in the province of Buenos Aires and in
the Patagonia. Farm sizes vary widely, there are establishments
of over 100,000 Ha and also small homesteads built on 1 Ha
estates.
Farm vacations' characteristic and options depend on the
area's natural features, therefore visitors can choose from
different climates and vistas - the subtropical north of the
country (with or without dry season), mild climates in central
Argentina, and sub-Antarctic cold in the south. Visitors also
have a wide range of recreational activities to choose from
depending on the size, architectural style, available services,
type of food, rural culture, and farming activities of each
of these establishments.
Activities include fishing, hunting, horseback riding, walks,
native fauna sighting, flora observation and visits to museums.
Guests can also take part in ranch chores, cattle driving,
cow milking, sheep shearing, lamb and cattle branding, equine
events, gaucho rodeos, informal gatherings where folk music
is played and danced, and games of polo or pato (Argentina's
national sport played with a ball with handles). In addition,
country museums provide the opportunity of learning about
the history of early settlers and their pioneering endeavors.
In a word, the tourist is a guest who shares the life of
an Argentine ranch with the landholders.
