An estancia is a country estate on the pampas, the flat grassland that surrounds Buenos Aires. Many of those within reach of the city open to visitors for a day or for an overnight stay. Which one to pick depends on the programme, the area and, above all, how you will get there, because almost none can be reached by public transport.
What a day at an estancia looks like
The usual format is called a día de campo, a day in the country. Guests arrive mid-morning, ride horses or take a carriage, eat an asado (meat grilled over embers) for lunch, watch a display of gaucho horsemanship with folk music and have tea before leaving. Other estancias have only a few rooms and are about quiet rather than a show. Some specialise in polo and offer lessons or matches.
All of them work by reservation. The programme, its cost and its timing are set by each estancia and booked directly with it.
Where they are
- San Antonio de Areco. The area most visitors choose, with a small historic town to walk around on the same day.
- Luján and Capilla del Señor. West and north-west of the city.
- Cañuelas and Lobos. South-west, with open country, lagoons and polo clubs.
- Pilar. North of the city, also polo country.
- Chascomús. South, on the Autovía 2 highway, beside a lagoon.
What to ask the estancia
- Whether the day is run for large groups with a show, or for a handful of guests.
- Whether someone there speaks your language.
- Whether riders need experience and children can take part.
- What happens if it rains.
- When the programme starts and ends, so the journey can be timed around it.
Getting there
- The estancia’s own transfer, or an agency tour. Some sell the day with transport from Buenos Aires hotels included, on a fixed schedule.
- Hire car. Flexible, but the last stretch is often a rural road and somebody has to drive back after lunch.
- Bus and remis. Long-distance buses reach the nearest town. From there you continue by remis, a local booked taxi, and you need to arrange the return in advance.
- Private transfer. The driver takes your group to the gate and either waits or comes back at the agreed time. It makes sense for families, for groups that fill a minivan, and for guests going to a wedding or a company event in the country. If you are travelling alone and the estancia offers its own transport, that will usually cost less.
Unpaved access roads can become difficult after heavy rain. The estancia will tell you whether the entrance is passable. To add a village to the same day, see villages near Buenos Aires.