At one-hour drive from Buenos Aires along the National Road “number 8” (Ruta 8), the vast plains of the Pampas make an appearance and show us their vastness. When we arrive in San Antonio de Areco, we have arrived at the centre of Gaucho culture.
For those who love culture and History, the best way to start your visit is to go and see the main square called Ruiz de Arellano, home to the parish of San Antonio de Padua. You’ll get to know the story of how the first Spanish conquistadors, importing from Europe noble materials as wood and floor tile, began to build the city around 1730.
From 1885 when it was built, up to 1966 when the town decided to buy it, the town hall, right in front of the parish, is an old colonial mansion which belonged to one of the wealthiest families in town. Today you can visit it and admire its large interior patio, its period tiles, old well and wrought-iron grids.
This museum exhibits a private collection illustrating the evolution of silversmith styles in Argentina, from the nineteenth century to the present day. In Mariano Draghi's workshop, you’ll get to see unique pieces inspired by traditional techniques.
The artisanal chocolate factory La Olla de Cobre is renowned throughout the province. People of Buenos Aires come specially to San Antonio de Areco to buy their delicious chocolates and their famous alfajores. An essential stopover for gourmets.
The Ricardo Güiraldes museum offers different perspectives on Argentina’s past, specifically in relation to the gauchos: their customs, equipment, how they earnt a living ... It also explores the life of the writer Ricardo Güiraldes’ personality.
Accompanied by your guide, you’ll head to an Estancia, located 15 minutes from town, in the middle of the Pampa plains. After a quick tour of the Estancia and a horseback ride (or carriage ride) to explore some of the 400 hectare property, you’ll be invited to enjoy a delicious asado lunch served under the shade of hundred year old trees. You’ll then have the chance to watch and admire the Estancia’s gauchos’ performance of equestrian dexterity, as well as listen to and watch traditional Argentine music and dance.
Beautiful location but too expensive for what you get. The activities provided (horseback riding and entertainment) were fun but extremely short. Horseback riding was only about 15 minutes and the dancing and music was also about 15 minutes. The bbq was good. The visit in San Antonio was nice. Cute town with cute stores. Our guide, Andres, was very good. Drove very well and was very accommodating.
I could not recommend this experience highly enough Enzo was simply brilliant, so informed and interesting, great company and really well organised. The estancia experience was outstanding with Antonio’s Assado simply out of this world An experience I would love to repeat
Great and relaxing tour, Santiago our guide was an experienced hand with great knowledge and connections, enjoyed the Argentine small town experience. The first stop was a cute town San Antonio de Areco (visited the square, church , a few local souvenir stores, silver making store/ museum, got some chocolates). Then we went to the El Ombu de Areco ranch, amazing place, ambience, hospitality and incredible asada cooked over wood embers in the open for hours (chorizo, ribeye, chicken, pork ribs, salad, flan for dessert) and amazing Malbec. Horse ride, dance, whisperer show, such an amazing day, really recommend!!!
Trip was amazing the pictures on Viator does not justify the beauty and activities. Guide, driver, staff at the estancia was amazing.
This tour was interesting as it allowed us to leave the city and have a glimpse of what tradition Argentine life is like in the countryside. We enjoyed the folk music, dancing, and gaucho stories. The traditional asada barbecue was delicious. Our guide was Camille , who was a really knowledgable local resident. Thanks!
Brilliant day History, food, horse ride and gaucho experience with amazing food Loved all it with an excellent host
The driver Santiago was terrific, the guide Jessica was amazing. Both were very nice and very attentive to everyone’s needs. So much delicious food at the ranch and the music and dances were very entertaining. What until you see the gaucho with the horse.
Excellent guide. Knows the area and history. Enjoyed the trip and the food was great. I’d highly recommend this tour.
Our guide was the best. Very knowledgeable, nice, taking care of all the little details. She made the experience unforgettable. I was worried that it would be too many activities in the morning, but since all of them are around a square, it was more like a walk around the city. And the Ombu estancia is definitely a must!
Only two of us on the tour so very personalized and done at our own pace. At the end of the day we were all friends. Very insightful tour. Learned and experienced so much of the Gaucho culture
A must do experience when you are visiting Buenos Aires. You can visit the very nice village of san antonio de areco and one traditional estancia to see the gaucho’s lifestyle. You can do horseback riding, enjoy an amazing lunch and experience traditional dances
Interesting experience - nice day trip outside BA. I wasn’t sure what to expect in Areco - very quiet, mostly shopping, lots of silver. The ranch was a new experience and the visit flows nicely. The show and meal was a new experience for us. It seems there’s lots of groups that provide this day tour - you see mostly groups around Areco and then there’s larger tour groups at the ranch. We had small table and it seemed alittle nicer not to be in large group.
Our guide, Enzo, was fantastic. His english is perfect. He has great knowledge of history, politics, food and culture. We had a lovely day in his company. Gaucho display was amazing. Super day trip!
Unfortunately it rained all day and we were unable to do a lot of what we were scheduled to do, which was very disappointing. Veronica our guide was excellent and the driver was great. Lunch was very good.
Our trip was terrific. We loved seeing the countryside and thoroughly enjoyed the Estancia. Our guide Andres was very knowledgeable of the area and gave us a fantastic history of gaucho life. He was friendly and easy to spend the day with. He was also an exceptional driver, which we appreciated.
Excellent trip to the colonial city of San Antonio following to a visit to a farm ,where we had the opportunity to ride a horse or carriage and then we had a delicious meal of wine, various meat and salads. At the end we watched performance from local tango musicians.
San Antonio de Areca is a lovely town with a lot of well preserved architecture and is full of history.Thw tour was well conducted at a relaxed pace. Our guide, Jessica, a local, was clearly very proud of her home town. Lunch was very delicious and a leisurely affair.
The tour was amazing! The guide was very nice and extremely engaging. San Antonio de Areco is beautiful and it was great learning about the history of the town. The transportation was very easy and convenient. The food at the estancia was incredible. The horseback riding was amazing, the horses are very calm and well trained. Lastly, the Asado was so delicious. Put together with the performances, it was truly the experience of a lifetime.
Very well organised. Picked up on time. Comfortable transport and excellent guide. Lunch and the entertainment were very good
We took the private trip from Buenos Aires. The drive is a little long but the guide was fantastic and kept us informed along the way as well as explaining some geographical, political and economic history of Argentina and the regions. The horses are very well behaved and the Estancia is beautiful. Food, drink, music and dancing also made it a fantastic day out of the city.
San Antonio de Areco is a beautiful city and worth seeing, we wett disappointed with Estancia Onbu. Even though the natural setting of the Estancia was beautiful, the food and the dance show were not up to par. We have been to Estancia Santa Susana on previous visits and the food, dancing, and Gaucho shows were much better.
Enzo was a really incredible guide! We loved this entire trip from start to finish. It was a wonderful, relaxing day. San Antonio de Areco was a beautiful, quiet little town and a great intro to gaucho history and culture. (We especially loved the chocolate shop!) Everything at the Estancia was amazing: food, short horse ride, music/entertainment. Each element was timed just right to engage us without going on too long, and all of it was at a calm, relaxed pace. The farm and pampas themselves were beautiful. 100% would recommend this trip, especially if you get Enzo as your guide!
We went during Argentine winter and ended up having a gorgeous experience with our tour guide Enzo. It was lovely. Thank you Enzo for making us feel relaxed! El Ombu was a beautiful place to visit.
Very enjoyable day with visit of many artisan stores in San Antonio de Areco and a great experience at the estancia (horseback riding, Parillada, singing and horse training. Our English-speaking guide was very knowledgeable. Not cheap but totally worth the money.
A great introduction to the craftsmanship of the region followed by a delicious lunch and magical (perfect weather too ) outdoor experience . Can’t believe we got on a horse ! Everyone was friendly , helpful and informative
Enzo is incredible! Such a pleasure to have spent the day with him and try to absorb some of his immense knowledge! We asked so many questions and he either knew the answer or made sure we found out! We will be recommending him, and this tour, to anyone we know coming to visit!!!
Brilliant trip Make sure you get Enzo as your guide . He is superb and made the day very interesting and enjoyable Worthwhile trip to experience Gaucho culture and history
Enzo, our tour guide was great. The visit to the town was was short but sweet. The estancia was a big disappointment. We went on a short carrige ride that was horrible & full of flies, saw one couple dance for 10 minutes demonstrating 4 different indigenous dances and then one man worked with a horse on the ground. There was no exhibition of gaucho horse work, etc. The food was plentiful.
Tour guide Pierena was wonderful Her English was impeccable. She was full of interesting information and so interesting to speak with Our day started badly with a car driver who exceeded the speed limit in a tiny car that would not have survived a crash Pierena certainly did her utmost to make the rest of our day unforgettable for all the good reasons. Time spent at the Estanza was first class
Amazing! Shopping, horses, food and incredible people!! It is a history lesson of the past culture, lived out in a current experience!
We were switched to Estsncia Las Margaritas at the last minute because the Estancia El Ombu was filled to capacity. The amenities were not up to what was expected and we contacted the tour operator who apologized and gave us a partial refund of $80 total.
We were picked up right on time at the Park Tower hotel with a very nice driver. The weather was rainy until lunch which may have influenced the day a bit. This being said, we felt like we were in and out of a few shops that felt like we were suppose to buy things instead of having a better understanding of gauchos. We book this trip mainly for the gaucho show and horseback riding not were Very disappointing. A quick circle in the blah field and then only one guy with a horse as a whisperer. He was good but no gaucho show no explanation. It was no longer raining by the time we got to El Ombu. This was not worth the price tag!!!!
great day with an amazing guide. Enzo was the perfect guide for such a day. Food and show were amazing.
We were met by the local Juliet and got a wonderful tour of the town meeting all the local store craftsmen as well as shop owners. A wonderful afternoon and dip in the pool made the day as it was in the high ninety. The lunch was wonderful and the local performers just perfect.
Thanks Enzo for a wonderful time. We saw in depth the cultural beauty of San Antonio de Areco with Enzo's help to explain and sharing. The ranch experience ought to be a "compulsory" experience for all visiting Argentina!
Great experience of gaucho culture! The area was wonderful including the ranch , which included excellent Bar-b-que lunch. Facundo Del Bianco was really a great guide and tour leader
Enzo was a great guide, spending all day with us and teaching us about the gaucho life. We loved the silversmith shop, the artist who drew a picture for us and our time at the estancia. It was great getting to know the history and culture.....highly recommended and get Enzo.....he is amazing!
Our driver, Santiago, was prompt and we started our day with a drive and a stop in the city to see the sights. He knew everyone and took us to lots of cute little spots. Then, we continued to the estancia where he guided us through all our experiences - horseback riding (fun and easy), lunch (tasty, even for a vegetarian), and the shows (culturally interesting). He made our day by being so funny and kind! I was concerned that this tour might not appeal to me, but the experience of seeing a smaller city than Buenos Aires was well worth it.
We had a wonderful experience with Julieta!!! She was lovely in every way and knew everything about this amazing town and its magnificent history. She was a wonderful guide and we left our day together as friends. She took us to amazing places and showed us incredible things in her very special town. The afternoon at the Estancia was incredible with the horse ride, food, dancing and drinks. Julieta was magnificent and all of your customers should be lucky enough to spend the day with her in San Antonia de Areco. Thank you and many thanks to Julieta for a very special day which we will never forget. Deb and Scott
We had a great time ! It was very easy to organize. Bertrand, the owner, was very reactive and suggested plans to match our expectations. He offered different options, with different prices, and the whole process was very smooth. The visit was really interesting and we learnt a lot during the guided tour. The estancia was beautiful and we had the possibility to ride horses or see dances. I highly recommend the experience !
I had a great time learning about the gaucho traditions in San Antonio and how the town became what it is today. It was amazing meeting local artists in silver and leather, learning about what they make and the tools of their trade. At the ranch it was fun riding my horse and being able to take her as fast or slow as i desire. The traditional BBQ, music and horse taming was a great way to end the day. Want to go back for sure.
What a fun day tour! Picked up at our hotel in BA and dropped off at our guide Yessica. She is a real gem! So much information and so cozy with her. After the tour in the town continue by car to the ranch which is also a very nice experience. Good (and way too much) food, drinks, dance and music and a gaucho with his horse. Really worth the effort and money!!
What a fantastic day tour this was! Transfer is perfectly arranged. Small group; in our case four of us, so you could ask a lot and get personal attention. Yessica the guide is fantastic! She knows so much to tell! Both the tour of the village and the ranch is superb. Horseback riding, dance and music performance, a demonstration of a gaucho and his horse, delicious and plenty of food and drink, beautiful surroundings. No doubt, this tour is worth every euro!
Facundo was an exceptional guide. A great connoisseur of the history of San Antonio, he explained many details of the main tourist attractions of the city, such as the Cathedral, museum, silverware workshop and alfajores factory and during our visit to the Ombu stay, he was very attentive with all the members of the group. Congratulations on your professionalism, great job dear Facundo..
Lindos paisajes y gastronomía en una estancia típica de las pampas Argentinas. La distancia desde Buenos Aires permite ir y volver el mismo día por lo que resulta muy fácil de incluir en el programa de viaje por el país.
the round trip was in a not very comfortable vehicle, good guide, Good patties, acceptable roast, showmanship should be improved
The Facundo Guide was a great Guide, educated person, very involved with his work and knowledgeable about the history of the place. Thanks Facundo!!!
La doma India y la entrada en camioneta a la estancia por el día lluvioso. Todo fue muy divertido Quizás lo que ko me dijeron era que iba sola con el guía, deberían notificarlo con anterioridad. Después de eso todo muy lindo
We were able to visit San Antonio de Areco with our guide Sarah. We were lucky to only be 2 with her that day. A driver - Andres - came to pick us up in Buenos Aires to take us to the pampas 1h30 to the North-West. After visiting the historic center of the city and local craft workshops, the day continued at Estancia El Ombu, to discover Gauchesca culture. On the program: horseback riding, large asado for lunch, traditional dances and horse training. A magnificent sunny day, away from the Capital. A parenthesis in time. This agency is truly driven by the passion for the traditions preserved by the Gauchos in Argentina and gave us a day rich in meetings and explanations. We highly recommend this agency.
Notre guide francophone Enzo a été ponctuel, généreux de son temps et de ses commentaires. El Ombú a été notre coup de coeur
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email