Your full-day trip in Argentina’s gaucho country begins with pickup from your Buenos Aires hotel. Enjoy a pleasant 90-minute drive northwest through farmlands and the pampas, and arrive at San Antonio de Areco, or simply ‘Areco,’ one of most picturesque towns in the area. Every November, Areco hosts a gaucho festival to celebrate Fiesta de la Tradici□n (Day of Tradition), when cowboys from all over Argentina arrive and strut by horseback along the town’s cobblestone streets.

Stop at Areco’s Plaza Ruiz de Arellano, named after the estanciero (ranch owner) who founded the town in 1728. Learn from your knowledgeable guide about the town’s origins, Areco-born revolutionary Hip□lito Vieytes and the town’s unique role in immigration history. Since 1870, Irish, Croatian, Spanish and Italian immigrants have settled in Areco.

Visit Museo Taller Draghi, a small museum showcasing a style of Argentine silver-work called plater□a criolla. Enjoy exhibits featuring ornate gaucho-related pieces, including knives, stirrups and belt buckles.

The gaucho theme doesn’t stop there ─ head over to the Museo Gauchesco Ricardo G□iraldes, named after the writer and rancher who wrote the 1926 novel Don Segundo Sombra. Inside, gain insight into how the gaucho culture developed and learn more about the novelist as well. Nearby, see El Puente Viejo (Old Bridge) across the Rio Areco. Built in 1857, what used to be a toll crossing is now a pedestrian bridge.

(After the town tour, continue to an estancia. Depending on the day and availability, you’ll visit the ranch of Don Silvano, La Portea or El Omb□ de Areco.

Upon arrival, local gauchos welcome you with a demonstration of their ranching skills. Watch a rodeo in action, a ring race and impressive animal herding. Then, explore the sprawling grounds of the ranch aboard a horse-drawn carriage ride or go horseback riding.
(
Next, unwind at a fiesta gaucha and dig into a typical Argentine asado lunch, featuring a delicious barbecue of sausages, chicken, ribs and more. During your meal, enjoy music and a folkloric dance show.

After a satisfying day in the country, you’ll be transported back to your hotel in Buenos Aires.