ESTANCIA EL OMBÚ DE ARECO
A traditional ranch in the Pampas

El Ombú de Areco, an historical estancia (ranch) just over an hour's drive from downtown Buenos Aires, is located in San Antonio de Areco, birthplace of the gaucho tradition. The Late-Colonial style mansion, built in 1880 by Lieutenant-general Pablo Riccheri, offers visitors a magnificent setting for an unforgettable stay.

Enrique Boelcke, grandfather of the present owner Eva Boelcke, purchased the El Ombú in 1934. Eva's father, Osvaldo, a renowned botanist, ran the estancia as a working ranch until his death in 1992. Her husband, Alberto Viaggio, an international businessman with a flair for authentic restoration, provided his expertise and support to renovate and modernise the original ranch house and outbuildings. Eva was trained as an agronomist, but since 1993 has expanded her role as farm manager to include local and international estancia tourism.

El Ombú de Areco offers nine spacious, modernised bedrooms (6 doubles and 3 triples), with en suite bathrooms, large windows and an interesting array of period furniture. In winter, guests enjoy the warmth of central heating in every bedroom, augmented, if desired, with the friendly glow of the gaucho's typical wood-burning salamander.

The estancia's living room is now a spacious common room, in which guests can enjoy satellite TV or videos, a round of billiards, a game of chess or hand of cards. On the adjacent gallery, there is ping-pong and metegol (table football).

The main house is surrounded by a covered gallery typical of the late-Colonial period, with a richly tiled floor and cascaded steps that lead into the gardens of the park.

Presiding majestically over the park is the estancia's namesake, the great ombú (Phytolacca dioca), a plant as characteristic of the pampas as the baobab is of the African savanna. Nearly as ancient as well: gauchos have been hitching their horses to the estancia's main ombú for over a hundred years.

Centennial oaks, araucarias (monkey-puzzle trees), palms, eucalyptus, casuarinas and magnolias adorn the four-hectare (ten-acre) park, tempting guests to stroll about and enjoy the scent of gardenias, roses and lime trees. The park and surrounding ranch land, with its natural lagoons and small water courses running to the Areco River offer a rich habitat to a large proportion of Argentina's 1000 bird species.

El Ombú de Areco provides all the comfort required by the most demanding guests, together with a kind and personalised attention by professional staff, against the backdrop of the big-sky beauty and pastoral quietude of the Argentine pampas.

In the cosy and commodious dining-room, facing a large hearth, guests are treated to a wide selection of international or creole cuisine served with local wines. No stay will pass without at least one asado, the typical Argentinean barbeque of the world's finest beef raised free-range on the estancia.

In the summertime lunch is served al fresco in the shadow of the great ombú. Drinks and snacks are available at any hour, and, of course, guests are always welcome to share the famous Argentine maté with Eva and her family, your friends and the gauchos.

Guests can choose from two types of visit: the Overnight Stay or the One-day Visit: The Overnight Stay can last from one to several days. This gives guests the chance to immerse themselves as much as they wish in the life of a working estancia, dedicated mainly to raising Hereford and Aberdeen Angus Stock.

Guests are welcome to observe and take part in the various stock-rearing activities as they happen on the ranch: milking, driving cattle to harness, vaccination, ear-tagging, de-horning, branding, etc.

Guests can explore the 300-hectare (ca 750 acre) estancia on foot or, accompanied by seasoned gauchos, on one of the 38 horses that are part of the working drove. Horse drawn carriages are also available. Those that want to learn some of the thousand species of Argentinean birds are provided binoculars and guide books.

Other recreational activities include: a swimming pool with solarium; ping-pong; metegol (table football); volleyball and football; bicycle rides; golf and tennis at a friendly country club only 15 minutes drive from the estancia.

Twenty kilometres from the estancia sits historic San Antonio de Areco, a picturesque pampas pueblo, with its museums, such as the famous Ricardo Güiraldes Gaucho Museum, silversmiths, leathercraft and wood workshops, a delightful little chocolate factory and frequent country auctions, all of which serve to keep very much alive the traditions of the gaucho culture.

The popular One Day Visit, on the other hand, offers a taste of any of the above activities - guided horse rides, an outing in a horse drawn carriage, the swimming pool, or strolls along the meandering Areco river, and so on - with the guarantee of a delicious asado (barbecue) served with fine Argentine wines.

Optionally on special request, El Ombú offers gaucho folk dance troops, local music groups, as well as creole horse-back skill events, such as sortija races, horseback sprints, bullock lassoing and hog-tying.

Estancia El Ombú de Areco
Directions by road: From within the city limits of Buenos Aires, drive along the Panamericana Route following the Acceso Norte. Watch for the fork to the left of National Route 8 (Ruta 8) that leads to the city of Pilar. Continue on Route 8, past the toll booth ($2.20) until the distance indicator for "Kilometer 110". After that, before entering San Antonio de Areco, turn right at the police post onto State Route 41 (paved) for a further 5 km up to the intersection with State Route 31 (unpaved but all-weather). Turn right at the aerodrome and continue for another 6 km up to the entrance to the estancia on the right-hand side.

DAY 1 - Arrival to Ezeiza Int. Airport and transfer to hotel. 03 nts of accommodation with breakfast

DAY 2 - Traditional City Tour, visiting the best of Buenos Aires: La Boca, San Telmo, 9 de Julio Avenue and the Obelisk, Colon Theatre, The Congress, The Governor House called "Casa Rosada", Puerto Madero, La Recoleta...

DAY 3 - Excursion to a traditional "Estancia" or farm in the Pampas. Meals and Activities included. This excursion is usually called "Fiesta Gaucha"

DAY 4 - Transfer to airport

This is a basic program to visit Buenos Aires. Please visit our tour list to see more tours combining this area and others place in Argentina and Chile

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