Estancia Visit
Travel Tips for Seniors: Estancia Visit
I grew up on a cattle farm and Mom and Dad were in the cattle business their whole life. We were pretty excited about checking out how the Argentinians handled their cattle business in comparison to ours. A day trip to Estancia La Bandada was in order.
A short drive out of Buenos Aires, it was pleasant to get out to rural Argentina and into cattle ranching country. We had already visited the vast cattle ranching area of Salta and had learned about the estancias there and we had the opportunity to try several beef steaks in Argentina, which were very, very good. And we are VERY picky about our beef!
We started with a nice cup of tea and a short welcome, followed by a quick tour of the grounds and walk-through of the gorgeous hacienda. We then launched right into assisting with our asado lunch. The beef had already been set to cook on the oven-like brick grill outside and we were next given instructions on how to make empanadas, the national food of Argentina! We did enjoy this hands-on activity as we had eaten so many outstanding empanadas, we were wondering how to make them ourselves to relive our time in Argentina in the future!
The Estancia was basically a B&B. The house was well-maintained and looked every bit the part of a ranch house a from golden days gone by. They had a nice swimming pool and a lovely outdoor seating area where we enjoyed a cup of tea to begin with and then our very substantial asada lunch. It was a little buggy and warm, so do take some bug spray. We didn’t swim, but it was on offer.
The hostess explained that it was a working ranch, but they started renting rooms and providing experiences to supplement their income in down years.
The asada lunch was incredible. Asada means grilled meat and there was plenty of it! We had beef ribs and brisket, chicken and some sausages that were perfectly marinated and cooked. We also had a cold coleslaw-type salad, a couple of warm vegetable dishes and some French fries as well as bread and of course, dessert. We also had a flawless Malbec wine to go with our lunch. Yum!
Following the lunch under the verandah, we were treated to a horsemanship program. Two of the gauchos came out with their horses and raced back and forth on the grassy grounds a bit. Gauchos are traditional Argentine cowboys who work the pampas and care for cattle.
Then one of them showed us how he had developed a close and trusting relationship with his horse by standing on the horse’s back and in turn the horse put a hoof on his chest. Close relationships are necessary so that they can operate as one unit when on the job. The two gauchos did work at the Estancia and weren’t just for show.
It was a very pleasant day, and we asked a lot of questions and learned a lot about the ranching industry in Argentina. Spanish conquistadors brought cattle to Argentina in 1536, and European cattle were introduced in the 16th century. The pampas and climate in Argentina proved perfect for cattle ranching. The Estancia had been in the hostess’ family for at least three generations. In the end, the cattle business isn’t much different than a typical ranch in the US would be and the beef was very tasty!
One more interesting experience we had on the visit was an introduction to Yerba-mate. This is a tea drink where the tea leaves that are tightly compressed into a hollowed-out gourd which serves as a cup, then boiling water poured over it. It is sipped through a steel straw which has a filter on the end. This a typical Argentinian brew for the morning. We tried tried it, but it was a little strong for me.
What a wonderful way to wrap up our trip to Brazil and Argentina! We highly recommend the Estanica tour as an excellent and relaxing way to round out your trip.
Where we stayed: Casa Sur Palermo. Nice hotel, breakfast included. Centrally located.
How we got there: Day trip out of Buenos Aires. This was part of an 18-day private tour through Brazil and Argentina.
General Accessibility Information: Estancia La Bandada is wheelchair accessible. Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements. See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.
