Visit an estancia

Argentinean country high life
Talk of the town: Famous Argentine writer Ricardo Güiraldes penned his 1921 gaucho (cowboy) novel, ‘Don Segundo Sombra’, while residing at a sprawling estancia in San Antonio de Areco.

Word to the wise: Leave your heels in the city. This is cowboy country.
Not far from Buenos Aires, the city gives way to rolling, golden lowlands, the Pampas; this is gaucho territory, the South American equivalent of the cowboy. Dotted with rustic ranches and rural estates - estancias - you can live out your spurs and chaps fantasies on a working farm, or make like the Argentine aristocracy staying in a private home playing a spot of polo.

There are dozens to choose from with packages normally including asado, horse riding and traditional gaucho demonstrations; some are tailored to day-trippers, such as the excellent Estancia Los Dos Hermanos, which offers transportation from BA, while others are more like luxurious country hotels, such as Estancia El Rocio.

For those just wanting to dip their toe in, the cobblestoned village of San Antonio de Areco is just two hours' drive away (frequent daily buses run from Buenos Aires' Retiro station). Peppered with rustic restaurants, it manages to retain the air of a typical gaucho town without feeling overly touristy. There are also plenty of estancias in the area to choose from.