The Estancia

Ask a porteño (citizen of Buenos Aires), ‘How do you want to retire?’ He’ll reply, ‘On an estancia in the pampas’. The estanciero is the ultimate state of being for many Argentines.

Estancias are the cradle of cattle culture, and its derivatives of horsemanship, polo, beef and leather goods, which dominate Argentine history and drive the Argentine psyche. Estancias made Argentina the 7th richest economy in the world by the 1940s. Dotted throughout the length and breadth of the country, estancias are working farms, but some belong to rich porteños who play at weekend estancieros. A number of them have opened their doors to paying guests who can help round up cattle or man the asado. Some offer sidelines in dove shooting (especially in Cordoba) and fly fishing (ditto Patagonia).