Gauchos work farm open for guest stays

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Estancia Buena Vista, 28 miles from Posada Hambare in Esquina in northeastern Argentina, is a large working farm with thousands of animals and comfortable guest rooms for visitors seeking a few days in the country.

Ducks and chickens, sheep and goats, horses and cattle and pigs -- and maybe an elusive carpincho (or capybara) in the field -- await visitors to the estate. The house, set in a grove of tall trees, is visible in the distance as guests enter the property from the road.

Buena Vista offers a look at rural Argentine traditions, with plenty of gauchos working on the property, the opportunity to ride horses and perhaps take a carriage ride, a chance to watch animals being fed or feeding themselves on the tall grass that thrives on the estate's wide open spaces.

In warm weather, visitors can relax by the swimming pool or read a book in a comfortable chair on a long, shaded porch while listening to birds.

Buena Vista's kitchen prepares traditional dishes from the area, including soups, homemade jams, and fruits and vegetables from the estate. The main courses, lamb, goat, chicken or beef, usually are cooked outdoors -- asado style, or grilled near coals.

The 19th-century house is set amid gardens -- including an organic vegetable garden -- and is surrounded by old trees and tropical plants.

Day trips can be arranged from Posada Hambare, leaving the lodge in early morning and having an asado lunch at Buena Vista and, later, 5 o'clock tea before returning to the lodge at sunset.

Buena Vista also offers bread-and-breakfast accommodations in Esquina. For more information about Estancia Buena Vista, call 54/11-4342-6290 or go to www.estanciabuenavista.com.ar.

-- Richard Slusser