Buenos Aires is a delightful city where there is plenty to do both inside and outside the city limits. A day or multi-day trip is easy to take and ideal for a break from the hustle and bustle. There are several nice places to spend a day in the Buenos Aires area. To enjoy fresh air, beautiful nature or cute villages. We also left the city several times to explore the surrounding area. The first day trip went to the typical gaucho village of San Antonio de Areco. The beautiful weather, the lovely people and the typical Argentine streets that I suddenly remembered so well again made this day trip a great success. Meet the real gaucho village of San Antonio de Areco! And: what exactly is a gaucho?
San Antonio de Areco
By bus from Buenos Aires, you will be in San Antonio de Areco about 2.5 later. Located in the province of Buenos Aires, this “village” has about 25,000 inhabitants. The village dates back to the 18th century, is known as the most beautiful in the Argentine pampa (grassy plains) and has retained many typical gaucho and criollo traditions.
Moreover, the cute little streets with the beautiful trees sloping over the road, the old houses and the many horses make it especially picturesque. To top it off, San Antonio de Areco is also the proud owner of a bright pink bridge. That tastes like more!
What to see and do in San Antonio de Areco?
Museo Gauchesco Ricardo Güiraldes
This beautiful and interesting museum is highly recommended. Located in Parque Criollo, the museum opened in 1936 and focuses on writer Ricardo Güiraldes, local gaucho history and culture in general.
You can visit the museum on your own or join a comprehensive tour of about 1.5 hours. Both options are free. The house you visit has been restored and many parts have been recreated to how it once was.
The visit begins in the old pulpería (pub), which is made as it was when it first opened in the year 1850. Further down the park you will find the museum with old silverware, beautiful paintings and all about the writing of Ricardo Güiraldes.
Here you’ll find more information for a visit.
The pink bridge
Before you get to the Museo Gauchesco, you must first cross the Areco River over the old pink bridge: Puente Viejo. The bridge dates back to 1857 and was once a toll crossing. The bridge is not super special, but the color contrasts nicely with the green surroundings full of horses, and the road that follows after the bridge is an original road that leads to northern Argentina.
Seeing this road brings back memories of other places in Argentina, just because it is so typical. By the way, the park surrounding the bridge is a popular place to picnic or just relax on a nice day. So bringing a rug is definitely not a luxury!
Walk through the village
Actually, just walking through the village and enjoying the cute little streets, beautiful trees and old houses is also just incredibly fun. Moreover, there are plenty of eateries and cafes where you can enjoy gaucho watching on the terrace when the weather is nice.
Other sights in San Antonio de Areco
In addition to the above, there are two other museums in the village. Here we have not been, but if you have the time these are undoubtedly worthwhile.
Museo las Lilas de Areco
This museum is about folk artist Florencio Molina Campos. There seems to be a beautiful courtyard and a large collection of Florencio’s work focused on comic caricatures. There is also a gaucho-themed light and sound show and you will find a cafe for coffee and pastries. Entrance fee: 100 pesos. More information.
Museo y Taller de Platería Draghi
The small Draghi museum has a collection of silver gaucho knives from the 19th century, a horse harness and items for mate (Argentina’s traditional tea). There is also a silversmith workshop on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. Looks like a lot of fun to do! Entrance fee: 75 pesos. More information.
What is a gaucho?
A gaucho is a courageous and skilled horseman or herdsman of cattle. Originally descended from the Spanish and Native Americans, gauchos were engaged in cattle herding on the pampas.
Gauchos are found in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil. In Argentina, the term “gaucho” is often used to refer to all Argentines. In legends, folklore and literature, gauchos were greatly admired and famous and this became part of the local tradition. Economic successes of the gauchos include beef leather and dried meat.
An essential characteristic of a gaucho is that he is a very experienced rider. A gaucho could ride a horse as soon as he could walk, and without a horse something is really missing. Want to see for yourself a true gaucho tradition? Then visit the Día de la Tradición (the day of tradition) in November, when all the gauchos come to San Antonio de Areco with their horses from all over the pampa.
San Antonio de Areco practical information
How to get to San Antonio de Areco from Buenos Aires?
From Buenos Aires you can get to San Antonio de Areco by bus in about 2 to 2.5 hours. Go to the bus station in the Retiro district and look for bus company Chevallier. Prices start at 130 Argentine pesos, but at some times it is more expensive and you pay 145 pesos.
How much time do you need?
A day is enough to get to know the village and visit one or two museums. However, if you want more, such as horseback riding, visiting all the museums and staying at a ranch, I think it is well worth staying one or more nights.
Stay on a typical farm
So we didn’t do this, but it’s definitely on the list to do someday: stay on a real ranch (farm). Although many ranches are still private property of wealthy landowners, the largest ranches are now open to the public. You can go horseback riding, do other outdoor activities and stay overnight. Staying on a ranch is not exactly cheap, but it seems to be great fun to experience country life and get to know the area better. An example of a typical ranch is Estancia La Cinacina.
More day trips from Buenos Aires
Besides San Antonio de Areco, there is much more to do in the Buenos Aires area. Consider the beautiful Tigre Delta and the cozy village of San Isidro.
San Antonio de Areco was a particularly fun day trip and really recommended to do if you have enough time in Buenos Aires! Get away from the busy city and enjoy a very typical Argentine gaucho village!
Affiliate links were used in this article. Click here for more information.
