Country Article / Postcards
"When Are We Going Back?"
Date: 10/21/2003We just came back from an incredible weekend.
Over the past two years, Argentinean farm owners have created a new industry--turismo de estancia (farm tourism); a type of guest lodge.
We had a family reunion--for 21 guests--at Estancia Dos Lunas (contact details below), a two-hour drive from Cordoba.
Our Don Lunas hosts, Juan and Alejandra, made sure we had a great time. Over the three days, we: went horseback riding, trekked through the mountains, enjoyed the views from comfortable verandas, went off-roading, visited an old Estancia founded by Jesuits in 1622 (the Jesuits were expelled from South America by the Spanish governor in 1767 because he felt they were too powerful), and trained for our adventure racing (every couple of months, my husband Paul and I enter a triathlon or tetrathlon--usually biking, running, kayaking, and skiing in the winter).
Turismo de estancia stays start at $50 per day, and vary according to location and the level of accommodation.
Estancia Dos Lunas is tastefully decorated, maintaining a classic style, but completely refurbished.
We paid $90 per person per day, including all food, drinks, and activities (even going out in a Land Rover Defender to visit the farm). Children are welcome and get a 40% discount. The minute we arrived home, our four kids asked, "When are we going back?"
María Reynolds
For International Living
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