Estancia La Bamba de Areco
Built in 1830 as a post house on the Royal Road linking Buenos Aires to the north, Estancia La Bamba de Areco is one of the oldest and best-preserved historic properties in Argentina, and one of the few that earns the word "timeless" without irony. The 11-room Relais & Châteaux property sits in the heart of the Pampas, 75 miles from Buenos Aires, on grounds that include two polo fields, centuries-old parkland, and stables housing a championship polo team. Days here run on gaucho time: horseback riding, horse-drawn carriage rides, fishing, and biking across the Pampas. The centerpiece is a daily Doma India demonstration, the ancient gaucho art of horse whispering, in which a rider uses nothing but touch and breath to coax a horse to lie on its back, legs in the air, in a state of complete stillness and trust. Every day, the chef hosts a traditional asado, and the wine flows freely. It's Argentina at its most distilled.

