What to do

Riding: The Pampas

The birthplace of the famous Gaucho, the region around Buenos Aires is steeped in history of the horse

The Pampas - Las Pampas
The Pampas - Las Pampas

The Pampas, the area surrounding the capital, Buenos Aires, has long been synonymous with horse riding. While it is relatively flat, geographically, this is the true birthplace for the infamous gaucho, a type of farm hand who is responsible for taking care of the cattle and sheep on many of the estancias. Overall, while the terrain offers relatively little apart from wide open skies, the horses are very well trained and reactive.

For those that are interested by the history and culture of horses in Argentina, a visit to the Pampas is a must. The home of the infamous gaucho, the Pampas is vast open grassland, perfect for rearing cattle and other livestock.

The Gaucho was, traditionally, a nomadic farm hand, often compared to the gypsies of Europe, who would spend weeks and months out in the pastures with the cattle, tending to them and defending them from predators. Today, the tradition of being truly nomadic has all but died out, but many of the small towns and villages in the Pampas feature remnants of the past and, more importantly, the horse tradition that the gauchos formed, still lives on.

We would not necessarily recommend the estancias as the ideal location to spend 5 or 6 nights riding every day as the scenery does not change all that much, but it is an interesting place to head to for a couple of days or if you are keen on horse riding once or twice in the trip.

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    The Pampas

    At a glance...The Pampas

  • Size: 750,000 Sq Km
  • Location: Eastern Argentina
  • Recommended time: 1 to 3 nights
  • Time to visit: Year round
  • Go here for: Culture, polo, Gauchos, Estancias
  • Further reading...

  • › Buenos Aires
  • › Culture
  • › Polo