San Antonio de Areco, Argentina

It wasn’t easy to find an estancia to learn to play polo in Argentina that allowed children. We had to do quite some homework to find a pretty and luxurious place for us to stay as a family. But we finally found one in San Andres de Gilles, a town really close to the colonial town of San Antonio de Areco.

There is not much to do in San Andres de Gilles but the main attraction in this area is San Antonio de Areco. San Antonio de Areco is a small colonial town 120km northwest or 1,5 hour drive of Buenos Aires. It is also known as the prettiest town in the pampas, filled with Gaucho traditions. In the town they sell a lot of fine silverwork. The streets are quiet and picturesque.

It’s a small town but big among the Gauchos that gather here in November for their Traditional Day. Gauchos are the cowboys of Argentina but with a rich history. They are the symbol of life in the countryside and they have the image of pioneer and hero. They have their own traditions, clothing and language and are mostly employed by the estancias where they are responsible for the cattle of the farm.

Here are some awesome things to do at the San Antonio de Areco with kids. If you follow this list you will for sure do all the major highlights of this wonderful place. Use it as a check-list. It works really well.

• Horseback riding;
• Polo classes;
• Fishing;
• Visit San Antonio de Areco;
• Relaxing and swimming.

Magical place

La Sofía Polo

Cuartel 6, Azcuénaga (6270)
San Andres de Gilles, Buenos Aires, Argentina
+(54) 9 2325 415999
www.lasofiapolo.com

Price range

$$$$

Location

Approximately 100 km Northwest of Buenos Aires, near San Andres de Gilles and near to the Gaucho town of San Antonio de Areco.

Accommodation

We stayed in a little house outside the main house, which was perfect for us. We had a nice fireplace and lovely view from our place on the pampas.

Dining

The Argentinian cook of La Sofía prepares breakfast, lunch and dinner for you and also afternoon tea with delicious sweets after polo classes. It is served in the main house or on the outside terrace. If you are lucky, like we were, Marco and Silke the owners of La Sofía will prepare a real Argentinian BBQ, “assado”, for you.

Services and amenities for kids

For an overview of the services and amenities for kids at this hotel click here. Amenities provided by the hotel in green.

Extra info

Marco & Silke are the owners of Estancia La Sofía. Marco is a retired professional polo player and loves the sport. He and Silke, and their two children, live on the estancia with their dogs and do their utmost to make the guest feel pampered and welcome. The younger children can go horseback riding either with one of the parents or with one of the gauchos of the estancia. For the older children, from the age of 8, there are also polo lessons available. My eldest daughter and son loved the lessons and wished they could continue doing the sport in their home country.

Near the estancia there is a fishing pond where the children went fishing. They even caught a lot of fish, which meant big stories at night during dinner.

On some days there are polo matches to watch at the estancia or you are able to visit another neighboring estancia to watch them play against La Sofia Polo.

We loved it so much at la Sofia that we wanted to stay a few extra days. The peace and quiet is really relaxing, when you are at the Estancia, you feel one with nature and are really away from the hustle and bustle of every day life.