La Estancia Tres Marias

As mentioned before, on our to do list for the road trip was a stay at an Estancia, which is the name for a working ranch in Argentina. There were estancias around Mendoza that were prohibitively expensive and so we were hopeful that by going off the beaten track we would find something more affordable and authentic.

We asked at every tourist information office along the way and were rewarded for our perseverance in the small town of Malargue. The fellow working there directed us to the Estancia Tres Marias, just outside of Loncupue, which was a day´s drive away and thankfully on our route. That night we stayed at the rural Eco Hostel, where we cooked a wonderful dinner of steak fresh from the market and sat outside to enjoy wine and the amazing display of stars in the night sky.

Full of anticipation and not knowing what to expect, we pulled up to the entrance of the Estancia Las Tres Marias the next day late in the afternoon. What followed were two days of just pure bliss. The Estancia is run by a lovely family whose agricultural focus was beef production and raspberry farming, while they also offered horseback riding for their guests. We were shown to a cabana which had a fully equipped kitchen and each couple had their own ensuite room with a view of the surrounding fields.

Right away the family´s generous hospitality was on full display as it was a Sunday and we had been unable to buy food at the nearest grocery store (a long drive by dirt road). Having planned on cooking all of the nights at the Estancia, we were in a bit of a bind. Our gracious hosts exceeded themselves in providing us with homecooked fresh bread and scones, vegetables and their beef fresh from the farm throughout our stay. Thankfully we were fully equipped with wine from the wine tour in Mendoza! Phew.

The first evening started off with a bang as we headed off for a one hour sunset horseback ride with Marcelo, one of the owners of the ranch. He is a "real" cowboy, and enjoyed showing us around the hills on their beautiful horses.

When we returned, Lorraine, his mother-in-law, had set up an area in the trees with a fire and grill complete with sitting area for us to attempt our first outdoor "parilla" (spanish for barbeque) with their fresh meat. It was so amazing to be out under the stars cooking, drinking wine and enjoying great conversation. Throughout the night, the horses grazed around the property so every now and then you could see and hear them munching away in the trees. Very picturesque.

The next day we allowed ourselves a nice sleep in and woke to sunshine and a strong wind. As Marcelo said, "this is Patagonia" and strong winds are a way of life in the south of Argentina. Fortunately this did not interfere with our plans and we enjoyed a five hour horseback ride deeper into the mountains and valleys surrounding the Estancia.

The horses were incredibly well behaved, and the views were stunning. Marcelo as usual was wearing his traditional gaucho outfit which includes a beret, vest, khaki pants tucked into riding boots and a beautifully worked leather belt. We wondered whether the gear was for our benefit but further along in the trip we noticed this traditional dress throughout the gaucho regions.

At the top of a hill Marcelo called a break and we enjoyed yerba mate, a very popular Argentinian tradition. This involves drinking a type of tea out of a round cup, with accompanying rituals including saying "Gracias" only if you no longer want any tea. Of course for us polite Canadians it was difficult to not say thank you every time we accepted a cup, but thankfully Marcelo was used to this strange foreign behaviour.

The mix of sunshine on one side and an encroaching storm on the other made for an incredible setting for the Argentinian tea ritual. And the petrified wood made for a convenient cup rest.

The next day we had to head out to continue our road trip into Patagonia, but before leaving we enjoyed the Estancia´s tennis court and lounged poolside. It was hard to leave.

After a wonderful two days, we said or goodbyes to the lovely family with a mixture of sadness and happiness in our hearts. Hard to believe that we had found such a fantastic place to experience some of the Argentinian gaucho lifestyle. Of course we couldn´t leave without bringing along another jar of their homemade reaspberry jam for the road.