Stories about our town: In the early 2000, the kiosk “Chispa”(which means “sparkle”) was the place where the kids from the school “Santa María” would buy their candies or eat a sandwich. Those who waited for the bus also made a stop at this kiosk. Now, this place has been transformed into the restaurant/bar named “La Esquina de Merti”, situated in the heart of the colonial town of San Antonio de Areco
¡The great tradition gaucho festival of Argentina, very close to Buenos Aires!
If you happen to come to Argentina you cannot miss the Tradition Festival, the oldest gaucho celebration of the Buenos Aires Province. The one which gathers the largest number of gauchos with their impressive clothing, and horses carrying astonishing silver ornaments; horse riding and games with rioplatense tack, and strings of horses spotlessly trained.
A festival without sponsors where the purity and rigor of customs and traditions of the gaucho are kept as in the old days: the elegant criollo dances, musicians with ancestral repertoires, old traditions which have never disappeared, horse riding skills, a red wine, a good barbecue (asado), long lasting guitarreadas, casual chats, the life of town people… An exceptional environment that fills arequeros (local city dwellers) with pride while the city is all decked out for the visit. This is the special moment in which the tourists’ cameras and national and international journalists compete to take the best portrait of this unique cultural event in the Argentine Republic. Don’t miss the next tradition day festival, only in San Antonio de Areco, which is about an hour and a half ride from the city of Buenos Aires. If you`re looking for hotels in Areco, check out this page.
Who hasn’t visited Villa Lía(near to San Antonio de Areco) is missing the true concept of “tranquility”. Villa Lía, so near of everything and so far in time. Take a time to travel to this small town. Check out this page of an estancia(ranch) which counts with rooms for guests.
The Don Segundo Sombra book was illustrated in 1929 by the cousin of Ricardo Güiraldes .
He was an amazing artist, and observing his works we see that time in San Antonio de Areco stopped literally…at a bar.
His technique consists on precise and strong, clean lines.
In the Ricardo Güiraldes Gaucho Museum located within the Parque Criollo there are many examples of these Alberto Güiraldes drawings.
All of them representing gaucho situations in the Pampas, most of them real scenes that he was living in his daily life in Estancia La Porteña near San Antonio de Areco
At the entrance of the Museum you can read: If you want to know the work of Güiraldes, the story of Don Segundo Sombra and how rural people think, you’d better go to the museum named after the writer.
For a great visit to this gaucho town look for a Full Day Tour to San Antonio de Areco
Or if you prefer to stay longer: An Historical Estancia Hotel
The Don Segundo Sombra book even though it may be considered as a continuity with Martín Fierro, more than an extiguished gaucho elegy it proposes new ethical examples to a youth that Ricardo Güiraldes considered disoriented and restless mainly. Structured in a basic way as lessons to be absorbed escaping from inexperience, lessons on work, amusement, morals, camp chores (horse taming, cattle rodeo “jineteada”, raw hide pieces of work done by the gauchos, animal healing, etc.), they become an example of “lo criollo” supported by a very specific and precise words.