La Cinacina was the perfect quick break from Buenos Aires. We stayed three nights and thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality and helpfulness of all the staff.

Initially we were concerned when seeing a tour bus parked at our 'City Escape', dreading the thought of having to share this spot with hundreds of others. The day visitors left and we ended up being the only guests on the ranch.

After an initial noise complaint (our room backed onto the workshop), we immediately received a complimentary upgrade and changed rooms. Maria was 100% professional, understanding and accommodating.

The setting is beautiful, situated along the banks of a river and 10 minutes walk from town. San Antonio Areco is filled with character - friendly locals (and their dogs), interesting buildings and dilapidated cars (many photo opportunities).

Although possibly sharing the day with 200 other tourists, the Gaucho Fiesta is a great snippet into Argentine culture - food, music, dancing, gauchos and their horse whispering.

All in all - highly recommendable.

A weekend on an estancia can be an expensive trip. La Cinacina is not cheap, but still affordable. And you get your perfect dose of Pampa, Goucho-culture, Asado and what other myths of Argentina you wish to experience (no tango though, sorry...). The farmlike premises are unpretentious, authentic and tasteful. Reception was warm and welcoming. The Fiesta del goucho is fun and you won´t go with an empty stomach. And San Antonio de Areco is a wonderful picturesque pampa-town, just a short walk nearby: go for souvenirs (leather and silver stuff) or dine in one of the recommended restaurants.
Take your time, stay for a night or two, and get the full experience, as we did. We were fully rewarded.

This place was great, I did the usual day trip from Buenos Aires and it was amazing how much they pack in to 5-6 hours. Pick up was from my hotel and the ride itself took a little over an hour. We were entertained for about half the way with bilingual history lessons from our tour guide.

Arrival at the ranch was fantastic. We were greeted by the gauchos and enjoyed empanadas and good conversation. It's important to note right off the bat that these guys aren't actors with day jobs, they take their titles very seriously and are a wealth of information about the ranch and gaucho history. After the initial empanadas and greeting we had an hour or two of free-time where we could ride horses on our own or go for carriage rides. I chose the former (first time riding a horse!) and it was very easy and relaxing.

A huge meal followed which included a lot of meat obviously but also salad, potatoes, and free wine and soda. I enjoyed the company of people from all around the world. We ended with a dance and music performance showcasing different dances from around the country including the remote provinces. Everyone was allowed to join in the fun at the end. We ended by watching the gauchos perform "tricks" on their horses where they try to hook a ring while riding at full speed (insert whatever the real equestrian term is here). The usual souvenir shop was available for the usual purchases throughout the day.

Yes things like this are a bit touristy but for those of us who have limited time I can't think of a better way to get an overview of the gaucho culture than something like this. And it was in winter! I can't imagine what it's like in the warmer months.

A great experience overall and top 3 for my time in the country. Excellent!

My husband and I with our 6 year old daughter did a day trip to Cinacina arranged through Say Hueque travel agency who were excellent. The small bus picked us up at our hotel in Recoleta and having driven around 40 minutes we had a 20 minute stop at a service station/road house that had a shop full of lovely Argentinian handicrafts Our guide, Juan, then gave us a great lesson on how to make a cup of mate and he passed the gourd around, in traditional Argentinian style for a taste. The short stop in the main square of San Antonio do Areco was lovely.
Upon arrival at the Estancia on the edge of town, we were greated warmly by the charming host (who surprised us all with his knowledge of where we all came from) and with yummy Empanadas and a drink of choice (wine, beer, soft drink) We were then invited to go for a horse ride. The horses were calm and knew what they were doing forntunately and our 6 year old loved it. Following this we were served with an enormous lunch including various types of meet, vegies, salad, wine. We were entertained by a band and some wonderful dancing. At the end, we were invited to join in, and I didn't decline when a gorgeous gaucho took my hand for a dance. The day concluded with some exciting displays of horsemanship by the cowboys. All in all, an excellent day, that was good value for money. This one was more affordable than a couple of other entancia tours offered to us. I think it cost $60US per adult and $30 for our daughter.