Estancia La Tomasa: An Authentic Working Ranch near Buenos Aires

It had been storming for two days when we hit the road for a weekend on a ranch in the Buenos Aires pampas.

The rain let up just in time for us to open the gate.

We’d arrived to our home for the next three days – Estancia La Tomasa, 3 hours south of Buenos Aires.

Isabel, the youngest of 5 sisters and a member of the 7th generation to live on this land, was waiting for us with a fire roaring in the living room and the offer of a warm beverage.

We instead opted for a glass of Malbec, which did the trick of warming our bones in front of the fire.

We sat by the large bay window, watching the cows outside. Our kids played with the family’s toys and books. It felt like settling in at home, and that’s because this estancia is the family home.

The Gibson family has lived on this land for 7 generations.

The main house was built in 1893 but was completely renovated in 2022, opening its doors to travelers wanting to experience true gaucho tradition and an authentic experience in the Argentine pampas.

Disclosure: I was invited to stay at La Tomasa, as always all opinions are 100% my own.

A Weekend at Estancia La Tomasa

Estancia La Tomasa is located in Cachari, 3 hours south of the Buenos Aires city center. It’s an easy drive, following Ruta Nacional 3 all the way.

And in the land of gauchos, ranches, and campo, La Tomasa stands out. This estancia focuses on a more intimate and authentic experience.

In fact, we were lucky to be the only family there during our stay which made us feel like guests of the family. By the end of our stay we felt as if we’d made true friends.

Our arrival evening was relaxed, with a glass of wine by the fire followed by a steak dinner and an early bedtime. It rained again throughout the night, making us grateful for our cozy beds.

We woke up Sunday morning to the sounds of the cattle outside of our window. The kids were excited to hear the mooing and answered back in kind.

While the rain had finally stopped we did have a dreary day ahead of us, so we took it easy. We enjoyed Sofia’s cooking, the family’s elder sister and resident chef. Farm fresh eggs, fruit and yogurt for breakfast, then tartas (savory pies) and salads for lunch.

We walked the property with Isabel, learning about the history of the family and the ranch.

The best parts of the day were my kids collecting eggs from the chicken coop in the morning and an afternoon horseback ride across the property.

La Tomasa: A Working Ranch in Argentina

One major aspect that sets La Tomasa apart from its comrades in Buenos Aires is that it isn’t only dedicated to tourism. This is a working cattle ranch.

That means you can see gauchos in action and see the day to day operations of a real Argentine ranch.

TIP: Book your stay during the week, rather than the weekend, if you want to see day to day operations. Understandably, even gauchos take the weekend off.

We were particularly lucky and visited at the start of spring, which in the campo means baby cows.

At Isabel’s urging we stayed through Monday to be able to see the first day of La Yerra – a week when ranches across the province work the calves. Whether it’s branding, testing, or castrating – it is a busy week and ends with a huge celebration.

For us, it meant they were working “la manga.”

We started the day by saddling up and riding across the property to a pasture where the team was testing the young heifers to know which were ready to have their first impregnation.

By the time we arrived, the lazy tourists that we are, the actual gauchos had been hard at work for nearly 5 hours.

In fact, they had already processed a lamb and put it on the grill (a grill they also set up that day). The day’s lunch looked promising.

The manga is a narrow passage where they can check each cow individually and it is arduous work. It was a once in a lifetime experience for us to watch them.

Lunch surpassed our expectations and was easily entered into one of my top 5 meals in Argentina.

The lamb, that had slow cooked all morning, was as tender as butter. And Sofia brought over fresh salads and desserts from the main house. This was the perfect ending to our stay at La Tomasa.

While you may not have a visit timed for La Yerra, you’ll still be able to see what it takes to operate a cattle ranch and each visit will be unlike any other.

La Tomasa Logistics: How to book your stay

You can book your room at La Tomasa here on booking[.]com.

La Tomasa has a 2 night minimum stay. This isn’t the sort of hotel that’s meant just as a place to lay your head.

You need time to go for rides, relax by the pool, and enjoy a leisurely asado. Staying at least two nights gives you one full day to do that.

If you have more time then 3-4 nights is ideal to really disconnect and enjoy more time in the saddle.

And as I touched on earlier, if you want to see the ranch in action then make sure to have at least one weekday during your stay.

The weekend is also great for relaxing but you won’t see anyone working on the estancia.

How to get to La Tomasa? It is 3 hours south of Buenos Aires so you’ll need to rent a car (check rates here) and make a road trip out of it or organize a transfer.

The drive is easy, following Ruta Nacional 3 the entire way. The only thing to keep in mind is that there is a lot of 18 wheelers/lorries on this route and it is a two lane highway – as in one lane each way, no divider. This plus the trucks means there are a lot of people passing the trucks. I never have any problems with it – just know you’ll likely be passing trucks or sitting behind one for long stretches.

If you’re nervous about driving or simply don’t want the expense of renting a car (you don’t need one while on the ranch anyway), ask La Tomasa about arranging a transfer.

→ Book your stay at La Tomasa now.

When to visit? A ranch is a great destination year round. In the summer, it will be hot in the afternoon so make sure to pack light linens for the sun and a sun hat like this to stay cool. Bring your swim suit for the pool on hot afternoons. During the winter you may get some rain, bring your rain boots for the mud, this isn’t a fashion show.

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