Guest reviews Estancia El Ombu De Areco

by DubCM Dublin, Ireland

Lovely relaxing stay

We spent two nights here after a fairly hectic holiday, we arrived in late afternoon and were shown to our rooms by the owner. He gave us ten minutes to sort ourselves and he came back to show us around. The estate has been in his family for generations. We then sat under the trees, where we were given a drink. Dinner that night was on a lighted patio and was very good. The next morning we were up early for a hearty breakfast, and went riding, we are both beginners so our ride was a slow walk but I enjoyed it. When we arrived back we were served the best empanadas, I had while in Argentina and a cold beer in the garden. A couple of hours later we had a barbecue in the garden, the setting was lovely and the food excellent. We used the pool and cycled in the afternoon, mainly to be hungry for dinner! There was a lot of food on offer. Again we had a lovely dinner, this time in the dining room as rain was expected. The horses seem well cared for, and there are 27 rescue dogs wandering around, living the good life. We left early the next morning. The room we had was spacious and clean, there was air conditioning and the bathroom was spacious. All the staff were friendly and very helpful. There was a lovely relaxed feel to the place it was a home from home. There is no real phone signal and limited wifi so a great place to unplug and switch off

by H7142DYlisal

Okay...

Had a day trip to this estancia yesterday. We had a lovely guide Sandra and van driver Hermal(?) from Signature tours. We were picked up on time and then had a few other pickups ( a little bit of waiting but not a problem). Our first stop was a gas station with a gift shop, toilet and cafe ( I felt we were just filling in time here). This was only 30-40 mins into the trip. Then onto San Antonio de Areco. We went through a silver shop and church. An okay stop. Then onto the Estancia. It is in a great setting and great set up. We had wonderful empanadas and a drink on arrival. Then a ride on a horse (or in a carriage). This is what I found quite disappointing. The gaucho's didn't really engage with the group. We just followed along. I didn't even know the name of the horse I was on or the name of the gaucho. Lunch was good, and was followed up with some traditional dancing, One gaucho then showed a little bit of 'horse whispering'. I was hoping to see the gaucho show off their horseman/riding skills. Unfortunately I was asked to settle my bill during the show. It would have been much better if this had been between courses or before dinner/ lunch. Overall it was okay, but a little underwhelming, especially given the $$$. The gaucho seemed to be going through their paces rather than really enjoying themselves or interested in the customers/visitors -it would be good to see a bit more passion! The local couple dancing and the gentleman playing the music seemed to be more engaged than anyone else.

by vakamalua reston, va

Lovely Dat at the Estancia

We visited this estancia as part of a San Antonio de Areco tour with Camino Pampa. We were greeted by the owner and offered drinks and a chance to relax or stop by to see the horses. We chose not to go horseback riding and took the carriage ride instead. It was short and not too interesting so we regretted not staying back to sit in the shade under the beautiful trees. We were served very good Empanadas and went to tour the ranch including the smokehouse where the enormous mountains of meat were cooking. The meal itself was very good with chicken, pork, and three cuts of beef; as well as salads and dessert with non-stop wine and other drinks. After the meal was traditional country music and dancing where we could join in and learn the steps. Then was an amazing demonstration of human-horse bonding; they were so zen, it looked like equine yoga. Enjoyed this authentic and relaxing day.

by hanndav St. Petersburg, Florida

Highlight of our trip!

Spending the night at the Estancia and enjoying all it had to offer was one of the highlights of our trip! From the moment we arrived, everything was taken care of. The pace of the day was perfect for our family of six, including teenagers. Plenty of refreshments and lunch followed by horseback riding and a gaucho show, then time to relax before a beautiful dinner. We enjoyed it all - especially swimming at sunset! The property is beautiful, has a serene atmosphere. The estancia is filled with well cared for animals and extremely friendly/helpful staff - the service is top notch! We were fascinated watching all the attention and care that goes into preparing the asada each day. Our meal was exceptional! Diego was especially helpful in making our accommodations. This property has been in his family for generations. In addition to tourism, they raise cattle and grow crops, so it is a working farm and had an authentic feel to it. I would highly recommend visiting and spending the night if you are able! We rented a car and traveled independently and that was very easy to do.

by Trent53 Robina, Australia

No refund on cancellation due to illness

We booked via Ecouruguay the ranch. My wife became ill 48 hours from the day and we notified the tour company. After follow up re a refund, we are informed there is no refund under 72 hours, even though the ranch is not out of pocket. The tour company offered another time, but we could not as we were flying home. The tour company offered to give us another tour when we returned to Buenos Aires. This is very unlikely due to our age. Be careful booking these tours in advance especially when no mention of the booking terms are given. They are very fast however taking your money on a credit card!