Estancia La Porteña de Areco

The food was good with generous portions. Five meals were served--breakfast, morning snack, lunch, tea with goodies, and dinner. Wine flowed generously as did lemonade and water. The entertainment by the gauchos was very nice--singing, guitar, accordion and drum. They also showed the dress of the gaucho and the coverings of their horse in addition to a tournament of games they play on the horse. We enjoyed a long horseback ride, but take insect repellant--flies and mosquitos. What we did not like: the first room they showed us had lots ashes from previous fires in the fireplace. The smell overwhelmed us and we asked for another room which was immediately shown. The bathroom looked clean on first appearance, but they paint over problems like stains and mildew. The paint had pockets that held old water. There was hair in many odd places--walls, corners of room, tub. The furniture was dusty and had not seen polish for a long time. We know this is a ranch, but that does not excuse a lack of cleanliness. Gonzalo and Catalina were congenial.