Blog Eight: Estancia Villa Maria

[30th November – 2nd December 2025]

Our transfer from the Estancia doesn’t arrive, so we make the trip out of Buenos Aires into the pampas in a taxi, which is classed as “executive”, but appears to have no rear suspension.

We pass through some less than salubrious suburbs of BA, on through scrubby areas of poor housing and industrial units, and then it is into hillbilly country.  The villages we pass through look like the sort of places you might not want to break down in, though that might be an unfair thought, down to the contrast with the big, sophisticated Capital.

There is a certain feeling, however, that out here men are gauchos and sheep (were there to be any in evidence) would likely be nervous.  Scrubby areas are interspersed with light industry and small holdings, some with rusty vehicles rotting in fields. We pass by two large prisons, complete with lookout towers at each corner, and also the equally large but slightly more salubrious headquarters of the Argentinian Football Association (AFA), the base for the World Cup holding national team.

Eventually, we come to a sign for Estancia Villa María and turn in to be met by a security post.  A young security guard comes out of the gatehouse and interrogates the taxi driver.  She takes my passport away and makes a landline phone call, presumably to the hotel.  She opens the boot, perhaps to ensure that we are not smuggling persons of ill intent into the huge sprawling ranch.  After checking the front of the vehicle, we are waved through.  Security seems to be an issue out here.

The Estancia occupies a massive area of land, and is a centre for equestrian activities.  Professional polo players train and play here, so I guess that may be part of the reason for the high security approach.   We wind along a very long driveway until we eventually arrive at the house (now hotel) itself, which is a lovely large mock Tudor building with broad hints of Englishness.  The huge grassy area to the front and side features a large pond, complete with geese, and an outdoor swimming pool.

In Argentina, an estancia is typically a vast rural estate, traditionally given over to cattle farming and agriculture.  Estancias are part of the country’s ranching and gaucho heritage, with a history going back to colonial times.

Estancia Villa María is a country residence located in the rural areas of Carlos Spegazzini, Ezeiza District, approximately 45 km from Buenos Aires. Villa María was designed and built between 1923 and 1927 in a Tudor-Norman style. In the 1990s, the then-owner decided to convert the house into a luxury hotel together with a polo club.  Some cattle remain on the estate, however, as do horses, and polo matches, practices, and instruction feature highly in the estancia’s activities

We are shown to Room Number One, which is actually a suite, with a large bedroom, two lounges, and a bathroom.  It also has two balconies – handy as the sun moves round, don’t you know.

We’re just in time for lunch.  As today is Sunday it’s asado (barbecue), which features a large platter of red meat and strange organs – a gland was mentioned.  The huge portions and meat fest nature of Argentinian food have begun to wear a bit thin with both of us, so the event is less of a treat than we might have anticipated before we left.

As we are served with our coffee, a drum roll suddenly makes its presence felt. The conservatory restaurant is invaded by a gaucho band, consisting of a black clad singer, who is very good, a rogueish and highly skilled drummer, who hits every surface of his bongo-shaped drum speedily and accurately, and a much younger female dancer in a colourful dress, who is no mean drummer herself. 

The main part of the room is occupied by two large tables of young women.  When the final number comes around, they are enticed onto the dancefloor for some gaucho hokey cokey (or similar) and Fiona joins them.  I content myself with videoing the occasion, though I am forbidden from showing anyone the results.  Well, that was unexpected.

The first day at the Estancia is cold and bit rainy, and wood-burning fires are lit in the main hotel lounge.  Quite a contrast to the heat and humidity of BA.  Our main full day sees the sun come out, and we go on a private carriage ride, which lets us see a bit more of the estate, though the ride is bumpy.  Unfortunately, the previous day’s weather has ruled out any possibility of seeing a polo match or even practice, as the ground is too wet.

The grounds of the Estancia feature a huge number of unusual trees and the place is like a cross between a botanical garden and an aviary.  We even become avid birdwatchers for a couple of days.  It’s easy to just let time slide by, sitting around idly gazing at the wild life between meals.  The odd horse appears from time to time, and some guests go riding in the grounds, including the cohort of Russian visitors – something we are obviously not used to seeing in Europe these days.

The food is generally good, though the same limited menu serves for both lunch and dinner.  This leads us to conclude that most guests are doing the same as we are – staying for a couple of nights, then moving on.  If you were to stay for a week, you would probably get a bit fed up with the repetition, and popping out to a local village eatery ain’t really an option. 

Staying at Estancia Villa María is also quite expensive, though not so bad when you consider 3 meals a day are included, plus a full afternoon tea each day, if you can possibly fit that in as well. We both have excellent fillet steaks, so that’s nice, considering previous attempts have been a bit disappointing.

The amount of food on offer has nothing to do with the fact that the hotel staff feel the need to reinforce our aged four-poster bed with two robust steel bolts before we sleep in it.  I’d leaned against a post and noticed that things felt a bit shaky, so we are happy that a potential disaster has been averted.

A couple of lovely days at Estancia Villa Maria feel just about right.  Nothing terribly exciting happens, but our stay provides a lovely chill interlude, between hectic South American cities.

My dozen favourite images from our stay at Estancia Villa Maria are included in the gallery below. Click on a thumbnail to see a bigger image. If you’re using a mobile phone, turn your screen sideways to see the bigger image to best effect.

Image Gallery