Nestled in lush farmlands, San Antonio de Areco is probably the prettiest Colonial town in the pampas. It welcomes daytripping porteños, who come for the peaceful atmosphere and the picturesque streets.
The town dates from the early 18th century and to this day it preserves a great deal of the criollo and gaucho traditions, especially among its artisans, who produce very fine silverwork and saddlery. By day, men don the traditional boina (a kind of gaucho beret), while in the evenings locals head to the peña, a party with folk music and dancing. Gauchos from all over the pampas show up for November’s Día de la Tradición where you can catch them and their horses strutting the cobbled streets in all their finery.
San Antonio de Areco enjoy a compact centre. Around the Plaza Ruiz de Arellano, named in honor of the town’s founding estanciero, are several historic buildings, including the iglesia parroquial and the Casa de los Martínez (site of the main house of the original Ruiz de Arellano estancia).
Source: Lonely Planet