Buenos Airescosmopolitan chic

The intensity of Buenos Aires, like any large city, can make an escape to the country sound like just what the vacation gods ordered. Take an orchestrated trip to a luxury estancia on the Pampas if you’re feeling the need to kick back. There are companies, such as Dehouche Travel, which will whisk you away to the picturesque countryside. You can fall in love with ranches like El Rocio, which is just an hour’s drive from the center of the city though it feels worlds away. It was the country retreat of the state governor in the 1820s, and it continues to be maintained at a level of luxury rarely found in Argentina’s country homes. It’s the perfect place to enjoy long horseback rides around the estate or to relax beside the swimming pool with a book. Enjoying a massage and the tasty home cooking, which includes Argentinean barbecues cooked the traditional way on an outdoor wood-fire, are givens, and should you have a bit too much Malbec and decide you want to stay longer, that can be arranged. There are four bedrooms that open onto a central patio, which hold interesting finds from the owners extensive travels. The only caveat: the spacious suite with a fireplace and doors opening onto a sun-drenched terrace might make it difficult for you to leave.