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Raining on the Dia de Tradicion: San Antonio de Areco

A day at San Antonio de Areco to celebrate the gaucho culture outside of Buenos Aires for Dia de Tradicion and learn about rural Argentina.

7 Min Read
Two men in traditional dress standing at a bar with bottles in the background.
Gauchos standing at bar

Every November 10, gauchos (Argentine cowboys) come to San Antonio de Areco to celebrate the gaucho lifestyle. It is a three day celebration with asados (large barbecues), traditional music, animal fairs, artisanal fairs, and rodeos. Visitors are always welcome to experience the lifestyle of these cowboys and participate in the asados.

Contents
Getting to San Antonio de ArecoLunch in San Antonio de ArecoWhat did we do all afternoon in San Antonio de Areco?The Main Event for the Dia de la Tradicion: the Asado

 

Getting to San Antonio de Areco

San Antonio de Areco is a small town 1.5 hours outside of Buenos Aires. Because we don’t have a car (and I would never drive in Buenos Aires), we decided to take a bus. (You can also take a taxi.)

Now, a few notes about the bus:

    • Chevallier is the only bus service between the two destinations.
    • The bus goes from the central Buenos Aires bus station and San Antonio de Areco. If you cannot find a bus from the central Buenos Aires bus station, you can look for one from Liniers. It will take an hour longer but you will still get there!
    • You have to book the bus in advance as it will fill up prior to the event. Note: We had issues booking the bus directly on their website and had to use a third party website (Busbud). As a result, we had to pay in dollars rather than take advantage of the Argentine conversion rate (the bus was triple the cost). You can read more about the complexities of Argentine currency here.
    • The other option for purchasing the bus tickets is directly at the central bus station. Here, you can pay in pesos or with a card and you will receive the correct conversion rate.
A man standing next to an 'Empresas Argentina' bus, waving as we got off the bus.
Bus to San Antonio de Areco
The bus takes between two to three hours to get to San Antonio de Areco. The bus stop is a 20 minute walk from the center of the town and it is the same location as where you will be picked up to return to Buenos Aires.
Older traditional Argentine street with cars parked in the rain
San Antonio de Areco
From this point forward, our day went askew and was not like the typical Dia de la Tradicion. It was raining and we were in for a little surprise.

Lunch in San Antonio de Areco

Pulperia Lo de Tito

We arrived in town around lunch and decided to find a traditional Argentine spot that had been recommended to us in our guide book. (For Argentina, we are using Fodor’s). Ultimately, we stopped at Pulperia Lo de Tito for a glass of wine and fernet cola and some food, including french fries and a charcuterie and cheese board. It was pouring outside and the restaurant was full of couples and families who were just trying to stay dry. We were able to commiserate with fellow travelers and meet some really great people through this shared experience. And the decor and ambiance transported us to a traditional, small town in the pampas (plains) of Argentina.

Pulperia Lo de Tito

The Kindness of a Stranger

Ultimately, as we were leaving the restaurant, the owner and chef told us that the day activities of the festival had been canceled that day due to the rain. However, we were still determined to get the most out of our trip! He offered to drive us to our next destination, the Museo Gauchesco. There isn’t much to say about this museum since we didn’t have much time here. It was small and only in Spanish. It held memorabilia from traditional gauchos, including the garb, knives, mate cups, etc.

What did we do all afternoon in San Antonio de Areco?

Preparing for the asado

The Museo Gauchesco was right next to the destination of the asado in the evening. We had the occasion to talk to the director of the event, see the gauchos set up for the event, and observe them starting the fire for the asado.

Boliche de Bessonart Bar

After the warmest welcome, we knew that we had to come back in the evening to eat the food that they had been cooking up. In the meantime, one of the gauchos recommended the Boliche de Bessonart Bar. And they were not wrong!
This was a lively bar, full of gauchos and festival-goers who were all celebrating the weekend together. The energy was palpable and once again, this bar and this ambiance transported us to another time. It felt local and traditional and brought the character and charm we were searching for in this small town.

The Main Event for the Dia de la Tradicion: the Asado

Finally, time for the asado had arrived and we returned to attend the traditional barbecue. The room was filled with gauchos, community members, and tour groups who had come to experience the main event. There were sandwiches, empanadas, local desserts, and drinks, all with a traditional guitarist playing in the background.
A group of men in period costumes standing around, adding a touch of history and charm to the scene.
Gauchos at Dia de la Tradicion
Ultimately, after an hour, we had to return to our bus station and take a bus back to Buenos Aires. It was a day about community and appreciating the simple moments.