La Pampa is a sea of green grass that occupies a quarter of the country. Home of the legendary gaucho, all the romantic fantasies about Argentina are concentrated here. An immense land fit for dreams and for man to rediscover himself. Extensive fields of alfalfa, sorghum, wheat, maize or sunflowers under an endless blue sky. Prairies reaching out of sight dotted with thousands of head of cattle which are the basis of the asados (roasts) of the best meat in the world. And presiding over these plains, fine ranch houses, horses hitched to a rail and the gauchos taking mate beneath the shade of an ombú tree.

Buenos Aires is a great metropolis with eleven million inhabitants and one of the largest in the world. It is also the most elegant and busy city in South America and is in some way the essence of the variety of the Argentinean. Whilst of modern construction and dynamic activity, it has managed to preserve old traditions and charming corners. One is fascinated by the atmosphere, the individual personality of each of its neighbourhoods, the cordiality of its people and the wide selection of its cultural and commercial opportunities. Buenos Aires, close to the splendid countryside surrounding it, is the great cosmopolitan doorway to South America.

Go mountaineering, trekking and horse riding along the sierras of Córdoba and the sierras of Tandil and La Ventana in Buenos Aires; light aircraft flights from many air clubs; paragliding, gliding and flights on air balloons.

Game fishing in the Paraná, in lagoons such as Chascomús, Lobos, Gómez and El Carpincho (Junín) and on the Atlantic coast. Sailing, canoeing, rowing, speedboats, water skiing and windsurfing. Big and small game hunting in many places. Golf courses, race tracks, autodrome, shows and casinos in the main holiday resorts.

In San Antonio de Areco the Fiesta de la Tradición is held on the 10th. of November and in Buenos Aires in the months of July and August there is the annual fair of the Sociedad Rural (Country Society) with multiple activities and the best of the Argentinean cattle.

Enjoy a stay in one of the ranches which are elegant residences in British or French colonial style, built by the great landowners and converted into comfortable places to stay. Here the typical Argentinean farming tasks continue to be carried out: herding and stockading of cattle, horse breaking, branding.
The visitor takes part in the typical roast and has a large choice of sports and recreation (horse riding, polo, golf, hunting, fishing and nature observation).

The city has important museums as well as numerous cultural centres and art galleries. The book "Buenos Aires: its museums" has ample information on the subject.

This started at the end of the 19th. century from a mixture of various rhythms which were danced in the poorer quarters. At the beginning it was danced by pairs of men to the music of the flute, the violin and the guitar, the first of which was subsequently replaced by the "bandoneón" (a type of accordion) which gave it its distinctive flavour. With the addition of the nostalgia and melancholy contributed by immigrants, the tango developed to give forth such musicians as Astor Piazzolla and Aníbal Troilo.

The Argentinean "asado" (Roast). This is the basic food in the region of la Pampa because of the large number of cattle, the variety of grasses and the improvement in the breed. Formerly, the cows were roasted whole in a ceremony which could last up to forty hours. The "asado con cuero" (roasted with the hide) continues and is done by cutting up a calf and burying it in a trench in which a fire has been burning for several hours. The part covered with the hide is placed face down and is then covered with a layer of zinc on which the coals are placed and kept burning for several more hours. Other methods are roasting on a cross (spit roast) or on a grill which is typical of the country or on a barbecue which is more city style. By whatever method, the secret of a good roast is in the butchering of the meat and the care of the fire.

The method of cutting the meat gives the Argentinean roast its excellent qualities. The cuts are "asado de tira" (crosscut ribs) or whole ribs, vacio, cuadril and matambre which are cuts between the ribs and the haunches, and the "Achuras" (chinchulines, mollejas, tripa gorda, criadillas, ubre). The achuras, black sausages, chorizos and parrilleros are normally served as a starter. The meat is eaten alone or dressed with sauces such as the "chimichurri".

Argentine and International cuisine. Buenos Aires offers a wide variety of Argentine specialities, with the best barbecues, and is an open window for both nearby and remote cuisine. You can find a number of Spanish and Italian restaurants as well as Arabian, Basque, Brazilian, Chilean, Chinese, English, German, Greek, Indian, Japanese, Jewish, Mexican, Scandinavian, Swiss, Thai, vegetarian restaurants and fast food, with shows and, of course, many pizzerias. There is also Caribbean, Hungarian, Peruvian, Polish and Russian cuisine.

Meat. Beef prepared in the tradition of la Pampa. Rabbit in Burgundy sauce in Tandil and barbecued kid in Córdoba and its mountain ranges.

Fish and shellfish. In the restaurants near to the fishing port of Mar del Plata.

Desserts. Alfajores from Córdoba and Mar del Plata, biscuits filled with dulce de leche (sweetened milk) and covered with vanilla or chocolate.

Ranches. Throughout Argentina and specially in La Pampa there are many ranches "Estancias", some of which have been converted into small hotels to accommodate a select clientele.

Buenos Aires, the Federal Capital, has an ample selection of hotels, from super luxurious to small pensions.

The Province of Buenos Aires has important Holyday Resorts along its coastlin, those of Mar del Plata and Pinamar being the most outstanding ones.

In the interior, the beautiful , comfortable and hospitable ranches guarantee a relaxed or busy holiday. Learn to play polo or "dolce far niente" from the customs and experience of the Gauchos.

Artisan Work
You will find articles from all over the country and specially from la Pampa (knives, mate vessels and mouthpieces in silver and alpaca) leather and carved leather, fur coats and clothing.

Leather work. Lassos and harnesses for horses in plaited leather, bags, key rings, wallets, covers for diaries and notebooks, cigarette cases, clothing.

Antiques
You can find in the neighbourhoods of San Telmo and Recoleta better opportunities than in the United States or Europe.

Markets and Fairs
The Fair of San Pedro Telmo is the most popular. However, there are also very interesting artisan fairs settled in Parque Lezama and Plaza Intendente Alvear on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. On Sundays, you can find the Feria de las Artesanías and Tradiciones Populares Argentinas (Fair of Crafts and Argentine Popular Traditions) in Mataderos.

Other fairs: Mercado de las Luces, Parque Centenario, Pasaje Caminito, Plaza Manuel Belgrano, Plaza Vuelta de Rocha and Plazoleta Santa Fe.