A Visit with Gauchos of the Argentine Pampas

My joy is to live as free as the bird in the sky; I make no nest upon this earth

Jose Hernandez from his 1872 poem The Gaucho Martin Fierro

DIfferent from the American cowboy, the gaucho is no Marlboro man with a Spanish accent.

South American gauchos were sons of Andalusian pioneers settling in coastal Argentina mid-18th century, who came without women and family, siring mixed blood or “mestizos” with the native women.

These mixed bloods were the earliest gauchos, from the Indian word “huacho” meaning orphan. Neither Spanish nor Indian, they belonged to neither world.

Gauchos typically wear long, accordion-pleated pants called bombachas, high leather boots and often a hat or beret.

Vast herds of wild horses and cattle roamed the pampas, where they made their home. From the Arabic and Andalusian roots came this nomadic tradition and horsemanship while Spanish influence offered a love of poetry and music, unrivaled passion and intense superstition…a volatile, sometimes dangerous and romantic combination which lives on to this day.

His knife, poncho and a gourd filled with yerba mate were life’s essentials. The sharing of yerba mate, a traditional tea, remains a social ritual fostering connections and is an integral part of daily life in Argentina.

Sharing my day on the pampas with you. Settled in the 1700’s by Irish immigrants, by the end of the last century an Argentine citizen of irish descent, Francisco Kelly named his land Santa Susana as a homage to his wife. The ranch is located in the district of Campana , Buenos Aires province near the town of Los Cardales.

Its 2965 acres are dedicated primarily to agricultural activities but for the last 25 years Santa Susana has hosted tourists with a full day of home-cooked food. It is now owned by descendents of the Kelly family. Beautiful polo ponies, gauchos and a generous, hearty taste of folklore and hospitality.