Estancia Dos Talas

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  Location
  Dolores, 200km south east of Buenos Aires. (The Pampas, Argentina)

• Just two hours from Buenos Aires, Dos Talas Estancia is a magical place. It's everything that an estancia should be:
  In the middle of the limitless pampas, where fine cattle are grazing under immense skies, you'll come up the long sweeping drive through parkland with plantations of majestic trees, to find a grand French-style mansion, hidden away from the modern world. Here you can sample a life of luxury and perfect tranquillity, and the unique flavour of rural Argentina.

• Beautifully preserved both inside and out, Dos Talas maintains a rich family heritage which goes all the way back to the fascinating story of its immigrant founder Pedro Luro in 1858. The house is full of history, both of his glamorous descendents and the current owners, the fifth generation of Luro's family. Sara and Luis de Elizalde will make you feel completely at home with their warm hospitality, fine food and wines, and delightfully decorated rooms.

• From wide windows and broad terraces you'll gaze out across calm lawns and stylish gardens to 1500 hectares of their lands, and the infinite pampas beyond. Ride all day with gauchos , walk to your heart's content, and then return for an exquisite dinner, and sleep deeply in the peace of the land.
  You're guaranteed a memorable stay.

• Description
  The estancia was established in 1858 by the Basque Pedro Luro, a 19th century pioneer who owned vast tracts of land across the pampas. The farm has remained in the Elizalde family for 5 generations and the 1,500 hectares are used for the rearing of Shorthorns and Herefords. 40 hectares of parkland laid out by Charles Thays contain 50 tree species, a rose garden and artificial lake. In 1893 Pedro Luro's daughter, Augustina Luro de Elizalde, built the house as a summer residence to accommodate the stream of guests from Buenos Aires and it is here the current Elizalde family live with their four children. The magnificent library contains more than 3,000 volumes and the family has strong literary links. Past guests include the Spanish writers José Ortega y Gasset and Federico Garcia Lorca and the hero of Argentine gaucho culture, Ricardo Güiraldes, who wrote part of his masterpiece Don Segundo Sombra sitting on the terrace. The chapel is a replica of Nôtre Dame de Passy, commissioned by Augustina in remembrance of her daughter who was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1918. The chapel is consecrated and still used for summer masses and family weddings. Amongst the many European statues dotted around the estate are an amazingly intricate dovecote and a small museum to Pedro Luro's achievements.
  
  
• Activities
  Dos Talas offers plenty of riding (guests are welcome to ride with the gauchos and participate in the work of the estancia). There is a large pool, an old horse-drawn brake is available for tours of the park, and there are golf and tennis facilities nearby.
  
  
• Accommodation
  The main house has a double room downstairs and two more spacious rooms upstairs, one of which gives access to the balcony. There is another room with no bathroom upstairs, useful for families, and a cabaña in the garden. The thick walls keep the house cool in summer and there is central heating in the winter. Breakfast and supper are served in the dining room of the main house, presided over by portraits of a rather austere looking Pedro Luro and his ample wife. Lunch is usually an asado (barbecue) on the lawns in front of the house, shaded by the vast monkey puzzle trees. Guests are looked after superbly by the present owners, Luis and Sara de Elizalde. Sara does not speak much English but makes up for it in charm - Luis (who is an enthusiastic pilot) speaks it very well.
• Dos Talas is a working farm and family home, and as such guests should not arrive expecting a country house hotel. Welcomed as a house guest rather than as a client, the atmosphere of the estancia is very friendly and informal. Highly recommended to those who enjoy country living or are looking for a place to completely unwind.
  
  
• When to go
  Open year round, although June to October can be cool and wet.
  
  
• Incuded
  
  
  • Combines grand estancia living with the warmest family welcome; all the family speaks English
    
  • Beautiful chateau-style architecture; also a replica French chapel and charming family 'museum'
    
  • Stunning parkland, designed in 1908 by Argentina’s most famous landscape architect, Charles Thays
    
  • Luxurious bedrooms with grand bathrooms, and an intimate cabin in the woods if you want more privacy
    
  • Ride the plains all day (Dos Talas owns 1,500 hectares): a great place to learn if you’re a beginner, and wonderful uninterrupted galloping if you’re not
    
  • Excellent food, including superb steaks, all cooked by Sara from traditional recipes and executed with finesse; her puddings are sublime
    
  • Meals, drinks and horse riding are included in the tariff
    
    
    
• Not Included
  
  
  • There’s no phone or internet, and little mobile phone signal, so this is the place to forget about urban life for a few days
    
  • This is not a hotel so, while you’ll be looked after with generous family warmth and solicitous staff, don’t expect five star hotel pampering