6 Best Hotels in Buenos Aires Province, Side Trips from Buenos Aires

Thick vegetation surrounds the tomato-red 19th-century country house that's the center of the eco-action at Bonanza. The idea behind the establishment is to share the natural wonders of the area with visitors through organized walks, kayak expeditions, and horseback rides. Ten-foot ceilings, rustic furniture, and nothing but green outside the huge windows are among the simple pleasures. Hearty barbecues (meat or a veggie option) and drawn-out mateadas (mate tea and cake) are also highlights. The day package includes two guided activities, lunch and use of the facilities.

Just a few minutes from San Antonio de Areco takes you from town to the vastness of the Pampas ... and this absolute charmer of a boutique estancia. Estancia La Madrugada pulls off a magical balance of rusticity and elegance, the worn reflection of the region and its past and a stylish, comfortable hospitality. An all-inclusive stay will leave you relaxed; the locale, enamored; the expertly prepared food and cocktails, deeply satisfied; and the genuinely warm staff, enchanted. Go for brisk horse ride with the British owner, who's every bit a gaucha, or laze by the enormous swimming pool set within an idyllic landscape. With only three gracefully appointed rooms available, book well in advance.

Six spacious, individually themed cabañas that allow you to unwind at your own pace. Breakfast is served in the main cabin but there's no restaurant here—though water taxi service can be arranged to get to one and back—so guests can bring their own food to prepare meals in their cabin's kitchenette or outdoor grill. Swim or laze in the river or swimming pool, kayaks and canoes are available, and the main building has a foosball and pool table. Everything is connected by boardwalks that wind through the lushly green property.

Dating from the 1830s, the venerable La Bamba de Areco was once an important stop along the road from Buenos Aires to the northern reaches of Argentina. In the heart of the pampas, the rustic ranch has been converted into a luxurious boutique hotel that combines period details like beamed ceiling and shuttered windows with pampering amenities like king-size beds dressed in Egyptian cotton sheets. La Pulperia, the property's oldest building, holds a formal dining room (you can also dine outside under the plane trees), a bar, and a breakfast area. There's also a pool and horseback tours of the property are offered.

Wooden walkways connect the luxurious bungalows—each with a private riverside deck. The highlights of staying here are that you can explore the delta in boats or kayaks, soak up the jungle atmosphere by the lagoon-like pool, take a yoga class, or indulge in a massage. Rooms have hardwood walls, jute rugs, and feather pillows in thick cotton cases as well as mosquito netting on the balconies and reading lights over the bathtubs. As well as a dining room and a grill, nighttime entertainment options include a living-room-style bar serving carefully crafted cocktails. The lodge is out of the way to justify a one-night stay but inquire about the two- and three-day all-inclusive packages.

Being in the pampas doesn't mean you have to forget about slick design: this 1910-built town house has been transformed into the coolest hotel around. Crimson sofas add a splash of color to the slate-gray atrium, whose checkered floors, exposed beams, and stained-glass windows hint at the building's past. At night the lights dim and the space becomes a wine bar. Cow-skin rugs bring just the right dose of country to the minimalist rooms, which have huge beds. Some open directly onto the sunny patio, where tables, chairs, and outdoor sofas overlook a tiny pool.