Estancia La Tomasa: A Working Ranch with British Roots

We recently spent a weekend at Estancia La Tomasa. Located near Cacharí, roughly 3 hours southwest of Buenos Aires, what drew us to this property is its history. This is a working cattle ranch with British roots, and what is most impressive is that it has been in the same family for 7 generations!

Thomas Gibson, a Scotsman, bought La Tomasa in 1885. The seller’s only condition was that the estancia’s name remain unchanged to honour a daughter he lost too soon – a wish that has been respected to this day.

Passed down through generations, it is now Luisa Mackern (Thomas Gibson’s great-great-granddaughter!) who runs the place. And since 2023, this former sheep farm turned cattle ranch now also welcomes guests.

There are many different types of estancias in Buenos Aires, but what makes La Tomasa special is that you are being invited into the family home. You get to hear the stories firsthand, see the inner workings of a traditional ranch, and have an authentic experience out in the Argentine pampas.

You can book your stay at www.estancialatomasa.com. They have a minimum 2-night stay, and you’ll want to visit during the week to join the gauchos on their daily activities.

Getting to Estancia La Tomasa

Estancia La Tomasa can be reached by bus or by car. It is a 3-hour drive from Buenos Aires along Ruta Nacional 3.

Alternatively, you can catch a bus from Retiro Bus Terminal to Cacharí, which is what we did. Condor Estrella and Plusmar have two daily departures (though only the morning departure is listed online). It is then a 15-minute drive from Cacharí to Estancia La Tomasa, where someone from their team will pick you up.

We reached La Tomasa after dark. Our bus had broken down in the town of Las Flores, 45 minutes north of La Tomasa, and when Luisa, the estancia owner and family matriarch, heard of it, she came to our rescue!

By the time we reached the estancia, there was a roaring fire in the living room, and dinner awaited in the dining room. We met the other guests, a family from England, and were revived with a homemade Shepherd’s pie, a glass of Malbec, and a chocolate mousse.

Weary from the long journey, we said our goodnights and tucked into bed to rest up for the next day’s adventure.

Our room at the estancia

La Tomasa has 5 rooms, making it the most intimate estancia we’ve experienced, and the beauty of this is that the property lends itself very well to personalized attention.

For those curious about the layout, one double room has its own en suite, and the remaining four rooms, two in each wing of the house, have two shared bathrooms between them. However, our host pointed out that strangers will never have to share a bathroom (this is only for friends and family who stay together).

Though we’ve done many estancia stays over the years, this was our first stay with our toddler, and we were very pleasantly surprised by how baby-friendly the experience was. A crib was set up in our bedroom, we had a baby bathtub in our bathroom, and we were also given children’s books to read to our daughter in the main living room. We were even offered a car seat at pickup, though we declined since we had our own.

A wonderful breakfast spread

Breakfast at La Tomasa is what I would describe as a meal fit for royalty!

Mornings started with a bowl of fresh fruit, a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, granola with yogurt and honey right from the honeycomb, and an array of breads, jams and spreads.

It was honestly more of a brunch, and we had to pace ourselves knowing there would be another delicious meal come lunch time.

Guided tour of the estancia

Depending on the time of year you visit Estancia La Tomasa, there are different activities happening at the farm. These range from moving cattle and branding to delivering calves.

Guests are welcome to see how these jobs get done, but because this is a working farm, the jobs get done when they need to get done! Nature is on her own schedule, and we’re just here to witness it.

Because we visited on a weekend, the estancia was quieter as the gauchos were enjoying their time off. However, this meant we got to tour the estancia with Luisa. She took us around to the saddlehouse, where lavender is also hung to dry; the historic buildings, which are used as event spaces; and the trails that invite you to wander through the property while learning more about its history and putting stories into context.

Harvest time in the vegetable garden

We also visited the estancia’s very own organic vegetable garden. With the autumn temperatures barely hovering above freezing, it was time for the basil to be harvested!

Luisa picked bushels of basil, plus a few ripe green peppers, and then we marched over to the kitchen to begin processing the basil for a future dish. As you can see, they try to go as local and seasonal as possible with their dishes.

Lunch with guests and family

Lunch was another wonderful meal with more family members dropping by to join us at the table. 

We had an egg and green bean salad for our starter, and then handmade pasta with a tomato and meat sauce for our main. For dessert, it was a classic Argentine dish: a bowl of flan, which even our baby could not resist!

Horseback riding to La Laguna

That afternoon, all the guests had the opportunity to go horse riding out to the lagoon. Since we were travelling with our toddler, we decided that Sam would ride out with the group and I would follow later in the truck in time to enjoy merienda (Argentina’s version of afternoon tea).

I really appreciated the estancia’s willingness to accommodate us as a young family. Our daughter, Aurelia, got to enjoy some playtime with the dogs out in the sunshine, and then, before we knew it, it was time to drive out and rejoin the others.

Once we arrived at the lagoon, a picnic-style merienda was set up with coffee, tea, mate and chocolate milk for the kids. Loaves of cake were also brought out.

It was a windy day, so we wore ponchos; however, the soft afternoon sun helped warm us. Sam set out to take some photos and hopefully catch a glimpse of the elusive capybaras that call the lagoon home (he was unsuccessful!), and I sat by the lagoon with our daughter and a few of the grandkids.

Sunset over the pampas

We had a bit of free time before dinner, so we went out to enjoy the sunset over the pampas! That soft, golden light was just magical, so we had fun snapping some family photos to remember this trip by. 

While dinner was being prepared, we sat down in the living room in front of a crackling fire. Luisa even brought some of her granddaughter’s books for us to read to our daughter. 

A hearty home-cooked dinner

We then ended the day with another delicious home-cooked dinner. This time, an oven-roasted chicken with potatoes and carrots, plus a bottle of Malbec. And for dessert, this caramelized pear with walnuts and cream, which was simply divine! The perfect way to end our stay.

As you can see, we loved our stay at Estancia La Tomasa! We felt welcomed like family, loved having the opportunity to watch everyday life unfold, and the setting was nothing short of magical, right down to the pastel-coloured sunset. If you’re looking to experience a working ranch with a family touch and lots of history, this estancia fits the bill.

More estancias

• Estancias in the Sierras of Córdoba
• Estancias in El Calafate from Luxury Lodges to Working Ranches
• Estancias in Mendoza’s Winelands
• Estancia El Ombú de Areco near Buenos Aires