Estancia Villa Maria: Luxury in a Tudor Manor House!

Estancia Villa Maria was the final stop on our trip to Argentina, and honestly, it was the perfect way to slow down before flying home.

After weeks of travel, we wanted somewhere peaceful, beautiful, and close enough to Ezeiza Airport that we wouldn’t have to worry about a long transfer on our last day.

This historic estancia near Buenos Aires checked every box: elegant rooms, manicured gardens, afternoon tea, horseback rides, a crackling fireplace at dinner, and plenty of time to simply relax.

It’s not the kind of working ranch where you’ll be following gauchos across the pampas, but if you’re looking for a luxury hotel in the countryside with easy access to the city or airport, Estancia Villa María is a great choice.

The following is my review based on my recent stay with my husband, Samuel, and our daughter, Aurelia.

Is Estancia Villa Maria Worth It? My Quick Verdict

Yes, particularly if you’re looking for a luxurious countryside escape near Buenos Aires or somewhere relaxing to finish your Argentina trip before flying from Ezeiza.

I think Villa Maria works especially well for couples, families who want an easy estancia experience, travellers who care about beautiful accommodation and food, and anyone who wants a taste of the Argentine countryside without travelling several hours from Buenos Aires.

I would look elsewhere if your main reason for visiting an estancia is traditional gaucho culture, cattle, a working ranch atmosphere or the feeling of being far out on the pampas.

That distinction matters because there are many different kinds of estancias near Buenos Aires. Villa Maria’s strength isn’t rugged authenticity.

Its strength is comfort.

That was exactly what we wanted at the end of our trip.

You can book your stay at Estancia Villa Maria here. Rates are inclusive of 4 meals (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner), plus horseback riding or carriage rides.

What Kind of Estancia Is Villa Maria?

This is probably the most important question to answer before you book.

When many travellers picture an Argentine estancia, they imagine enormous fields, cattle, working gauchos and horses disappearing into the horizon.

Villa Maria isn’t really that.

It feels more like a luxury country hotel set inside a historic estancia.

The main house sits surrounded by 74 hectares of parkland filled with mature trees, gardens, lawns and walking paths. Inside, you have grand staircases, tiled floors, fireplaces, formal dining rooms and beautiful period details.

There are horses, of course, and you can go riding or take a carriage through the property. But the experience is leisurely rather than adventurous.

We spent far more time eating, wandering the grounds, admiring the architecture and enjoying our room than attempting to fill every minute with activities.

And I think that’s the best way to approach Villa Maria.

Come here to slow down.

If you’re looking for a more traditional ranch experience, I would compare Villa Maria with some of the other estancias near Buenos Aires before deciding.

Our Room at Estancia Villa Maria

Estancia Villa Maria has 16 guest rooms, which are divided across 2 buildings: 11 rooms in the main house and 5 rooms in the French house.

The French house or Casa Francesa is an annex a few steps from the main building, and it’s an adult-only space featuring even more luxurious rooms, including a penthouse.

We stayed in one of the suites in the main house and loved our spacious room! It opened into a little receiving room and office area, which then led into the bedroom with a beautiful four-poster king-size bed. Beyond that was an enormous bathroom with gorgeous tile work and loads of space.

After weeks on the road, having that amount of space felt almost indulgent. We loved the room and had such a restful night’s sleep here!

What Is the Food Like at Estancia Villa Maria?

One thing is certain: you are not going to go hungry here.

Four meals are included when you stay at Estancia Villa Maria, except for alcoholic beverages. So expect to be well fed!

During our own stay, we enjoyed breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner.

You’d normally arrive in time for lunch, but because we experienced some transportation delays, we made it for merienda.

Afternoon tea

We arrived at the estancia in the late afternoon with just enough time to have merienda or afternoon tea.

We were brought a two-tier serving tray featuring a savoury plate with scones and sandwiches and a sweet plate with a brownie, coconut and dulce de leche square, quince cookie, and a red velvet cookie with white chocolate chips.

Sam had a cappuccino and I had a cup of tea, and I found it to be the perfect-sized snack, seeing as we still had dinner to look forward to.

Dinner by the fireplace

Dinner was considerably more elaborate.

We had a three-course meal in the dining room with a fire crackling nearby.

Samuel started with fried mozzarella while I ordered broccoli and cheese soup. For our mains, we had creamy mushroom risotto and grilled salmon with mushy peas.

Then came dessert: pancakes with dulce de leche and artisanal strawberry ice cream.

It was a very cozy evening, and this is where Villa Maria’s romantic side really comes through.

I can easily imagine spending a weekend here as a couple in autumn or winter when the fireplaces are going, and there is absolutely nowhere you need to be.

Buffet breakfast in the sun room

Breakfast was buffet-style with a nice spread of medialunas, bread, cake loaves, ham, cheese, fresh fruit, cereal, yogurt, orange juice, tea, and coffee.

Just when we thought that was it, we were offered eggs and bacon, which we happily accepted.

We sat in the sun room, which has beautiful views of the gardens.

Lunch for steak lovers

If you can, it’s worth visiting Estancia Villa Maria during the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), as this is when they do a big traditional asado. We happened to visit on a Monday, but the good news is that there is still grilled meat on the menu!

Sam and I both started out with two empanadas each for our starter: one beef empanada and one ham and cheese empanada. Then, we ordered the steak and salad for our main, which also came with chimichurri and salsa criolla.

Lastly, for dessert, Sam got the chocolate marquise, while I had flan with dulce de leche and cream. And our lovely waitress insisted that our daughter get dessert, so we got two scoops of artisanal vanilla ice cream, which our little girl devoured!

Horseback rides or carriage rides?

No visit to an estancia would be complete without a bit of horseback riding, or in our case, a wagon ride! Because we were travelling with our daughter, Aurelia, who is a year and a half, we opted for the family-friendly option.

We walked over to the stables where the horses were saddled and the carriage awaited, and we hopped on for a leisurely ride through the estancia grounds.

We rode through tree-lined avenues with that soft autumn sunlight dappling through the leaves. It was so relaxing that our daughter fell asleep halfway through.

For us, the carriage was the obvious family-friendly choice.

If you’re travelling without a very small child, horseback riding would give you more of that classic estancia feeling. But don’t expect a demanding ride across open countryside. This is designed to be an accessible recreational activity rather than a serious equestrian experience.

Horseback rides and wagon rides run between 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00. So you can swing by the stables anytime during those windows without prior reservation.

Other Things to Do at Estancia Villa Maria

There are loads of things to do at Estancia Villa Maria, and I feel like we only scratched the surface with our 1-night stay.

Villa Maria offers horseback riding, carriage rides, swimming, tennis, football, volleyball, walking through the park and a self-guided botanical circuit among its activities. There are also indoor options such as billiards and board games, and polo experiences can be arranged separately.

There is also an 18-hole golf course on the property, but as of August 2026 the estancia states that the course is undergoing maintenance and is not currently available.

That’s worth checking before your trip if golf is an important reason you’re considering the property.

Personally, I wouldn’t arrive with a long activity checklist.

Villa Maria is at its best when you leave yourself some empty time.

Walk through the gardens. Sit outside. Play a game of billiards. Have a coffee. Take a carriage ride. Read beside the pool in summer.

The luxury here is partly having nowhere else to go.

Is Estancia Villa Maria Good for Families With Young Children?

We visited with Aurelia when she was about a year and a half old, and we had a wonderful stay.

That said, I wouldnt describe Villa Maria primarily as a children’s resort.

Its appeal is much more about the beautiful setting, food, history and relaxed atmosphere.

For us, having so much open outdoor space worked really well. The carriage ride was an easy substitute for horseback riding, we had plenty of room in our suite, and the slower rhythm of the stay meant we weren’t constantly rushing from one attraction to another.

Aurelia was also welcomed incredibly warmly at meal times, including being presented with her own bowl of vanilla ice cream at lunch!

I’ll note that there is no elevator at the estancia and our room was on the second floor, so we left our stroller tucked away in a little corner of the living area. The staff was really kind about that.

For families with toddlers, I think the important thing is to adjust your expectations. You may not participate in every activity exactly as you would without children, but this is a very easy place to spend quality time together.

Día de Campo vs Staying Overnight

You don’t have to sleep at Villa Maria to experience it.

The estancia also offers a Día de Campo, or Country Day, for visitors who want to spend the day in the countryside without booking a room.

The current Country Day includes lunch and afternoon tea plus access to activities such as horseback riding, carriage rides, cycling, tennis, football, volleyball, the swimming pool and walks through the grounds.

So which should you choose?

Choose the Día de Campo if:

• You’re based in Buenos Aires and only have one day available.
• You mainly want the countryside, horses, lunch and estancia atmosphere.
• You don’t care much about staying inside the historic mansion.
• You want a less expensive taste of Villa Maria.

Stay overnight if:

• You want the full experience.
• You love historic hotels.
• You’re looking for a romantic getaway.
• You want time to enjoy the property when you’re not thinking about returning to Buenos Aires.
• You have a flight from Ezeiza the following day.
• You want Villa Maria to feel like a break rather than an excursion.

Having stayed overnight, that’s the option I would choose again if the budget allowed.

Our favourite moments weren’t necessarily individual activities. They were waking up in that enormous suite, lingering over breakfast, having dinner beside the fire and wandering around without watching the clock.

Those are the things you lose on a quicker day trip.

TIP: If you don’t want to spend the night at Estancia Villa Maria, you can book a Día de Campo or Country Day. This includes a BBQ lunch, carriage ride, pool time and afternoon tea.

Getting to Estancia Villa Maria From Buenos Aires and Ezeiza Airport

Another major advantage of Villa Maria is its location.

Many estancia experiences require a much longer journey into Buenos Aires Province. Villa Maria sits at Máximo Paz, south of Buenos Aires, and the property advertises itself as roughly 45 minutes from the city.

Traffic can obviously change travel times considerably.

For us, the bigger selling point was its proximity to Ezeiza International Airport. That’s why we deliberately scheduled Villa Maria as the final stop of our Argentina trip.

Rather than spending our last night in central Buenos Aires and worrying about traffic the following day, we were already on the right side of the city.

We stayed at the estancia until it was almost time to leave for the airport.

It made our final day remarkably stress-free.

History of Estancia Villa Maria

And for those of you who like history, let’s dive into this place’s origins.

Estancia Villa María started as part of a large cattle ranch founded by Vicente Pereda in the late 1800s. These were the days of Argentina’s cattle boom, when it rose to be one of the most important beef-producing countries in the world!

Then, in 1919, Vicente’s son, Celedonio, hired Alejandro Bustillo (Argentina’s most famous architect!) to design a summer villa for the family. The result was this beautiful Tudor-Norman style manor we see today.

Completed in 1927, this space became a countryside retreat where the family could escape the city, entertain guests, and enjoy estancia life in style.

The surrounding gardens were designed by Benito Carrasco, who had worked with the famous landscape architect Carlos Thays. The estancia has 74 hectares of park with over 300 species of trees and vegetation!

Today, Villa María has been restored as a boutique estancia hotel, for guests who want a luxurious estancia stay close to Buenos Aires.

Final Verdict: Would I Stay at Estancia Villa Maria Again?

Absolutely, and I would return for the same reasons I loved it the first time.

I wouldn’t come here searching for the most traditional gaucho experience in Argentina.

I’d come because I wanted a beautiful room, long meals, quiet gardens, horses, a fireplace, a little bit of indulgence and a day or two where there was absolutely no pressure to accomplish anything.

For us, it was particularly perfect as the final stop of our Argentina trip.

After weeks of travelling, Villa Maria gave us permission to unwind.

We ate. We slept. We wandered through the gardens. We took Aurelia for a carriage ride until she fell asleep. And then, when it was finally time to leave, we were already conveniently positioned for the airport.

If that sounds like the kind of estancia experience you’re after, I think Villa Maria is worth staying overnight rather than simply visiting for the day.

You can check current prices and availability for Estancia Villa Maria.

Read more about estancias

• Estancia El Ombú de Areco: Folklore and Gaucho Traditions
• Estancia La Tomasa: A Working Ranch with British Roots
• Estancias to Visit in Mendoza’s Winelands
• Estancias to Visit in the Sierras of Córdoba
• Estancias to Visit in El Calafate