West of Buenos Aires the plains of the Pampas cover a vast swathe of Cordoba , Santa Fe and Buenos Aires provinces. It is a magical expanse of incomprehensibly wide open spaces and an unbroken horizon. This is also the land of the gauchos , the legendary Argentinean cowboys that epitomise the machismo culture of the country.
The territory contains several attractions of note. One of the best ways to experience the Pampas is to stay at one of the colonial style ranches, which still farm cattle in the traditional gaucho way. Tourists are invited to sample the life of a Pampas cowboy, with gaucho style barbecues and traditional activities of horse riding, hunting and fishing.
Elsewhere in the Pampas you can visit the salt lakes with their populations of bright pink flamingos or head for the National Park of Liahué Calel where other indigenous wildlife can be seen - including pumas, the large wild cat of the plains. Other places of interest include the pilgrimage city of Lújan and its magnificent basilica that houses the tiny statue of the Madonna; site of many recorded miracles over the centuries. Further north you should also visit Rosario with its pristine colonial architecture.
