San Andres de Giles
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San Andrés Giles is a quaint, an Argentina gaucho town, found on the Argentine Pampa just 103 km from Buenos Aires City, in the northeast of the Province of Buenos Aires. Here you’ll be able to experience the genuine gaucho traditions that are such an important part of Argentine history. Gauchos were first recorded in Argentina in the 1600s and they were also prevalent in Uruguay and Brazil.
The Argentina travel writer Alonso Carrió de la Vandera first wrote about these nomadic, farmhands in 1810 when he witnessed some in the north of Argentina whilst on an expedition. The existence of gauchos came about with the arrival of the Spanish colonisers, as most gauchos were mestizos, or creoles, a mix of Spanish and indigenous races or of Spanish descent, but born in Latin America.
The introduction of cattle for the first time in Argentina, in 1580, provided gauchos with the means to work, eat and exist on the Pampa. Argentina Gauchos are typically characterised as being nomadic vagabonds who survived by hunting wild cattle and producing leather goods to be sold in Europe. Just like the North American cowboy, gauchos were known as being tough guys who settled quarrels with duels and knife fights. Their image and history has been romanticised in famous works of Argentine literature. The most-loved, classic example of Argentina gaucho literature is the epic poem, Martín Fierro, by José Hernández, which follows the turbulent adventures of a gaucho, whose name takes the book’s title, during a time of change and Europeanisation in Argentine society.
San Andrés Giles is a great place to spend the day to understand this aspect of Argentine history and culture. In this town, many people still follow the gaucho traditions and you’ll see many people still riding horses to get around and wearing the typical Argentina gaucho clothes. You’ll be able to spot a gaucho a mile off, as they usually wear a poncho, a leather whip, loose-fitting trousers and a kind of beret as a hat. Although often, these days, most gauchos in rural areas save their traditional dress for special occasions and wear normal farm-worker clothes with perhaps just the beret when working.
In San Andrés Giles, one of the special occasions when traditional dress is worn is the ‘Fiesta del Chancho Asado con Pelo,’ which translates as the Hog Roast Celebration, when gauchos celebrate and prepare traditional delicacies. Every year this event attracts hundreds of visitors all looking for a taste of gaucho life. Visitors can also enjoy the town’s many plazas, historic buildings and monuments.
Argentina travel guide would recommend that you go and appreciate San Andrés Giles at any time of year. This town has something to offer year round, not just in summer, as the town’s atmosphere and scenery changes with every season. The tranquillity and slow-pace of rural life here make it a fantastic getaway from the city.