Estancia La Candelaria

The main house looks more like a French chateau than a traditional Argentine ranch. It retains the original antique furnishings and decor offering a sense of history and atmosphere. We stayed for two nights in a Castillo Clásico room, a standard double inside the old house. The room was charming and atmospheric with some modern amenities like aircon and minibar though the bathroom fixtures were not in good condition and need to be renovated or replaced. Other accommodation types vary: the Coloniales sit closer to a busy area near the restaurant and feel less secluded, while the two small Bungalows near the castle are convenient but look really small. Note that the old house is a bit of a walk from the restaurant and pool though this does make it more private and quiet. ||The pricing was €275 per night with full board, which felt fair for the setting and the meals included. However, the experience differs notably depending on the day. Sundays attract large day-trip groups and include a full programme of activities plus an asado lunch, giving a lively atmosphere with groups touring the castle with a guide. By contrast, Monday and Tuesday were very quiet with no special activities, and both lunch and dinner were the same restaurant menu which was a bit boring, especially when staying more than one night. I would advise checking what meals and activities are offered on specific days before booking as our experience was so different on the two days but this was never made clear on booking. ||We went on a horse ride but it was extremely short and clearly designed for people with no riding experience with very docile horses. I am a very experienced rider but was not offered an opportunity to go on a longer ride on a better horse. If you are an experienced rider and the horses are one of the motivations for visiting an estancia in Argentina, you may like to make a specific request when reserving. ||Food quality was generally good, though the kitchen had a few noticeable missteps: undercooked salmon, overcooked steak, and a crème brûlée that arrived without the brûlée. Many dishes featured the same balsamic glaze, including on fish where it didn’t quite work. The staff, however, were consistently warm and attentive, which helped offset some of these negative points.||One point that felt misleading is the property’s branding as an “estancia & polo club.” A staff member explained that polo hasn’t been part of the place for many years, so the name is more marketing imagery than reality.||In all, Estancia La Candelaria offers good value and an atmospheric stay, especially for those drawn to its castle-like setting and antique charm. When the groups are not there it’s very quiet and a nice place to chill in the grounds or by the pool. While the culinary execution and marketing accuracy could be improved, the beautiful grounds, distinctive architecture, and genuinely kind staff make it a memorable option near Buenos Aires.

The place is beautiful and amenities are amazing. But!!! Everything that starts from interaction with staff members who are responsible for any type of administrative tasks is horrible not the less. To make a reservation - took us two weeks of constant conversations. They just ignore you for days and a simple conversation to know what are the availabilities took them a week to give us a complete answer. We tried to do a reservation over the phone- they just say it’s impossible and we have to use WhatsApp. After they were not available on the phone just for simple follow ups. To pay the reservation is a lengthy two steps process and took them two days to complete. To check in - the person at the desk technically has a memory of a fish. He forgets about you a minute you leave his sight. We Had to go back 3 times to talk to him before we got our room ready. And we had a child with us. So it was very unpleasant experience to go back to and ask for the same thing 3 times. We came here second time as we really love the nature and atmosphere here. But unfortunately lack of professionalism makes our stay less pleasant already for a second time. We hoped something will change for our second stay but it changed for the worse not better.

I’d give this place 6 stars if I could. The grounds are absolutely stunning and there’s a great mix of guided activities (empanada & mate demos, walking tour, horse demo, etc) and self-paced things (swimming, hiking, etc.). You need to rent a car to get out here but it’s so worth it - and the drive from downtown BA is straightforward. I’m gluten free and the staff was incredibly accommodating - I never had to miss out on a meal/snack or given a crappy alternative. We speak enough Spanish that that’s the language we used the whole time here and it’s worth noting that everyone else there that day was Argentine (nice that there aren’t a bunch of big tour buses), but all of our email comms back and worth were in English so I think you’d be fine if you didn’t speak Spanish.

Worst experience I've had at a hotel. They asked me to pay in advance (odd). There were hairs among the sheets and towels. Our room key (old school key) didn't work and we had to finagle it for a couple minutes to get it to unlock every time we went in and out of the room. The AC wasn't strong enough. The towels had large stains. The chairs were broken. There was a stink in the lobby that reminded us of a funeral home. So we left. We asked for a reimbursement. They declined and wouldn't even pick up the phone to discuss. Avoid at all costs. I've stayed at Estancia Villa María. Go there. WAY better.

A beautiful finish to our trip to Argentina. Stay in the castle… it’s incredible! Th rooms are spacious and comfortable (yes, the bathrooms are small and the plumbing kinda fickle but so worth it!). We rode bikes to and from lunch and dinner. Took a guided tour of the estancia. Learned how to make empanadas. Attended a local folk dancing show and a horse demonstration. It rained most of one day so we didn’t get to do everything available but there is a large game room, if you want it. Had massages in the 3rd floor “spa” of the castle, relaxing and beautiful.

We had an amazing experience during our recent stay at La Candelaria. From the moment we arrived, the staff’s attention to detail and warm hospitality made us feel incredibly welcome and well taken care of.|The setting was stunning, with beautiful amenities that offered both comfort and relaxation. We truly enjoyed every minute. We’re already looking forward to returning!|Thank you to the entire team at La Candelaria for making our stay so memorable!

Pros: One of the best places I've ever been in my life!! The castle was so beautiful, our room had a balcony and it was amazing! Also there was a great schedule of activities all day long like empanadas + wine tasting, a tour around the estate, lunch with a show, yerba mate tasting, ghost stories, etc. Also the food was absolutely amazing, I never expected a remote estate like this to have a really wide selection of amazing dishes!! Everything from snacks to lunch to dinner to dessert was amazing, their chef is insanely talented! Cons: Lots and lots of mosquitos. Definitely bring bug spray. We had to buy some in the store. And there were a lot of bugs around the outdoor pool which made me and my girlfriend uncomfortable swimming there. 5/5, my favorite experience in Argentina and one of the best of my life!!!

Wanted to take a “day trip” as we had done years ago because Calendaria was so wonderful. NOT ANY MORE!!!! The only reason I gave it a 2 was because the grounds are beautiful! We hired a small bus to take 15 of us out there from BA. No one met us. (Last time we were met with coffee, media lunas and dulce de leche) after tracking down someone, we were told they would serve empanadas at 11:00. They seemed homemade and were good… the girl serving them clearly did NOT want to be there and was rude. Lunch was served at 1:00 and was absolutely the worst meal we had in all of Argentina! NO BBQ! Where in Argentina do you go for a pan fried steak at a ESTANCIA! No asado!!!!! Was like leather!! No folk show, no horse back riding , no carriage rides. Nothing like it used to be…. Sooooo over rated now! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!! If anyone in BA says it is good, ClEARlY they have not been there lately! $1500.00 for a leather thin pan friend steak. NO THANK YOU!