Estancia El Colibri

Around these parts, the cowboys wear berets - a cue that your stay at Estancia El Colibrí will be a refined one. Then there's the stately posada, a Spanish colonial-style manor house set amid the hotel's 420 acres of rolling grassland. To make this feel like a turn-of-last-century Argentine estancia (or ranch), the owners sourced antique furniture and added touches like tiled floors and elaborately painted ceilings.

This attention to detail enlivens your Junior Suite, which has a hand-carved four-poster bed and a wood-burning fireplace. You'll also be drawn to Estancia El Colibrí's high-ceilinged living room and bar - and the summer house, which faces the majestic Córdoba Mountains. Nor will you be able to resist the farm-fresh local cuisine at La Table du Colibrí.

To unwind, visit a nearby golf course or retreat to the Turkish bath at the hotel's spa. And here in gaucho country, spend some time in the saddle, whether it's a countryside gallop or a lesson at the polo club.