Proposals

Rural Tourism at farms or in country areas
Tourism at farms or in country areas is a product demanded by the traveler seeking for a change of environment, something different, allowing him to recover strengths as well as to live real experiencies. This is the place for whoever looks for an exclusive time to be in contact with nature, traditional life styles and to meet country people.
For almost one decade, this program has been conducted to open the gates of farms to the tourist. It is oriented to families and groups of national and international friends.

The basis of rural tourism: is the rural environment, the natural landscape, the traditions, the local history, the handicrafts, and the recreational activities.

Features:
• Land extentions of over 5,000 hectares.
• Mixed cattle breeding.
• Plants far away from the city.
• Guest lodging in the main farm house or a country house.
• Personal service run by owners and country people.
• Country taste attributable to customs and traditions, and to the everyday plain life of country people.
• Affable relationship between host and guest.
• Contact with country people.

Some details
In the vast geography of La Pampa, farms are located near organized communities (Municipality - Welfare associations). The farms, located in different natural environments, allow the participants of one activity to have different experiences. For instance, a ride in the woods or in the plain. When the premises are located in the same natural environment, you can participate in different activities like hunting game, fauna observation or photographic safaris.
Each place provides a unique offer, which constitutes a products itself. The difference lays in the surrounding landscape, the activities you can participate in, and the kind of production of that area in particular.
Regional dishes vary depending on the location, the natural environment surrounding it, the production and the traditional ways in which they are prepared. For example: the criollo barbecue prepared with piquillín (var. of tree) firewood; or roasted beef, lamb, goat or pig.
Within the gamut of recreational possibilities, the guest can choose his preferred activity. Examples: participating in the habitual country activities, visiting other premises located nearby, which offer different products like dairies or milk factories. You can also tour the nearest town, visit a museum or the culture house, observe the work of an artisan or participate in a traditional feast of a neighbor location.

The rural tourism of La Pampa Province offers
• A real stage, where the plain life of countrymen and their families takes place.
• A marvelous landscape to enjoy nature and breath pure air.
• A stage plenty of starry nights, dawns and sunsets.
• And you will go back home with the desire to return.

Red Deer
it is appropriate to know more about this representative of La Pampa : the Cervus Elaphus or Red Deer.
The origin: Brought into the country by Pedro O. Luro at the beginning of the century, the Red Deer, native animals from the Carpathian mounts, were acclimatized in what today is known as Parque Luro; from where some of them were later taken to Neuquén. Following the death of Luro and consequently with the abandoning of his great domain in La Pampa; the deer and wild boars living there escaped, spreading through the woods areas of the province; becoming adapted to a wide extension of land.Nowadays they are a highly esteemed trophy in big game hunting.

Deer are most active in the late hours of the evening, at night and early in the morning. The fully grown males form small tribes while the old ones live alone until breeding season comes, when they approach the other herds. Their self preservation instinct makes them very cautious and wary. Their sight, smell and hearing senses are highly developed. The bellow is the male’s powerful call to fight, as a preliminary step to love among deer. Deer have adapted perfectly to local climate and to living in these woods. They share the territory with another foreign species : the European Wild Boar; and with local species such as the puma, the fox, etc., considered as big game and game; which make of La Pampa a heaven for hunters.

The Hunt
Deer hunting season starts every year by mid march; and has a previously established number of specimens allowed to be caught by each hunter in one season as well as a minimum established number of points or candles in each antler. Hunting is done by prying or by stalking. In the first case, full moon nights are advantageously used by the hunter in his wait by the deer trails, as he camouflages himself hiding where the wind blows contrary to the expected place of appearance of the deer. Stalking instead, requires the tracking of the animal recognizing its trails or following its bellows, whose short intervals between bellows guide the hunter in his tracks. The hunter must have a good knowledge and ability to go in the woods.

Trophies
The point system established to qualify for the National ranking requires a minimum of 190 points, utilizing a formula adopted by the “Federación Argentina de Caza Mayor”, which is the organization that does the measurements. The trophy is made up of the skull with its corresponding antlers; and the points are granted through the use of a table where the length of the antlers and of the candles or points is taken into account, as well as the circumference of the “rosetas” and of the antlers, the weight of the antlers, their separation and the amount of “candles” on each antler. Points are granted as well for beauty, color, shine and the shape of the “candles” and crown. Point penalties are applied when ugly factors appear.

Red Deer new national record
In these lines, it should be mentioned the Red Deer Trophy, won in 2002 by a Spanish hunter in his own game reserve. His 265.34 points not only turned him into the new national record, but also into the eighth position of the world ranking (according to the measurements made by the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation.) Learn more>>

The Food

One of the most remarkable cultural characteristic is food. The pampean cook has as a first traditional course a barbecue called «asado criollo», done in it’s own skin and roasted with «piquillín» firewood.

In the west you can taste liver roasted in it’s own fat. It is also common the Spanish meat stew, and the «pucheros». As Argentine people came from different parts of the country, so did flavors of «empanadas», which are prepared in various ways.
The Italian pasta influenced the pampean cooking tradition: spaghettis, cannelonis, raviolis, agnolottis are frequent and the diverse and tasty sauces make the difference with the original «dry pasta». German and Russian incorporated milk to the meat, noodles and flour, making food nutritious. According to historians, cold meats are the product of great hunger and express the principle of saving in abundance to have in scarcity. Another typical specialties are the «asado» of young mare, «piche» in hot ashes, marinaded «vizcacha».

Text & photos: Guía REGION® de La Pampa 5ta Edición