Dozens of estancias, or rural estates, that were once the private getaways of wealthy families have opened their picket fences to the public.

BBC: Where have all the cowboys gone?

Do your homework - some estancias are just private homes that begrudgingly rent rooms for profit, others are campy circuses that bring in buses of camera-snapping tourists - but do not miss a chance to live out your cowboy dreams in the Argentine pampas.

BBC: Where have all the cowboys gone?