18/01/2022
For all its tussocky pampas lands and wind-blasted cordilleras, there are few places in Argentina in which you can truly step off the well-forged path. But the venerable Sierras Chicas, ancient hills thought to predate the Andes, are tapping on the shoulders of intrepid travellers powerless to resist the intoxicating promise of expanse and silence.
Just north west of Cordoba, these elemental hills have sustained families for generations, many of whom make their living via cattle or sheep ranching. But even today, those who have dipped a toe into the tourism market have maintained a strong sense of tradition, and to stay among them is to truly step back in time. Ranches such as Estancia Los Potreros are taking guests out into the wild landscape to live like gauchos, charging them with bringing in foals – away from the reaches of elusive puma that slink around these hills – or rounding up stray cattle for counting or vaccination. Savvy local guides also run well-worth-it hiking trips here. Spend a night in one of the remote huts that cling to the folds in the mountains, step out into the darkness and raise your eyes to the heavens: you’ll feel as if you’re the only soul wandering this Earth.
