Rincon del Socorro

Estancia Rincón del Socorro is a 12,000-hectare (29,700 acres) former cattle ranch on the edge of the Iberá wetlands in Northeastern Argentina that has been made into a nature reserve.

Estancia Rincón del Socorro orientation is to give guests and visitors a good understanding of the local ecosystem and an appreciation for the importance of wetlands and savanna landscapes. Hostería Rincón del Socorro is a small, refined eco-tourist hotel in the ranch’s recycled main house.

There are six rooms in the main house and three small bungalows within 50 meters of it, all with private bathrooms and one with a sitting room and a small kitchenette. The main house has a large indoor living room, a screened veranda living room, a large indoor dining room, a terrace dining area, and a children’s game room. On the grounds are a swimming pool, a screened barbecue house, and a barn with tack room.

Services of laundry, email/fax/telephone, booking reservations, boat rides, horseback riding, biking, auto washing and babysitting with notice are also available.

Estancia Rincón del Socorro, a natural choice.



QUICK LOOK AROUND: 

Former cattle ranch:

Guests can still find a few remnant signs of the cattle operation here but over time the infrastructure of old is giving way to the restoration of Socorro's grasslands and flora and fauna. Wildlife is coming back into sight now that the ranch dogs are gone. Socorro is a testimony to the hope that landscapes damaged by livestock grazing can be restored to their former health and wealth of biological richness and diversity. Guests can witness this transformation with their own eyes when they see the nearly extinct Marsh Deer now grazing peacefully along the edges of the esteros in Socorro.

The hosteria: 

The main house on the estancia, "El Casco", built in 1896 by the original founder of the ranch, has been transformed into what is today the hosteria. Built in the classic Spanish estancia style, the house has been completely renovated, respecting the original architectural lines of the house and guests can still see some of the interesting original designs of this well-known house. The restoration of the building required two years of exacting work, using the same wood of this region for the windows and doors. Every effort has been made to maintain the integrity of the original structure while adding the comforts of first-class service.

Cabins:

There are three small straw-roof bungalows with private bathrooms, one with a screened veranda and a kitchenette. Early in the process of restoring Estancia Socorro, the charm and unique architectural style of some of the small buildings were considered too good to lose so they have been transformed into separate bungalows for our guests. They are all situated in the middle of the garden a short walk from the hosteria.

Barn and tack room: 

Of all of the buildings one will find at any estancia in Argentina the horse stable where the working gauchos congregate in the wee hours of the morning and sip mate before heading out to watch over the livestock, the horse stable is the heart and soul of the ranch. At Socorro, great pains have been taken during the restoration of the stable to preserve it's special nature and today our guests ride out of the stable and can sit and drink mate in the afternoons. Our saddles are traditional Argentina style, comfortable and light.

Barbecue house:

No self-respecting Argentine estancia is without it's "quincho" or outdoor barbeque dining room and the quincho at Socorro is at the heart of our special service. Situated in a 100 year old lapacho grove, the barbeque area is fully enclosed to keep insects from bothering and features a large grill and barbeque. Its architectural style is pure Corrientino with straw roof, the tiles from the local quarry. It is one of the unique aspects to Socorro life that everybody remembers. Our barbeque offers a wide selection of traditional, free-range meats, grilled vegetables good Argentine wines, a variety of home-made breads, organic salads, local potatoes and is always topped off with one of Ramoni's surprise deserts - the days' top secret.

Swimming pool: 

The old Austrailan water tank has been pulled out and replaced with a large swimming pool that looks out onto the laguna and the grasslands. Shaded by 100 year old lapachos and Tipa trees. Large canvas umbrellas are posted around the deck of local tiles in case more shade is necessary. Carpinchos have shown a liking toward swimming in the pool, but they have been discouraged to share the cool, clear water with our guests!



Gardens

Guests can walk among old noble trees planted in the early 1900's that provide the essential shade for this sub-tropical region and, with the recent renovation, enjoy a large collection of a mixture of local native plants and classic azaleas and roses. The height of the azalea bloom is in August and is becoming a reason to visit Socorro all on it's own! The famous lapacho trees found in Socorro both in the park and in the nearby small forests are flowering at their peak in August/September. Their pink explosion of color brings guests from all around the world and they are never disappointed. The laguna next to the hosteria provides a never-ending wildlife show with carpinchos, friendly alligators and up to thirty bird species in residence. Every day, as the sun goes down, guests are treated to a spectacular show as hundreds of herons return to their nests at the lagoon for the night.