San Ignacio Estancia Andina

Absolute peace in an eco boutique hotel

Mendoza is known for its winery tours with lunches and tastings, but another type of tourism is also possible in the beautiful land of wine. 

An estancia in the foothills, where the heights begin, with the capital at the bottom, is the corner that the González Landa family conceived to offer the visitor an authentic parenthesis of calm and introspection.

They know hospitality because it is in their essence, so the service is absolutely personalized from the moment the reservation is made to the transfer at the time of return.

It was the operations manager who picked us up from the airport to take us to the countryside. It so happens that the boutique inn is located where a uranium mine used to be established, at the Viejo Chambón post, some fifteen hundred meters above sea level. That is why today it is also distinguished by its sustainability. In the commitment to guarantee a harmonious impact with the mountain, the equipment is based on energy efficiency and proposes a reasonable use of its spring water.

We stayed in one of the four rooms of this mountain eco-lodging, warmly decorated and with interior design details that show the vocation of its hosts to give value to history. Thus, the recycled antique furniture harmonizes with the bright colors of the decorative objects, highlighting without a doubt the beautiful gobelin of the Virgin of Guadalupe that ornaments the dining room.

The feeling is that of arriving at a home, like a pampered person who will have the freedom of a family home. In fact, the kitchen is open to the visitor and is as beautiful as the other common spaces.

Its interior composes a lovely shelter but what is enjoyable is outside, among the mountain slopes, in the animal corrals, in the small forest in front of the deck of the house, on the hiking trails.

The serenity of the environment was contagious, the landscape invited us to just relax and enjoy, and that is how the hours slipped away, pure peace in body and soul.

The gastronomy deserves a separate chapter, highlighting the traditional country style barbecue, prepared by the hardworking Pedro Ochoa, the gaucho custodian of the farm, who after building the vigorous fire, neatly placed the various cuts that are then presented to the diners, accompanied of course by fresh vegetable salads, all arranged in a beautiful country table, very inspiring.

The lunch shared among visitors, family and friends is a party, in our case animated by Marcos, the eldest son, super entertaining and well disposed to honor the guest.

Also memorable for us was the reception dinner we had with Fabián and María, the creators of the project, who with absolute cordiality shared with us the reception, home style of course. That night, listening to them share their story with us, while we tasted some empanadas mendocinas and pastas, all harmonized with unbeatable malbec, felt encouraging and exemplary.

They have been together for more than fifty years and seem to maintain the vitality and tenderness that brought them together, despite the distances. Maria was born in Puebla, Mexico, and at a very young age left everything for love, which is why so many decorative details commemorate her homeland.

In the morning, our hosts arranged a breakfast overlooking the old grove on the deck, while the morning breeze enhanced the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

After a while, we were invited to mount the horses for a horseback ride through the trails of the estancia, among the native bushes, which were being identified by Leandro, the rider and guide. We crossed the river bed, where an intense reddish color is present in the mountain, a picturesque geological strip that wanted to embellish the foothills even more.

In the distance, far below, the city of Mendoza could be glimpsed. The inn is located only twenty-five minutes away from the central Independence Square.

On the way back, we had fun feeding the couple of llamas and the goats that were eagerly waiting for us.

In the evening, the bonfire under the trees provided the perfect setting for our beloved gaucho Pedro to dust off his guitar and sing cuecas and tunes typical of Cuyo folklore. Then, it was Marcos who recited Argentino Luna's El Malevo, causing a sensation in the select audience of friends and visitors.

The splendor of the landscape of San Ignacio, as well as the energy shared by the mountain with its stealth, make up a supreme scenario for a yoga practice, especially on the deck of the hill, where the horizon expands. For every yogi devotee, this corner is a gem of magnitude, well suited for a fortifying grounding.

In this natural environment of harmony, Sofía Bunge invited us to discover an activity of pure sensitivity, the @sb_inspirar.conectar proposal of coaching with horses.

Sofia and her sweet team members guide those who dare to find inner answers and to visualize and achieve goals. Inside the corral, Sofia with her words invites to a ride to the emotions, moving along with the horse, which perceives them and shows them to the outside with its body language. At that moment, the coach, after reading this organic language, makes it available to the consultant, generating a reflective process. The session was for @tripticity_ a beautiful moment of much inner mobilization.

Estancia San Ignacio left us with an experience of rest, tranquility, appreciation of beauty, all with the comfort of an eco-lodge a few minutes from the center of the capital. As the adorable Marcos told us, it is the mountain space where his family invites you to indulge yourself with the experience of feeling in nature, energizing yourself with the animals and delighting yourself with the classic gastronomy of Cuyo.

We came down early in the morning, as our return flight awaited us. As we took off, from the heights we could see the Estancia in the distance, with the snow-capped mountain range in the background, and we said goodbye to this Mendoza gem that has earned a privileged place in our list of unforgettable destinations.