A bona fide gaucho pueblo exists just a two-hour bus ride from Buenos Aires but a few centuries back in time. San Antonio de Areco, 112 km (70 miles) from the capital city, is, by presidential decree, a historic town of national interest. Dispersed among the period houses are authentic pulperias, or old bars, groceries and long-established workshops of various craftsmen and artisans.

The town dates  to the 1730s. The first chapel was built in 1728 and epitomizes 18th- and 19th-century rural Argentina. Traditional gaucho berets still adorn the heads of many older gentlemen in the town. They are not putting on a show for tourists, but are going about their days with pride of their ancestral past. The doors to the workshops of silversmiths and rope makers are left open, inviting people to peek in and witness the beauty of these time-honored trades.

In addition to getting the news and spending time with friends the pulperias also serve beer and wonderful local fare.

On my first trip to San Antonio de Areco I am lucky enough to arrive on a beautiful autumn day, sunny yet crisp. The tree-lined streets are full of earthy colors and the mosquitoes, which breed on the nearby Areco River, are mostly in hibernation.

While the town is small and easy enough to navigate without maps, it is worth stopping off at the tourist information office.

In a beautiful, rustic two-room wood cabin on the corner of Zerboni and Arellano, the cheerful attendants provide visitors with maps, restaurant recommendations, museum information and, best of all, free bikes to cruise around town. The city bike rider in me immediately asks if they also provide free use of bike locks. “No,” the kind man tells me, “that’s not a problem here, nobody uses bike locks.”

And it is true. I spend an entire day hopping on and off the bike, a comfortable yet rusty beach cruiser, and it is always exactly where I leave it. Only once do I see a bike lock used, and it is so skinny it could probably be cut through with large nail clippers.

Since pulperias are of such historical significance and I do have a weak spot for beers in the afternoon, I stop in at a couple. Back in the day, these establishments served a multitude of purposes to the community. At the local pulperia one could hear news from distant Buenos Aires, pass time playing cards with friends, buy provisions for the week and, of course, have a drink.

One of the most popular local pulperias is La Esquina de Merti, on the corner of Arellano and Segundo Sombra. The restored, historic bar serves up an amazing platter of homemade sausages and artisan cheeses, the picada, plenty for two to share, for under 50 pesos (approximately US $16).