Elite Traveler November-December 2015

elite traveler NOV/DEC 2015 ISSUE 6 141

One week in… José Ignacio, Garzón There comes a point during summer when locals hardly venture near

CONCIERGE SERVICES A decade ago, the open-door approach of this tight-knit community made it easy to slip into their insider’s club. Little more than a smile and a mumbled name opened the door to beach villas where champagne corks popped to the beat of international DJs, supermodels bared all and dawn was welcomed with dancing. While the effervescent hospitality at the core of this fun-loving community remains, security has turned tight to accommodate the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Elon Musk and more models than a Vogue casting room. Now that chamullando (the Argentine art of sweet- talking), is out, bespoke services are on the up. Arguably one of the best is word-of-mouth service, Blackdrum. Headed up by one of Uruguay’s most charming couples, Canadian model Jen and producer husband Nacho Cristiani, they started it after spending years connecting friends to the hippest events. Meanwhile at local agency Lares, owner Paola Perelli matches clients with hosts hand-picked for their profile. Passionate about Uruguay’s hidden charms, Perelli holds the key to some of the area’s most memorable experiences, from moonlit asados , to horse treks to sculptor Pablo Atchugarry’s foundation and kayaking with black-necked swans. blackdrum-productions.com larestours.com Thomas Gibson’s Villa Neptuno, a 18-acre design buff’s dream bordering the azure-blue Laguna del Sauce. Private villa rental is a smart approach, enabling 2pm brunches in bed and skipping restaurant lines. In recent years, fueled by Argentina’s ongoing financial crisis, private residences have begun to open up for rental and to host customized gourmet experiences. Try the country estancia Agua Verde, but be sure to call ahead for wine-tasting beside fire pits set beside the vines and gourmet asados of their own Wagyu beef. Next door is the estate of the Brazilian hospitality group Fasano, a playground of opulent suites and private villas, where the chicest guests ride golf buggies between the tennis courts, equestrian center, golf course and Italian dining den.

cash-rich La Huella, save for a swim in the sea before escaping inland. So if you’re in town for a full week, head away from José Ignacio when you’re all partied out, and make your way through sweeping pampas along dirt tracks to the tiny village of Garzón. Deliciously unpretentious, tin-roofs still reign and gauchos lounge in the plaza. This is a former railway town built by the British, the yellow station- master’s house still stands and locals meet for tea at design shop Alium, or to drink among the vines at Bodega Garzón. You can even book a hot-air balloon for sunset. It is also where chef Francis Mallmann – who has been influential in cultivating the region’s culinary prowess, with most local rising stars accrediting their success to him – throws alfresco dinners in the main square. Plus he hosts a handful of full-board guests at his guesthouse, El Garzón, set to re-open in December after extensive renovations. Down the road, Mallmann’s former head chef Lucia Soria enchants diners at gourmet retreat Lucifer, with a daily changing menu dished out from her open-plan kitchen directly to tables in the garden. Hollywood hunks (no names mentioned) have been known to linger here for hours. Soria can even cook for you at home – allowing you to host long lunches in the exquisite Andalusian-inspired courtyard at the home of Helmut Newton’s former agent Tiggy Moconochie, or at art dealer

From top: Sand dunes of José Ignacio; vineyards and olive groves of Bodega Garzón