Rolito, an Air of Fuegian Estancia

‘So you’d like to see Annie’s place?’ was the answer we got when we asked for directions to Estancia Rolito, famous for Annie Luna and her family’s warm hospitality.

When we arrived, Annie and her daughter Ana welcomed us into the kitchen to share mate and delicious, freshly baked cakes by the range cooker. The warmth of our hostesses is reflected in the coziness of the main house with its large windows overlooking the garden.

Annie had started making lunch and, while she stirred her pots, told us about her grandfather, Sebastián Luna, who settled in the area in 1927 and built his first house with wood from Estancia San Pablo. Two years later he was joined by his wife and son Rodolfo, nicknamed Rolito, whom the estancia is named after.
Both men were qualified dentists who gave up their profession to become sheep breeders, a typical endeavor in Tierra del Fuego. Cattle breeding would come later.

It was great to learn that the foreman’s house and the shearing shed have been preserved since the foundation of the estancia. Although other buildings had to be rebuilt after a fire, the typical Fuegian style was respected.

When José, Annie’s husband, arrived, he invited us on a tour of the estancia during which we witnessed a few of the daily activities. During our walk we noticed the changing sky and felt the Patagonian wind, characteristic of the transition area between the steppe and the mountain forests.


Timeless Greens

We then climbed into the truck and drove through several gates before reaching a wonderful lenga forest, hundreds of years old. Leaving the clearing behind, we entered a magical, green corridor, the smell of wild mint in our noses and the song of birds in our ears.

We took a short walk under the light, melodious canopy. We noticed the furrowed barks of the trees, leaning towards the sunlight and got carried away by the fragrance enveloping us. José told us people and animals rarely set foot in these woods as cattle are herded to the summer grazing grounds along another trail.

On our way back, we stopped at the shearing shed, where bales of first shearing wool were piled up and also visited the artificial insemination lab. José, a technician, is in charge of the production of wool.

The smell from the grill made us hungry so we were delighted when Annie invited us to join a party of French visitors for lunch. Besides the delicious meal, we thoroughly enjoyed listening to country and traveler’s tales during this incredible outing.

It was time to be on our way and bid farewell to Annie and José. We promised to return and spend more time with them before thanking them for treating us so kindly and naturally. We will be looking forward to our next visit to Tierra del Fuego and Estancia Rolito, a truly unforgettable experience.