"Pretty laid back but nice" San Antonio de Areco by Wade123

I first heard of Areco while watching "The Amazing Race" on TV. One of my favorite shows not very surprisingly. Supposed to be close to Buenos Aires and popular with them, especially on weekends. So I decided to give it a go.
Not being a fan of crowds of any sort, I assiduously avoided the weekend. I guess that plan worked, because I found it a very quiet little town with few tourists stumbling around. I also found some of the most friendly people anywhere on my 6 week trip through Argentina and Uruguay.
On several occasions, while standing on a corner staring at my map, I was asked by members of the local citizenry if they could be of help. The first time this happened, I ended up in a car and given a quick tour of the town and dropped off at a favored restaurant.
San Antonio was fun to wander around in. A very 'walkable' place. An interesting old church, a shady plaza, a few tourist attractions....a nice place to kickback for a day or two (but probably not three).
Lonely Planet says there is a week long fiesta in November celebrating the town's gaucho heritage. They recommended reservations, so it must be quite an affair.

• Pros:An interesting town of friendly people
• Cons:Transportation to/from was a bit of a problem