Few institutions are considered as authentically all-American as the ranch. Big Skies, wranglers and the Wild West hold hallowed positions in U.S. history and lore. But across the globe you can find countries with long-standing traditions of busting broncos, herding cattle and shearing sheep. From gauchos who shout out hearty holas on the Pampa to ringers who holler jovial g'days from the Outback, the cowboy (and gal) life is one without borders. Featuring cattle drives, star-kissed campfires and even luxurious rancho spa treatments, our selection of international guest ranches has been compiled for cowpokes at heart.

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UNITED STATES

Arizona
Hidden Meadow Ranch
www.hiddenmeadow.com

For those who think Arizona is all cactus and sagebrush, think again. This pine-clad property is located next to the two-million-acre Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, laced with more than 975 miles of hiking and riding trails (no motorized vehicles allowed). Along with cattle drives on national forest grazing leases and overnight pack trips with turndown service in your tent, there are nature photography classes, fly-fishing and Apache storytelling. Stays include three meals a day—hearty ranch-style breakfasts, trail lunches and candlelight dinners in the log-beam dining room—and the individual, antique and artifact-adorned log cabins come with working stone fireplaces and covered porches overlooking the meadow.

Texas
Beaumont Ranch
www.beaumontranch.com

Riding, roping and hot rock massages. Welcome to a new breed of cattle ranch. With the historic Chisholm Trail running through it, the 800-acre Beaumont Ranch (less than an hour from Dallas) features its own 1880s Western town, real cowboys herding longhorn cattle, the Starlite Ranch School of Horsemanship and the full-service Beau Monde Spa. You're welcome to participate in cattle roundups, or whoop it up in the Lone Star Barn, with its mechanical bull and Friday Night Fish Fries. Although the property is Texas-sized, the accommodations are cozy, with just sixteen quaint rooms. Once you're done practicing calf roping, Western horsemanship or barrel racing, you can unwind with reflexology, a salt body polish or moor mud wrap. No doubt Dale Evans would approve.

Wyoming
The Hideout at Flitner Ranch
www.thehideout.com

Although city slickers are welcome here, this is a true cattle ranch, where guests can spend full days rounding up Black Angus mother cows and pushing them through the Bighorns. The 300,000-acre property has been family-owned since 1906 and open to guests since 1990. Adult-oriented, it emphasizes gourmet cuisine (the ranch's own prime beef) and cocktail hour along with riding quarter horses—there are more than 60 to choose from. Guests are invited to join ranch cowhands in team penning/sorting competitions, as well as pursue non-ranch activities, such as airboat rides, hiking and tours of the local dinosaur track site. Private cabins cater to no more than 30 guests each week.

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ARGENTINA

Partido de Lobos, Buenos Aires
Estancia Santa Rita
www.santa-rita.com.ar

Southwest of Buenos Aires, cattle, sheep, horses and pigs are raised at the Estancia Santa Maria. As well, the estate produces wheat, maize and soybeans. But while this is a working ranch, it also gives you a chance to live like landed gentry. The lavish main house was constructed in 1790, with outbuildings added on through the mid-1800s. Purchased by Isabel Duggan and Franklin Nüddemberg in 1988, it has been beautifully restored and is now run as a hotel, with the help of the couple's six daughters and an attentive staff. High beamed ceilings, brick walls and clay tile floors provide a romantic interior backdrop, while eucalyptus trees and roaming llamas enhance the bucolic mood outdoors. Horseback riding in the cañada (dell) is a highlight, as are traditional meals such as Argentinean asado (barbecue).

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AUSTRALIA

Queensland
Wrotham Park Lodge
www.wrothampark.com.au

Leave it to the pioneering Aussies to take a traditional Outback cattle station and transform it into a luxury resort experience, complete with more than 30,000 head of cattle. The intimate, contemporary Wrotham Park Lodge is tucked into the 600,000-hectare Australian Agricultural Company's Wrotham Park. Along with the 21st-century homestead (where you'll dine on modern interpretations of classic country fare), there are ten beautifully designed "stockman's quarters," each with its own rambling deck that looks over the Mitchell River. Horseback riding is a primary reason to come here, but you can also canoe, fish, enjoy cooking demonstrations, stargaze or simply kick back and admire the great outdoors. While touring the property's cattle stations, you may encounter kangaroos, wallabies and crocodiles.

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CANADA

Quilchena, British Columbia
Little Beaver Creek Ranch
www.littlebeavercreekranch.com

Although no longer devoted to raising livestock, Little Beaver Creek Ranch is surrounded by cattle farms and comprises a historical ranch house and its original outbuildings, all of which have been playfully restored in period style. Guests can take full advantage of area offerings, from cattle drives to rodeos to powwows. Because the ranch's quarter horses have been professionally trained, this is a great choice for tenderfoots. It's also appealing to city slickers who like their rustic with a touch of luxury. Along with wilderness surroundings populated by bears, beavers, pumas, elk, moose and wild horses, you can also enjoy fine dining and private log cabins—with their own fireplaces and boat landings—on the shores of Lake Glimpse. When not riding, cast a line for trout or day-trip to the nearby Okanogan Wine Country.

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CHILE

Hurtado
Hacienda Los Andes
www.haciendalosandes.com

Introduced to South America by the Spaniards, haciendas are now an integral part of the continent's culture. At the gateway to the Andes, Hacienda Los Andes incorporates Incan influences as well. This 1,000-acre spread reaches from the Rio Hurtado to the top of the Cerro Gigante Mountains. The majority of the land is a nature reserve, which makes it ideal for leisurely rides on criollos (Chilean horses) that have been gently trained without the use of whips or spurs. Among the options are eight-day stays, which include overnight camping along riding trails. The guesthouse has six quaint bedrooms, each looking onto the Andes. Meals focus on fruits, vegetables and cheese from small local producers and Chilean wines.

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ECUADOR

Imbabura Province
Hacienda Zuleta
www.zuleta.com

Although built in 1690, this ranch is most famous for being owned by the descendants of Galo Plaza Lasso, president of Ecuador from 1948-52. Its industry makes it one of the most productive ranches on this list. The dinner table alone attests to its output: fresh milk and hand-churned butter, handmade cheese and bread made from estate-grown wheat. Also raised here are livestock, sheep and Zuleteño horses, a robust crossbreed of Andalusian, English and quarter horses. Rides along high altitude trails will take you to cloud forests and ancient Inca pyramids. Your stay also gives you a chance to be socially responsible, since Hacienda Zuleta supports a condor rehabilitation project and an embroidery workshop to preserve indigenous traditions. Because you're sleeping in the family house and the hacienda accepts a limited number of guests a year, the atmosphere is intimate and sociable.

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FRANCE

Arles, Provence
Manade Jacques Bon
www.manade-jacques-bon.com

Ooh la la meets giddy up in the wild Camargue region of southern France. Just south of Arles, which provided much inspiration for Van Gogh, Jacques Bon has taken his grandfather's property and transformed it into a gentleman farmer's estate. His focus is La Cabano Dis Ego, a working farm used to raise rice, Merino sheep, horses and bulls. Meanwhile, his wife, Lucille, has turned her architectural and design background to the 17th-century Mas de Peint—it's now an elegant eleven-room inn. Gaining a reverence for this land is unavoidable as you learn about its traditions and experience its spirited Camargue horses with local guardians. Highlights include participating in a roundup and dining on Provençal cuisine.

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SPAIN

Granada
El Rancho de Ferrer
www.ranchoferrer.com

Once an abandoned village, El Ferrer was converted into an exclusive guest ranch, just ten minutes from the Mediterranean in the lower Alpujarras Mountains. Most of the original houses have been renovated, and each is its own accommodation with kitchen, living room and bedrooms. With the Sierra Nevadas as a backdrop, you'll ride on old mule trails, encountering the occasional Spanish donkey, soaring falcon and earthy fragrance of thyme crushed beneath the horses' feet. Rides may include a restaurant stop to sample traditional dishes and wines while the horses are watered. Count mostly on English tack, although Spanish and Western saddles are a possibility. Paired with your horse (by skill level and even mood), you may find yourself atop the cheeky Chappas or sweet Balou.

Top 10 Wild West Ranches in the U.S.