Our Estancia in Patagonia

Patagonia Lodge-Based Horse Riding

Experience life on a real Argentine estancia, riding horses in the most secluded, private, and spectacular part of the Patagonian Lake District.

Trip Overview

Northern Patagonia is one of the last truly wild places on earth. And the best way to experience it is on horseback. Ride across arid plains, through ancient Monkey Puzzle tree forests, across lakes and rivers, and play polo on two masterpiece polo fields on this adventure of a lifetime!
Daily rides will take you to different areas of the 20,000-hectare estancia, which is set within the northern section of Lanín National Park in the most secluded and spectacular area of the Patagonia Lake District. You’ll explore canyons and valleys, climb mountaintops in the search for the best views, and relax lake- or creek-side, tucking in to glorious secluded landscapes for delicious picnic lunches.
Throughout your trip, you’ll have ample opportunity to bear witness to one of the most peculiar looking trees in the world – the ancient Araucaria Araucana, or Monkey Puzzle tree. This magnificent tree has been around for more than two hundred million years. The ones you’ll see on this trip are descendants of those that survived the great volcanic eruption that flattened most of Patagonia 150 million years ago. Truly a prehistoric survivor!

On this lodge-based adventure, you’ll sleep in our estancia set on a hilltop at the heart of the estancia, waking up each morning to spectacular views over the valley. After riding each day, you’ll welcome the opportunity to come home to a hot shower, cozy bed, fabulous Argentine wine, and delicious traditional home made cuisine. With four daily meals, and a traditional Argentine parilla (barbeque) one evening, you're sure not to go hungry!

Highlights

  • Get off the beaten path and enjoy a truly authentic adventure horseback riding through Northern Patagonia.
  • Ride through towering mountains and enchanted forests, alongside beautiful lakes and across hidden valleys, rivers and creeks.
  • Stand on mountaintops taking in breath-taking views of the Andes and the mighty Lanin Volcano.
  • Get a first-hand look at one of the most peculiar looking trees in the world – the ancient Araucaria Araucana, or Monkey Puzzle tree.
  • Enjoy an unforgettable adventure that will remain engraved in your heart and mind forever!

Day By Day

Trip itinerary may vary based on weather conditions, fitness levels and abilities of participants, and/or the recommendations of the Dolomite Mountains Team and your mountain guide. Daily mileage and altitude gain may vary depending on the device used.

  • Day 1

    (D)

  • Day 2

    (B,D,L)

  • Day 3

    (B,D,L)

  • Day 4

    (B,D,L)

  • Day 5

    (B,D,L)

  • Day 6

Accommodation

Great hotels with Dolomite Mountains. Whether intimate lodge, family run B&B, or luxury spa resort, our hotels are unique, eminently local, and hard to leave.

The Valley Lodge is located at the heart of the ranch, set on top of a hill providing panoramic views of the entire valley and surrounding area. It can sleep 12 people in 8 double and single bedrooms, with 5 shared bathrooms. A large communal living room with a fireplace, dining room, and a large playroom for the kids with a ping-pong table are also available throughout your stay.
The lodge includes:
  • A host (ranch owner)
  • Personal chefFour meals a day:  breakfast, lunch, tea, & dinner
  • Red and white wine and other alcoholic beverages during meals
  • Housekeeping services
HORSES
Caballadas is home to about 60 beautiful horses that roam free on our 55,000-acre ranch. You will ride well-schooled, local stock horses mixed with anglo-normando, criollos and polo ponies. We have a large selection of horses, which allows us to cater to all riding abilities and confidence levels. They are neck-reined, sure-footed and usually well behaved, making our riding trips safe and enjoyable.

The horses of Patagonia are different. They are a rare breed. What makes them unique is their strength, endurance, and, most importantly, their ability overcome obstacles. A “regular” horse would struggle when confronted with the challenges of the Patagonian terrain. They would hesitate and perhaps become flightly and dangerous for both itself and its rider. But the horses in Patagonia, our horses, stay calm. They look at any obstacle, and, whether it be dense brush on a steep climb or deep water during a river crossing, they move through it slowly and surely, delivering the rider safe and sound.

TACK
Caballadas has a large selection of saddles and tack. Our saddles include Chilean saddles (designed with comfort in mind for long days in the saddle), “pato” saddles (similar to a U.S. Western-style saddle with a horn), old army saddles, and polo saddles. To ensure you have a more comfortable experience, they all have sheepskins on top, secured with a rawhide over-girth.

Our bridles, halters, and over-girths are handcrafted from rawhide leather. At Caballadas, we care very much for our horses, which is why all our girths and pads are made from braided sheep wool, handcrafted by local Mapuche Indian women.

We ask our guests to provide us with details of their riding experience before each visit. This way we can begin thinking about which horse would be best suited to you.

PACE
The riding pace in Patagonia varies as much as the terrain. Some routes are rugged, steep, and narrow, with thick vegetation that requires a slow pace. Other areas are open pampas with plenty of opportunities for long, fast canters for those who are interested, or leisurely and relaxed for those who prefer to take things easy.

RIDING EXPERIENCE
We can tailor trips from intermediate to advanced riding levels. The more comfortable you are in the saddle, the more terrain we will be able to cover, and the more you will see and experience of this incredible landscape!

We recommend you have some riding experience, and are secure in the saddle at a walk, trot and fast canter. This is because Patagonia includes widely varied and sometimes steep terrain, as well as river crossings, so you need experience of riding across varied terrain.

This is not somewhere you come to learn to ride, and you will get a lot more out of it if you are “riding fit.” Therefore, if you do not currently ride regularly, we recommend you get in some “saddle time” before your trip in order to accustom yourself to the long hours you will spend in the saddle at Caballadas.

TERRAIN
The Northern Patagonian landscape offers a wide range of riding opportunities, from wide open pampas to steep Andean mountains, with forests, rivers and valleys between. From our estancia, we will take you deep into the mountains - be aware that the steep hillsides may challenge those who are not comfortable with heights but the views are breath-taking and well worth the climb!  Our horses are adept at covering this terrain, but they will respond to you so you do need to be confident. At times, you may be asked to get off your horse to lead it up or down steep hills, so you should be comfortable walking on uneven and steep ground.

Cost

All itineraries are subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control including, weather, road or trail conditions.

Call for prices

Cost Includes:

  • Trip briefing upon arrival
  • Logistics
  • 5 nights accommodation in Caballadas Valley Lodge
  • All meals (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)
  • Wine and sodas with meals
  • Horses and tack
  • Local English speaking guide and crewVAT tax

Area Map