Trip Overview
This trip starts with some city slicking at the world-famous Argentine Open Polo Championship in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires, before heading south to take to the saddle yourself exploring our private estancia on horseback. Call yourself horse-mad? Well, this is your adventure of a lifetime!
Boasting the highest number of ten-goal players in the sport, Argentina has long been regarded as the mecca of polo. "The Open" is the world's fifth-oldest polo competition (it celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2013) and one of the most important international tournaments on the planet. Think Wimbledon for horses! Glamorous crowds flock to the event to watch the world’s top polo horses and players fight for glory before celebrating at glittering parties in the capital’s most exclusive bars and clubs.
This is a lodge-based adventure, so each night you return to the estancia for hot showers, delicious cuisine, fabulous Argentine wine, and your cozy bed. Each day your personal chef will prepare four meals (yes, four!), and a foodie highlight is enjoying our traditional Argentine parilla (barbeque) one evening.
Note: The Palermo Open Polo Championship in Buenos Aires takes place from mid-November through mid-December. For non-polo-season trips, please see our Patagonia Lodge-Based Horse Riding itinerary.
Boasting the highest number of ten-goal players in the sport, Argentina has long been regarded as the mecca of polo. "The Open" is the world's fifth-oldest polo competition (it celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2013) and one of the most important international tournaments on the planet. Think Wimbledon for horses! Glamorous crowds flock to the event to watch the world’s top polo horses and players fight for glory before celebrating at glittering parties in the capital’s most exclusive bars and clubs.
After seeing the best of the best in Buenos Aires, you travel south to Northern Patagonia – one of the last places on earth that can truly be called wild. From arid plains to monkey tree forests, natural lakes and wild rivers, this is nature at its finest, and there's no better way to explore than on horseback. Here at Caballadas, you will spend long days in the saddle exploring the estancia. At 40 hectares, you’ll ride different trails with different landscapes and vistas each day! The diversity of landscape is nothing short of awe-inspiring – you will explore canyons and valleys, climb mountaintops and relax lake- or creek-side enjoying delicious picnic lunches.
Note: The Palermo Open Polo Championship in Buenos Aires takes place from mid-November through mid-December. For non-polo-season trips, please see our Patagonia Lodge-Based Horse Riding itinerary.
Highlights
- Experience the spectacular Argentine Open Polo Championship, five minutes from downtown Buenos Aires
- 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, across hidden valleys, rivers and creeksStand atop a mountain to admire breath taking views of the Andes, and take in the epic sight of the mighty Lanín 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.
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Day 1
Hotel in Buenos Aires
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Day 2
Hotel in Buenos Aires (B)
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Day 3
(B,D)
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Day 4
(B,D,L)
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Day 5
(B,D,L)
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Day 6
(B,D,L)
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Day 7
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 18 people in 8 spacious 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
- Personal chef
- Four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea, & dinner
- Red and white wine and other alcoholic beverages
- 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.
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.
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:
- Airport transfer EZE airport to Buenos Aires
- 2 nights hotel accommodation in Buenos Aires
- Admission to the Argentine Open Polo Championship for 2 days
- Airport transfer Buenos Aires to AEP
- Airport transfers in Patagonia to / from the ranch
- 4 nights accommodation in Caballadas Valley Lodge
- Trip briefing
- Local English speaking guide and crew (gauchos)
- Horses and tackSaddle bags
- Meals at the ranch as noted in the itinerary
- Wine and non-alcoholic beverages with meals at the ranch
- Transportation in the ranch
- Boat ride on the lake (weather permitting)
- Horse riding every day
- Housekeeping services
Area Map
