Take a step back in time and ride from estancia to estancia with our 7 day/6 night horse riding trek. Where the lowlands of the pampas end and the lagoons of the wetlands begin you will ride through a variety of stunning landscapes seeing an abundance of birds and wildlife. At night you will enjoy the luxury of dining and sleeping in quiet estancias and lodges. Complete with long days in the saddle enjoying the natural beauty and local culture of the wetlands, age-old gaucho experiences, traditional foods, wine tastings and optional spa treatments this is the perfect riding vacation for horse and nature lovers.
The Ibera Wetlands are the second largest wetland on the planet and an important source of freshwater. Sitting on top of the Guarani Aquifer, one of the worlds largest aquifer systems, there are over 4000 animal and plant species living here. Much of the land is untouched and uninhabited. Corrientes is all about water and we will ride through and between the beautiful lagoons and all the species to which they give life.
Get a glimpse into the culture and simple way of life of the local villagers and gauchos as we ride by homes, the isolated and quiet estancia puestos (gaucho homes), schools, churches and gaucho stores. Out in this countryside you can see gauchos riding their horses in the fields taking care of their daily chores, children riding their horses to school and family gardens. You can even ask our gauchos to teach you a few words of the Guarani language, a language from indigenous peoples of South America.
To participate in this trek we recommend that you are in good physical condition and have an intermediate or advanced level of horseback riding skills. You will need to be comfortable with riding at all paces.
Itinerary “Horse Trek in Argentina’s Wetlands”
Day 1: Arrive in the morning to Estancia Don Joaquin. Today you will have two rides, one after breakfast and another after lunch. Sleep tonight at Estancia Don Joaquin. (6 hours riding)
Day 2: After breakfast we will ride to Don Joaquin River Lodge to have lunch. After lunch we will mount our horses to explore the delta where the Corrientes and Parana rivers meet. Sleep tonight in the Don Joaquin River Lodge. (6 hours riding)
Day 3: Departing from the Don Joaquin River Lodge after breakfast we will make our way northeast through the open countryside. We will have an asado lunch in the fields and have dinner and sleep in a colonial estancia. (7 hours riding)
Day 4: Today we will reach our final destination, Estancia La Teresita, where we will sleep for two nights. Part of today’s ride will take us by the homes of local villagers where you can observe the magic and freedom of a simple life. (7 hours riding)
Day 5: From La Teresita we will ride to the Corrientes river traveling through beautiful fields and lagoons. We will lunch on the sandy shores of the river and return to La Teresita for dinner. (7 hours riding)
Day 6: On this mornings ride we will explore the area seeing new terrain and ending with a visit to a local school. After lunch at La Teresita we will return to Estancia Don Joaquin by vehicle, a 1 hour drive. In the afternoon you can relax with a massage if you wish (arrange in advance) and enjoy a wine tasting before dinner. (3 hours riding)
Day 7: Today you will dive into the gaucho working culture. We will be helping, from horseback, to herd the cattle to the corral, or lassoing calves to have them tagged. After lunch you have the option for a final ride from Estancia Don Joaquin or a visit to the town of Esquina. (4 hours or more riding)
– We offer this trek all year except from mid-December to the end of February and for the month of July.
– We do this trek for groups of a minimum of 2 people, maximum of 8 people. However, if you are a smaller group we will happily provide you with a customized program.
– Accompanying us on this trek will be at least 1 gaucho per 2 riders.
– Our horses are Criollo or Criollo mixed breed and are very well trained and responsive.
– Saddles are recado or montura correntina providing exceptional comfort.
– We strongly recommend you have a riding level of intermediate or advanced and are in good physical condition.
– Everyday we will ride between 3 and 7 hours and cover between 25 to 45 kilometers.
– Helmet – for maximum safety and comfort, if you want to wear a helmet please bring it with you as we do not provide helmets.
The price of this Horse Trek program includes:
-all lodging
-meals and drinks (alcoholic and nonalcoholic)
-a full body massage
-vehicle transports
from Esquina bus station to Estancia Don Joaquin on Day 1
from La Teresita to Estancia Don Joaquin on Day 6
from Estancia Don Joaquin to the Esquina bus station on Day 7
