The main kinds of horseback riding vacations, how to pick one that fits your riding, what to ask before you book, and riding in Patagonia.
A horseback riding vacation is a trip built around the horse: several days in the saddle, usually on the same horse each day, through country you could not reach any other way. It is also an easy trip to get wrong. The riding level, the hours in the saddle, where you sleep and who rides with you change everything, and two trips that look alike online can feel nothing alike on the trail.
We run riding trips from our family lodge in the Cholila valley in Argentine Patagonia, at the north entrance to Los Alerces National Park. This guide covers the main kinds of riding vacations, how to match one to your riding, the questions worth asking before you book, and why the southern summer is worth a look if you want to ride while it is winter at home.
Planning a riding vacation?
Our Gaucho Experience is four days on horseback in Los Alerces National Park, from November to April. Tell us roughly when you would like to come and how many riders.
The main kinds of horseback riding vacations
Most riding trips fall into one of four types. Knowing which one you want narrows the search quickly.
Ranch stays. A guest ranch, or dude ranch, is a base with horses, cabins and meals, with rides out each day and often other activities in between. In North America this is the most common kind of riding vacation, and it suits families and mixed groups well.
Estancia stays. In Argentina and Uruguay the equivalent is the estancia, a working cattle or sheep ranch that takes guests. You ride with the people who work the land and see the working side of the countryside. Many offer a day or two rather than a full week.
Point-to-point treks. On a trek you ride from one place to the next, often camping or staying in simple mountain huts, with pack horses or a vehicle carrying the gear. These are the most adventurous trips, and they usually ask for more riding experience and more comfort with simple camps.
Lodge-based riding. You ride out each morning and come back to the same lodge each night, to a hot shower, a proper dinner and the same bed. You still get long days in wild country, without packing up every morning. Our Gaucho Experience works this way.
How to choose the right riding vacation
Start with your own riding, then work outward.
Your riding level. Be honest about it. Many trips welcome complete beginners, while some faster or higher routes expect riders who are comfortable at a trot and a canter over rough ground. A good outfitter asks about your experience before you book and tells you if the trip is not a fit.
Hours in the saddle. Ask how long the riding days are. For many riders, four to six hours makes a full day, and a long first day can make the rest of the week hard work. Trips that start with a shorter ride give you time to settle in.
Where you sleep. Tents, huts, ranch rooms or a lodge. This shapes the trip as much as the riding does.
The country. Plains, mountains, forest, desert or coast. Pick the landscape you want to spend a week looking at, because you will see a lot of it at a walking pace.
Who else is going. Partners and friends who do not ride change the choice. Some trips have plenty for non-riders to do, and others are riding and nothing else.
Questions to ask before you book
A few questions sort out most of what matters.
Is there a weight limit? Most outfitters set one, for the horses' sake and the riders'. Ours is 100 kg (220 lb) for new riders and 110 kg (240 lb) for regular riders.
How big are the groups? Small groups ride at a more even pace, and the guides can give everyone their attention. We never have more than ten riders.
Who are the guides? Ask how long they have ridden this country. Local horsemen who grew up on the land know the trails, the river crossings and the weather signs.
What is included? Meals, drinks, transfers and extra activities vary a lot from trip to trip, so ask for the list.
What happens if the weather turns? Mountain weather changes fast, and a good outfit adjusts the route rather than pushing on regardless.
Are you insured? Check that your travel insurance covers horseback riding and, for remote areas, medical evacuation. We ask every rider to have it.
Why ride in Patagonia
Patagonia is one of the great places for a riding trip: native forest, clear rivers, big glacial lakes and the Andes behind them, in country that was worked on horseback long before roads reached it. Riding is still part of everyday life here, and the guides are often local horsemen who grew up working cattle and horses in the same valleys. Our post on Argentine gauchos covers that tradition.
The season is the other draw. Riding in Patagonia follows the southern spring and summer, and we ride from November to April. That is winter in North America and Europe, so a trip here fills the months when riding at home is cold, short or off the calendar.
If you are still deciding where in the country to go, our region-by-region guide to horseback riding in Argentina compares the pampas, Córdoba, the northwest, Mendoza and Patagonia.
Our Gaucho Experience in Los Alerces
Our own riding vacation is four nights at the lodge with four days on horseback: a short ride on the afternoon you arrive, then three full days. Your guides are baqueanos, local horsemen from the valley, and Iñaki or Toto from our family rides out with the group. We only have five rooms, so there are never more than ten riders.
The days take you through native forest to a beach inside the park, across the Carrileufú River on horseback and along the shore of Lago Rivadavia to a gaucho outpost that belongs to our guide's family. On the last day the guides choose the route that morning, and a kayak float down the Carrileufú is an option if you would rather. Every evening ends back at the lodge by the fire, with dinner from Iñaki and Toto and Argentine wine.
No riding experience is needed. Our horses are calm and know the mountain, and the guides set the pace for the group. Partners who would rather not ride are welcome, and if one of you fishes, the other can ride while they are on the water. For more on the riding itself, see our post on horseback riding in Patagonia.
Getting here
The closest airport is Esquel (EQS), with flights from Buenos Aires. From there it is about an hour and a half to the lodge, and we can arrange the transfer. Bariloche (BRC) also works, about three hours by road.
What is a horseback riding vacation?+
A trip built around riding, usually several days in the saddle on the same horse, staying at a ranch, an estancia, a lodge or in camps along the route.
Do I need riding experience for a riding vacation?+
Not for many trips, including ours. Some faster or higher routes expect experienced riders, so tell the outfitter honestly how much you have ridden before you book.
How many hours a day do you ride on a riding vacation?+
It varies by trip. For many riders four to six hours makes a full day, and good trips start with a shorter first ride.
When is the best time for a horseback riding vacation in Patagonia?+
We ride from November to April. November and December are green with long days, January and February are the warmest, and March and April bring autumn color.
Can non-riders come on a riding vacation?+
On some trips. At our lodge, partners who would rather not ride are welcome, and anglers can fish while the rest of the group rides.
What should I pack for a riding vacation?+
Long pants without thick inside seams, boots or sturdy shoes with a heel, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, a warm layer, and a rain layer or poncho.
Ride Los Alerces with us
Four days on horseback with local baqueanos, from November to April, with never more than ten riders. Send us your dates and we will tell you what is still open.