Our Estancias

ESTANCIA"EL VALLE"

Itinerary

Day 1: Pick up and welcome at San Carlos de Bariloche´s airport , from where soon after your landing, the Adventure begins. We will drive to Estancia El Valle where, after settling down, a traditional patagonian lunch will await you. You will then be introduced to the horses and go for 3-4 hours ride along the shores of Lake Alicura. To conclude our first day together we will sit by a large fire and enjoy a typical asado.

Day 2: Breakfast on the "Estancia" followed by an incredible trek, on which we will visit caves and see rupestrian paintings, done before the Spanish conquest. Lunch will be served in a cave previously inhabited by Indians . We then will climb to a mountain peak of 5000 feet in the "Enchanted Valley", where we will find a petrified forest dating millions of years. By nightfall you will be back to the estancia where another well-deserved and festive asado will await you.

Day 3: Breakfast on the "Estancia" . You will then be taken either to Lake Traful or the mouth of Rio Limay (depending on the season) for a day of rafting all the way back to the estancia (both feed into Lake Alicura). The scenery is truly spectacular and you will have a genuine 'in the middle of nowhere feeling'. You will also have the opportunity to observe the local fauna, fly fish and swim. Lunch will be on the river's beach. Once back on Lake Alicura, the estancia's motor boat will be there for back-up in case of strong head-wind. By nightfall, you will be back to the estancia, probably exhausted ! It is not for the faint-hearted !.

Day 4: Breakfast on the "Estancia" . The horses will await you for a 2-days ride on the estancia' surprising steppe and valleys. We will start our journey exploring the antique stone formations along the 'Arroyo Guanaco' and arrive by mid-day to the camp where lunch will be served. You will then carry on exploring the endless steppes where you will have the opportunity to see peludos, ostriches and stags. You will also have the opportunity to test your skills at cattle driving ! By nightfall we will be back at camp where tents will be set-up and the evening will be enjoyed by the fire.

Day 5: Breakfast at camp. We will start the day by riding towards the impressive 'Valley of the Devil' where, with a little bit of luck, you will be able to spot pumas. Down from the valley towards the lake we will eventually reach a natural steppe laguna populated by flamingos, geese and ducks. Lunch will be served on the shores of the laguna. By mid-afternoon we will be back at the estancia. The rest of the afternoon will be enjoyed water-skiing, fly-fishing or simply relaxing. Dinner will be served by the fire where you will enjoy the final asado at Estancia El Valle.

Day 6: After an early and final breakfast on the "Estancia" we will set off for the charming village of "Villa la Angostura" via the picturesque '7-lakes route'. We will check-in a typical mountain cabin. We will then start a moderate trek to the "Santa Ana" waterfall, 500 feet high, borne from a glacier and placed in the midst of a luxuriant forest. It will leave us bewitched until our return to our cabins where dinner awaits.

Day 7: We will transfer to the "Espejo" Lake, where canoes will be waiting for us to set off on an unforgettable canoe ride. We will discover untouched beaches and deserted islands. Lunch will be served upon one of these. We end our day with dinner back at the cabins.

Day 8: Soon after breakfast, we will navigate by boat ( dissecting the Nahuel Huapi Lake ) to the unique and famous orange bark "Arrayanes" forest. Here we will enjoy our last lunch together. On returning to our cabins, we collect your suitcases for our return to San Carlos de Bariloche airport where we will bid you farewell, bôn voyage and look forward to seeing you again, soon.