Packages and Options

$75+ recommended

At the end of the trip it is customary for each client to contribute towards a tip for the baquianos who have traveled with us. The normal amount given by each client is between $50 and $100 for the trip although of course it is up to the client to decide on how much they would like to give. This is presented by one of the group to the head baquiano at the end of the trip.

Day 1

Clients should aim to arrive into Punta Arenas at 15.30 hours.  BlueGreen Adventures will collect clients from the airport and drive them to a lovely authentic estancia,  home to the very comfortable Hosteria Rio Verde.  A fitting start to our Estancia Ride, the Hosteria and estancia is owned and run by a charming family who have converted some of their historic estancia buildings into comfortable guest accommodations.  Much of the renovation uses imaginatively recycled or locally produced materials and the rooms are all beautifully decorated and distinctive.  Food and service are excellent and clients can wander around the small villa  to see the buildings making up this working farm.  Dinner included (excluding drinks).  Trip briefing over dinner.
NB: Clients arriving early (or spending extra time in Punta Arenas) will be collected from a pre-arranged meeting point in town at 3 p.m.   Clients arriving late will need to cover their transfer cost to the estancia:  $75 per vehicle which can be arranged in advance.    Transfer time: approx 1 hour.

Day 2 Today we are going to be starting our drive across the wide open pampas and land belonging to some of the huge estancias in this area towards the Torres del Paine National Park.  After a short lunch stop in Puerto Natales, where clients can choose from a variety of restaurants and cafes, we will continue on towards the Torres del paine National Park.  Our destination is the beautiful estancia and hosteria known as Tres Pasos.  A still working estancia the property consists of a number of estancia buildings, pretty gardens and lovely views down a beautiful valley.  There will be a chance to unpack and relax a little before meeting our horses for an afternoon introductory ride in the vicinity of the estancia.  Riders will be have a chance to adjust to the style of riding and tack.  After a relaxing ride, we will return to the hotel for dinner in the lovely restaurant.  Most of the food in this delightful family run establishment is home produced.  Dinner included (excluding wine/drinks).  Driving time: 4 hours.
Day 3 Today after breakfast,  riders will once again be saddling up for the first full day’s ride.  We will be heading north west to the outpost town of Cerro Castillo.  This is a beautiful open ride across grassy meadows and welcoming pampas.  Riding towards the mountain range named after our destination we will enjoy the dramatic mountain and lake views.  We will also have some opportunities for our first long canters on our responsive and comfortable horses.  A picnic lunch will be taken in one of the pretty valleys before continuing on to the lovely converted estancia house, Hosteria el Pionero.  Surrounded by the customary layer of trees offering protection from the wind, this villa was built by settlers to Tierra del Fuego at the beginning of the century and will be our home for the night.  Once home to one of the most important and influential estancieros in the region it offers comfortable accommodation and an excellent restaurant offering a variety of typical local foods and international cuisine.  The fireside bar is an excellent place to enjoy a pisco sour whilst getting to know the rest of the group.  Comfortable ensuite accommodation (some rooms with fireplaces).  Dinner in the comfortable restaurant (meal included, except wine/drinks).    Hours in the saddle: 6-7.
Day 4 After breakfast, we will be joining our horses for today’s beautiful ride into the Park itself.  The ride starts with some more fabulous pampas riding towards the famous peaks of the Torres del Paine National Park.  We should spot some large guanaco herds in this area as it’s a very popular summer grazing area.  Nandus (Darwins rhea) too are often seeing running across the pampas with their young in tow.  The views during today’s ride are spectacular.  We will ride around Lake Sarmiento, a beautiful turquoise blue lake with a dramatic mountain backdrop and through some lovely southern beech forests.  Lunch will be taken lakeside before riding on to our destination beside Laguna Verde.  We should see condors nesting in the rocky hills and plenty of other birdlife on the lakeshores and meadows.  As we ride the final section through a pretty forest, we will see the traditional red roofs of the lovely Estancia Lazo come into view.  Our base for 2 nights, this very comfortable converted Estancia situated beside this pretty tranquil lake offers  splendid views, great food and comfortable accommodation.  The lake shore is a great place to stroll spotting the wild geese and ducks bobbing in the water.  Dinner will be in the restaurant offering an excellent variety of local foods and wine.  Dinner included (excluding wine/drinks).  Hours in the saddle: 6-7. 
Day 5 After breakfast today's ride takes us north east past the beautiful azure waters of Lago Sarmiento onto the wide open pampas belonging to various estancias in the area.  Lots of great mountain views and lovely long canters. Depending on the water levels, there are also some exciting river crossings on this route. After a picnic lunch on the trail, we will cross the Rio de las Chinas before crossing onto the land belonging to Estancia Tercera Barranca.  We will be basing ourselves here for 2 nights and can relax in this beautifully situated, authentic estancia.  Pisco sours will be served in the living room while dinner is prepared.  Great views of the Towers.  Dinner included (excluding wine/drinks).  Hours in the saddle: 5-6.

Day 6 After saddling up we will set off on our exciting ride west towards the Torres and Lago Paine.  Just before Laguna Azul we head north towards Laguna Stokes where a large natural vega or pasture exists.  This area attracts wild criollos from the surrounding hills to graze in the summer.  There will be many excellent photo opportunities on this route as we pass through forests, pastures and the lake where Lady Florence Dixie first camped having sighted the Towers.   Afternoon return to Estancia Tercera.  Dinner included (excluding wine/drinks).  Hours in the saddle: 5-6.

Day 7 A fter a filling and wholesome breakfast we will be going out to the coral to prepare for the day's adventure. Today we will be moving between 40 and 60 horses onto their winter grazing. With the help of the baqueanos, we will be herding horses across pampas, valleys, rivers and mountain trails. Because of the speed of this ride, we will be changing horses often - simply swapping our tack from one mount to another. To the accompanying chorus of whistles and shouts from the local horsemen, we will be driving the horses forward whilst observing and rounding up strays and wanderers. A hard day's ride but what a privilege! Watching loose horses canter across valleys or splash through rivers with the fabulous Paine Massif behind is is an incredible, unforgettable experience. After our long day's ride we will be settling into our comfy accommodation beside the Serrano River. A well deserved dinner and rest for all! (Drinks excluded). Hours in the saddle: 7-9.
Day 8 Far from being over, our adventure continues! After breakfast we will saddle up for the fast pampas ride to Grey Lake. Our view will be dominated by the huge granite peaks of the massif as we ride out along the Grey River to the largest Glacier in the park, Glacier Grey. After crossing the swinging footbridge, we will take a walk down to Grey Beach for a memorable view of the Glacier and huge icebergs floating in the grey waters of this lake. For those who are interested there's an optional boat ride across this iceberg-choked lake towards the face of this spectacular Glacier (this boat is very weather reliant and costs $70 per person for the three hour boat ride). If the boat isn't running or for those clients who prefer to stay ashore, there's plenty of opportunities for hiking, taking pictures or walking the short distance to Hosteria Lago Grey to enjoy some fireside pisco sours. After this exciting day we'll rejoin our horses for a lovely long canter across the pampas to our hotel at the Serrano River. Hours in the saddle: 5-6.
Day 9 After a leisurely breakfast we will transfer to Punta Arenas via Puerto Natales.  We will have time in Natales to shop for souvenirs or postcards and there is a wide choice of restaurants and cafes in which to enjoy lunch.  After lunch we will be visiting the fascinating burrowing Magellanic penguins at their colony in Otway Sound (situated about 1 hour from Punta Arenas).  There will be plenty of time to wander amongst these cute animals before continuing onto Punta Arenas and our final hotel night at the Hotel Chalet Chapital.  Lunch/Dinner not included.   Transfer time: 5.5 hours with Penguins. 
Day 10 Taxi to airport or onward travel.

This end of season ride incorporating a fabulous one day horse drive is now becoming more popular.  In 2007 and 2008 we will continue with pretty much the same itinerary and with luck on our side, the route will go according to plan with us moving the horses into the Park (as opposed to the other way round).  This really does make for some awesome sights as you ride due west from the Estancia with the loose horses ahead of you and the mountains dominating the horizon. 
As with the standard Estancia Ride, we will start at Hosteria Rio Verde for a night at this gorgeous estancia before continuing in to our home stay accommodation at Las Chinas.  From there it is on to Tercera with a ride up to the Laguna Stokes area where we hope to see the wild Criollos.  Then we continue on with the loose horses for an exciting day driving them into the Park in the company of the baqueanos before riding on to the Serrano River where we enjoy a well deserved rest.  This will also give us a day to ride out to Lago Grey and see the immense Grey Glacier (boat trip optional).  Then we ascend the steep incline of the Sierra del Toro before continuing through forests and valleys to the lovely Estancia Lazo.  We will base ourselves here for 2 nights giving us an opportunity to ride up to the lovely Mirador, where we are very likely to be riding through snow at this time of the year.   

A great end of season ride when the trails can be beautifully quiet.

Torres del Paine has a milder and drier microclimate than the surrounding areas of Patagonia because of some unique geological features. The weather however is famously unpredictable and it is possible to experience four seasons in the course of a few hours! Average daily temperatures vary but in summer one can expect 10 - 20 degrees Celsius with the occasional hot day of 25 degrees. Temperatures can drop to zero at night and high winds are common in this area. Although you can never be sure of how Paine will treat its guests, we ask that clients are prepared (both mentally and physically) for unpredictable and sometimes challenging weather conditions and that you pack accordingly. Good waterproofs (top to toe) are essential.

Equipment: On our Camping trips clients are required to bring a sleeping bag (on Estancia Ride these are provided for the two nights in refugios but clients might like to bring a sleeping sheet) and for our camping trips they should also bring a mat. The sleeping bag should be 3 or 4 season and should be carried in an effective stuff sack. We can rent sleeping bags and mats to guests and you should indicate this at the time of booking. For those clients renting a sleeping bag, we recommend you bring a sleeping bag inner (available in silk, cotton and fleece) for your comfort and hygiene.
Waterproof stuff sacks are supplied to each client for the duration of the trip (the size of an average 60 litre backpack/3,200 cubic inches and is sufficient for the demands of the trip). This enables clients’ belongings to be packed comfortable, safely and drily onto the pack horses. Excess luggage not required for the trip can be stored either at the client’s hotel in Punta Arenas or with us in Puerto Natales

Accommodation is in comfortable, authentic and welcoming lodges and estancias.

Day 1 Hosteria Rio Verde
Day 2.Estancia  Tres Pasos.
Day 3 Hosteria el Pionero
Day 4 Estancia Lazo
Day 5 Estancia Tercera Barranca
Day 6 Estancia Tercera.
Day 7 Hotel beside the Serrano River
Day 8 Hotel beside the Serrano River
day 9 Hotel Chalet Chapital

Accommodation is comfortable, authentic, cozy and welcoming – all of it having been chosen for its beautiful location, great view and cultural appeal.

Meals will be eaten in the restaurant or with the family.  Food will consist of lamb, beef, chicken or salmon with fresh vegetables or salad accompanied by rice or potatoes.  Wine and beer is available at a reasonable cost throughout the trip.  Lunches will be prepared by clients at breakfast and packed in our saddle bags and will consist of sandwiches (tuna, cheese, salami, ham, peanut butter etc), fresh fruit, nuts and snacks and biscuits/chocolate.  Clients are required to look after their own lunch boxes. The restaurants in the Refugios offer a lively atmosphere and wholesome food.  Vegetarian options are also available.  Breakfast will include toast, coffee, cereal, ham/cheese, bread rolls and juice and occasionally eggs. 

Suitability: This riding tour suits experienced riders who wish to combine some local flavour and comfy accommodations with their outdoor riding adventure. It is designed for those who prefer not to camp. Accommodation is in comfortable, authentic and welcoming lodges and estancias.

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Horses:  The horses are Criollo-cross. Descendants of the Spanish Barb and Arab, the Criollo is a sturdy, sure-footed and willing ride.and vary in size with the majority being between 14.0 and 15.2 hands. They are strong, fit, willing and sure-footed. We are able to provide good horses for both experienced riders and for riders who are more novice or a bit ‘rusty’. The pace of the ride will be adjusted to suit the majority of riders but as we always travel with more than one riding guide, there is great deal of flexibility and riders soon find their own pace for the trip. Riders are not responsible for grooming or tack. 

Tack: The tack is Chilean and comprises of metal framed saddles onto which is layered felt, sheepskin and leather. Rope, rawhide and leather form the bridles, girths, straps etc. The saddles provide adequate comfort for the long days riding and the stirrups consist of a leather cup through which the foot cannot pass. Most of the horses are ridden in simple snaffles. Halters are worn throughout the ride with rope tied around the horse’s neck to tie up at lunch stops/rest stops etc. 
Saddles are western style and very comfortable

Pace: Must be comfortable riding at a fast pace - the horse moving day is fast and long.

Tack:		Chillean metal framed saddles onto which is layered felt, sheepskin and leather.
Horses:		Criollo-cross 14.0 and 15.2 hands.
Pace:		This is a fast paced ride with long riding days. Fitness exeperience essential. No beginner riders please! | Walk | Trot | Canter | Gallop |
Level:		(3.5 to 4 out of 5)    Good Intermediate+
Age:		Min 12	Max 70
Weight:		Max 210
Riders:		Min 7	Max 12

Horses:  The horses are Criollo-cross. Descendants of the Spanish Barb and Arab, the Criollo is a sturdy, sure-footed and willing ride.and vary in size with the majority being between 14.0 and 15.2 hands. They are strong, fit, willing and sure-footed. We are able to provide good horses for both experienced riders and for riders who are more novice or a bit ‘rusty’. The pace of the ride will be adjusted to suit the majority of riders but as we always travel with more than one riding guide, there is great deal of flexibility and riders soon find their own pace for the trip. Riders are not responsible for grooming or tack. 

Tack: The tack is Chilean and comprises of metal framed saddles onto which is layered felt, sheepskin and leather. Rope, rawhide and leather form the bridles, girths, straps etc. The saddles provide adequate comfort for the long days riding and the stirrups consist of a leather cup through which the foot cannot pass. Most of the horses are ridden in simple snaffles. Halters are worn throughout the ride with rope tied around the horse’s neck to tie up at lunch stops/rest stops etc. 
Saddles are western style and very comfortable

Pace: Must be comfortable riding at a fast pace - the horse moving day is fast and long.

Passports
Passport valid for at least six months required by nationals referred to in the chart.
Passport Note
Passports issued to children must contain a photo and state the nationality.

Visas
Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except the following:
(a) 1. nationals of Greece for up to 60 days and nationals of Romania for up to 30 days.
(b) transit passengers continuing their journey on the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding required travel documents for onward destination and not leaving the airport transit lounge.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).
Visa Note
2. Nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA entering Chile for touristic purposes will be charged a processing fee payable on arrival and in cash only. For nationals of  Australia, the fee is US$56; for nationals of Canada, the fee is US$132; and for nationals of the USA, the fee is US$100 .