This ride was designed for those who believe that horseback and comfort can come together in natural and beautiful scenery. This trail is aptly named after the Argentinian countrymen or "tropero" who, many years ago, herded cattle along the paths which stretch for many miles through Corrientes. At this time the horse was Argentina's most important working tool. The estancias encountered along the way provided the tropero with accommodation and a hearty meal. This trail allows you to follow the paths of the Tropero, cover the same diverse landscape and view the same breathtaking scenery with the welcome addition of luxury comforts and sumptuous cuisine.

This trail leads you through the most diverse of landscapes including lagoons, forests, pampas, marshes, rivers and dunes. In addition to this Corrientes offers an array of flora and fauna, the attentive observer will see nandues, capybaras, foxes, rabbits, alligators and a great variety of birds.

Itinerary

Day 1:

You will be greeted in Esquina by a representative and transferred to the Estancia. You will have time for breakfast and some free time. Before lunch you will meet the horses and have a short test ride to ensure you are happy with the horse chosen for you. Lunch and tea whilst you meet the people who will be joining you on the trail. The perfect chance to get to know each other and share in your excitement of the adventure that lies ahead.

There will be free time for you to spend as you wish before, also with the option of playing some polo before dinner is served in the evening; which, without doubt, will be a culinary celebration of Argentinian cuisine.

Day 2: Estancia base to "La Amistad"

After breakfast you will embark on the first stage of "Los Troperos", taking you from the Estancia to La Amistad (around three hours). On the way you will stop for lunch and a rest. Lunch today will consist of roast lamb and vegetables whilst sitting by a big lagoon. Following this delicious meal you will rest in Paraguayan hammocks. You then saddle up your horse and continue crossing the vast open plain for around three hours to arrive at Estancia La Amistad. The evening consists of a massage session, dinner and accommodation in Estancia La Amistad.

Day 3: "La Amistad" to "Buena Vista"

After breakfast you will ride from La Amistad to Estancia Buena Vista. You embark on a three our journey with the main landscape being big lagoons. Today it is possible to see capybaras and alligators. You will stop for lunch en-route for a picnic in an abandoned cattle station and rest. Your ride continues for around two hours before arriving at Estancia Buena Vista. You will be welcomed by tea, free time and a chance to relax by the swimming-pool. Dinner and accommodation in Estancia Buena Vista.

Day 4: "Buena Vista" to "La Teresita"

After breakfast you will embark on a three and a half hour journey to “Estancia La Teresita”. Today offers rides through forestations, sandy grounds and picturesque rural routes having the chance to see the genuine local life, crossing groups of cows and meeting gauchos from the local area.

You will stop for lunch in a traditional “Boliche de campo Correntino” (type of country bar in Corrientes). There is also a local Pulpería (type of general store where you can also have something to drink and eat). You will continue your ride for approximately three hours before you arrive at “Estancia La Teresita”.

During the evening there are two options: 1) Ride on horse a sulky under the moonlight or 2) Visit to a “boliche de campo” (type of country bar) where local people buy their basic supplies or have something to drink. Accommodation and dinner is at La Teresita.

Day 5: "La Amistad" - back to base

From La Amistad you will go out to the Corrientes River. You will stop for lunch at the bank of the Corrientes River “Carrera de sortijas”. You return back at La Teresita. You will then take a return journey back to base by van. You will receive dinner back at base accompanied by a regional folk group. Landscape of the day: native forests, lagoons, pampa (extensive plain) and the Corrientes River. You will ride for approximately 1 hour 45 in the morning and 1 hour 45 in the afternoon.

It is now time to say your goodbyes and thank your host and horse. You will be transferred out of the base to Esquina where you will emabark on your overnight journey back to Buenos Aires.

Please note this itinerary may vary subject to availability and other factors that may affect your route.

The Estancia and Gaucho Lifestyle programme is specially designed for those people who want to experience the real life of the gaucho and Argentine Estancias. This programme combines Country Labor, trail rides, Polo, and an excursion to the Paraná River.

Example Itinerary

Day 1:

You will be greeted in Esquina at the bus station by a representative and transferred to the Estancia. In the morning you will ride across the Corrientes gaucho plains in the area surrounding the estancia. A time allowing you to become accustomed to the horse that has been chosen for you, and of course, to ensure that you are happy with the choice. You will also go in search for spare horses to be used during your stay.

You will relax for lunch with some free time. After lunch you will have a short ride of around two hours to the nearest Estancia during which you will have your first canters and exhilarating gallops. Once you arrive at the lagoon you will enjoy tea at sunset. This is followed by dinner and free time.

Day 2:

Following breakfast you will embark on an early morning ride, going out to a forest of native trees to gather a group of cows and drive them back to the estancia yard this takes around 3 hours. Once you arrive back at the estancia you will enjoy lunch. Lunch will be followed by a demonstration of the use of the lasso and a practice session. The afternoon will be spent working on the Estancia yard with the gauchos. Duties will include; vaccinations, bathing, branding cattle, etc. After finishing the work on the yard, cows are returned to their pasture, this takes around 1 and a half hours. Dinner back at the Estancia.

Day 3:

Following breakfast you will head out by horseback to the town of Esquina, this takes around two hours. Lunch is in a restaurant that is typical of the area. Going out by barge to sail through the islands found between the Paraná and Corrientes Rivers and return at sunset. You will return back to the Estancia by van. On arrival you will have some free time before your delicious evening meal. Dinner will be accompanied by a regional musical group (only for three or more guests).

Day 4:

After breakfast you will ride out to a near rural town called “Libertador”, around three hours away. You will have lunch and time to relax in a picturesque “boliche de campo” (type of country bar) by an arm of the Barrancas River. In the afternoon you return to the Estancia by horse which takes around three hours. On arrival you will receive tea, free time and dinner.

Day 5:

After breakfast you learn the basic rules and hits of Polo. This is followed by a practice session and Polo match. This adrenaline rush is followed by lunch to refuel before another practice session and polo match. You will enjoy tea by the Polo field. There is free time to discuss your Polo abilities with the other guests before dinner. It's now time to say your goodbyes and thank your host and horse. You will be transferred out of the base to Esquina where you will emabark on your overnight journey back to Buenos Aires.

The Tailor Made Programme is an excellent option for those people who want to plan their holidays as they wish or who prefer planning them day by day. It offers a variety of different options for families who want to spend their holidays together, in close contact with nature. By having a variety of choices, it is easy to satisfy everybody without forgetting the idea of going on a family holiday.

In the case of couples, it often happens that couples or groups have a liking to a specific activities or their are non riding members of the group. Here you are offered a lot of activities giving you the opportunity to choose what you prefer to make an individual itinerary, so that all enjoy their stay.

Among the options they offer, you can choose from: cavalcades, labour with cows, watching birds, fishing, hunting, tango classes, massage sessions or simply enjoying the undisturbed peace and tranquility that only the countryside has for you. Remember that here you will always have the possibility to organise the activities with the Estancia owners.

You can ask us to prepare a tailor made holiday for you by telling us the purpose of your trip or those activities you are interested in or once you are in the Estancia you can decide how many days you want to spend doing a particular activity and so, together with the owners, you can plan what you do day by day. Please note, some activities need to be booked in advance.

Activities:

Working with the gauchos: (included in the price)

Having 2500 hectares of cattle production, the work with horses and cows is a daily activity. During your stay you may enjoy and even take part in the abilities of the “gauchos correntinos” (Estancia workers). Some of these activities include; driving cows and horses, branding, bathing, vaccinating them. You can also move away cows on horseback among other rural activities and sanitary labour. (There is no work with cows on Sundays).

Flora and Fauna: (included in the price)

The vast area of the region offers a great variety of wild life living together with cattle production. The province of Corrientes has 350 species of birds, that is, more than 30% of the total of birds you can see in Argentina. For those people who love birds we have specific programmes of bird watching.

Rides on horse or sulky – Cavalcades: (included in the price)

There are plenty of horses and they can offer you a horse to suit your needs and requirements from beginners to advanced riders. There are cavalcades for every taste, of different duration, through different landscapes and even under the moonlight. Cavalcades can last from 10 minutes up to almost all day long. Landscapes are diverse with forestation's, lagoons, mounts of wild trees and pampa (extensive plain). It is not necessary to know how to ride and those people who prefer it, may enjoy their ride on sulky. You can also take part in the care and management of these horses by bathing the horses after every cavalcade.

Polo - Tapping/Stick and Ball: (included in the price)

The Estancia has its own polo field for those people who want to practice this sport during their stay. They will provide you with horses, long-handled mallets, balls and protective helmets. If your desire is to learn how to play polo with a professor, we have special programmes with professors of 3/5/6 goal handicaps.

Bird Watching: (additional cost)

This excursion lasts all day long. For this activity they recommend to use a day and a half in order to watch from the three possible and different landscapes they offer. Birds of water, pampa and native forests. Watching birds with a guide has an additional cost.

Fishing on barges: (additional cost)

This is carried out in the Rivers Paraná and Corrientes. This excursion lasts all day long, they can also provide fishing equipment.

Other activities:

You can try your luck spending a night at the Casino (18 km from the Estancia). You can visit a nearby rural town, attend “carreras desortijas” (typical country race on horseback, where riders have to take a pending ring), visit typical regional parties, visit a cattle auction, a Carnival night, take tango or regional cuisine classes. Other alternatives are: spending relaxing moments in the swimming-pool under the sun or sharing a board game. A massage session is ideal to complete intense days. Live nights accompanied by a regional musical group at the estancia is another way to get to know the moments in Corrientes.

Tango classes: (additional cost)

Please note: It is necessary to book this activity in advance.

Polo classes: (additional cost)

You can take advantage of Polo classes much better if you take them individually.

This programme is designed for those who already play Polo or for those who want to learn and take their first steps in this sport. Come and enjoy Polo, this programme combines learning polo together with other activities on horse. It is a suitable option for men, women, groups of friends and even parents and children. You can learn to play it individually at any time of the year.

Day 1:

Arrival. There will be an introduction of the professor, the grooms and the assistants. There will be a short ride with the purpose of choosing horses for the duration of the stay. This introduction ride is followed by a tasty lunch. The afternoon starts with the first technical talk about the game, basic safety regulations, handing over of the game rules. This is followed by the first practice of Polo. After your initial adrenaline boost you will enjoy a tea/ aperitif by the polo field. There is free time before dinner.

Day 2:

After breakfast you head straight out to the Polo field for a practice before lunch. There will be another practice session and formation of the teams. Now you have been put into teams you will be ready for your first match of your holiday. Implementation of the basic safety regulations (See explanations). Tea/ Aperitif by the Polo field. Free time. Dinner.

Day 3:

Today you will ride in search for a group of cows close to the Estancia to carry out some labour work. You will separate the cows from calves on horseback and carry out management duties before herding the cows to their cattle ranch. This work is followed by a welcomed lunch. The afternoon is set aside for Polo practice and a match. Again you will enjoy tea/aperitif by the Polo field. Free time is followed by dinner accompanied by a regional musical group.

Day 4:

After breakfast you will build on your skills for a practice session and match. Lunch is followed by further practice and another match for another adrenaline fuelled afternoon. Tea/aperitif by the Polo field followed by a massage session. Tonight's dinner is followed by a night at the Casino.

Day 5:

After breakfast the morning is free. You will have the chance to take part in different activities suggested by people from the Estancia. Lunch is followed by an excursion on a barge along the Corrientes and Paraná Rivers. You will return at sunset and head back to the Estancia. Free time is followed by another tasty dinner.

Day 6:

After breakfast you will expand your skills and knowledge in today's practice session, followed by a match. Lunch is followed by further practice and another match for another adrenaline fuelled afternoon. Tea/aperitif by the Polo field followed by dinner.

Day 7:

After breakfast you will have your final chance to show off the skills you have learnt during your stay. A practice session is followed by a match. Lunch is followed by your final practice and final match where you will be determined to play your best. Tea/aperitif by the Polo field followed by a farewell dinner.

It is now time to say your goodbyes and thank your host and horse. You will be transferred out of the base to Esquina where you will emabark on your overnight journey back to Buenos Aires.