Day 1
Riding: No riding.
You will be met upon arrival at Salta airport and transferred to your 4 star hotel in downtown Salta. This afternoon you are free to rest or explore the town. In the evening you will have dinner at a typical Pena, where guitarists play traditional folklore music whilst you dine on regional food and wine. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 2
Riding: 2 hours
Early in the morning, you will be picked up at the hotel and head to Chicoana, in the heart of the Lerma Valley. You will visit the
facilities of Capilla San Pedro or Casa de la Tradición, where you will meet the horses you will be sharing your adventure with.
You will have the opportunity to have a ride so you can choose and familiarize yourself with your horse. Lunch today will be a traditional Argentine barbecue then you will have some free time in the afternoon.
Dinner this evening will be in a typical local restaurant, and you will stay in a charming boutique hotel in Chicoana. Get a good night’s rest; tomorrow, the adventure begins.
Day 3
Riding: 4 - 6 hours
After breakfast you'll be transferred to meet your horses, either at the equestrian centre or at San Pedro Chapel. Start your trail and ascend uphill to 2400m from where you will feel you can touch the clouds. Stop for a light 'campero' lunch whilst enjoying the view of contrasting landscapes and then continue your ride to Quebrada de Escoipe. Here you will leave the horses and transfer to Chicoana to overnight. Dinner will be taken in a traditional Criollo restaurant.
Day 4
Riding: 4 - 6 hours
After breakfast, you are transferred back to Quebrada de Escoipe to be reunited with your horses. Set off riding through the heart of the canyon, surrounded by multi-coloured mountains. Follow horse trails to reach Isonza, a little village lost in time. Stop for lunch and then continue riding along sandy rivers and ravines around Isonza. In the late afternoon you reach the house of the Tolaba family where your transfer vehicle is waiting to take you to Cachi. Dinner and overnight at a 3 star hotel.
Day 5
Riding: 8 - 9 hours
Today, a challenging and magnificent day awaits you: an 8-to-9-hour horseback ride crossing Los Cardones National Park.
Your hosts will transfer you to Isonza, where the horses will be waiting to start the journey.
Among majestic centenary cacti, you will spot guanacos and other native species. You will be met along the ride where the team will meet you with snacks before continuing towards Cachi.
At the end of the day, you will settle into the hotel for a memorable dinner at a local restaurant or at the hotel itself - this place is very special and will leave you speechless.
Day 6
Riding: No riding.
Non-riding day as you explore Cachi. Walk around the cobbled streets and admire the colonial architecture of the main plaza, central church and cabildo, with the mountains as a backdrop. Visit the Pio Pablo Diaz archaeological museum to see important pieces of aboriginal culture, archaeological ruins and handicraft works. You will also visit a local winery at Finca la Paya or Bodega Isasmendi where they make artisanal wines. Have lunch in a restaurant. In the afternoon continue to explore Cachi and visit Cachi Adentro - the rural area surrounding the town where you can see local communities of indigenous origin who still farm for a living.
Tonight, you will enjoy a special dinner around a bonfire at the hotel before a good night's rest as tomorrow you will return to the saddle.
Day 7
Riding: 5 - 6 hours
After a hearty breakfast at your hotel, you continue your riding trail to the town of Seclantas in the heart of the Vallee Calchaquies. Along the route you'll see Inca ruins which give testimony to the many inhabitants of these lands. Stop for lunch near the mythical national route 40 which journeys the length of Argentina from south to north along the Andean cordillera.
After lunch you follow the Road of the Artisans to reach the town of Seclantas in the late afternoon. Visit this traditional village and head to Finca Montenieva, a lovely farm outside the town where you will stay and have a delicious homemade dinner with the farmers.
Day 8
Riding: 4 - 6 hours
After breakfast you continue your tour through the Calchaqui valley with its unique landscapes. At midday stop for a light lunch at the Brealito river. Afterwards, ride along canyons until reaching the Brealito lagoon and then continue to Molinos. There is time to visit the church where the remains of Isasmendi (the last Spanish royal governor in Salta) lay before heading out for dinner.
Day 9
Riding: No riding.
After breakfast you head off to explore the Calchaqui valley by vehicle. Head to San Carlos where you visit local farmers who raise animals and grow crops following ancient traditions. It was in San Carlos that the troops gathered to fight for independence. Continue your journey to Cafayate where you arrive around midday and visit some bodegas. The wines produced in Cafayate are internationally renowned for their quality and you can try different wines.
After lunch, explore the fascinating town of Cafayate including places like the canyons Quebrada de las Conchas and Garganta del Diablo, the ampitheatre and rock formations like El Sapo (the frog) that were shaped by the wind.
In the evening you head back to Salta and your hotel for a final dinner and overnight.
Day 10
Riding: No riding.
After breakfast you'll be transferred to Salta airport for your onward flight.
Note: All programmes and itineraries are weather dependent; in the face of adverse, or unexpected, weather conditions reasonable attempts will be made to provide equivalent riding. All programmes are accurate at the time of writing. However, the team may adapt or modify details, whilst aiming to provide a similar experience.
