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Ride out with the famous cowboys of the south
Owing to its authentic style and ambience, we include Estancia Tercera on a number of our trips in and around Torres del Paine.
We are also pleased to offer two fully inclusive riding-based programmes to suit novice or experience riders wanting to further explore these wild Patagonian landscapes on horseback while learning about the customs and history of the cowboys who live here.
Accommodation
This rustic ranch with a friendly and cosy atmosphere sleeps just 14 guests in 7 pretty bedrooms in the casa patronal (main house). Accommodation consists of: 2 doubles; 3 twins each with private bathroom; 1 twin with shared bathroom and a Patagonian caravana suitable for a single person with private bathroom.
Facilities include: Central heating; large, light living room for relaxation/reading with comfortable sofas, log fire and tall floor to ceiling windows taking full advantage of the incredible views to the west; bar area for enjoying pisco sours and local wines.
Outside there are buildings associated with the farm together with a traditional quincho where guests can enjoy a lamb asado. This very Patagonian method of cooking involves organic lamb being cooked outside on an open fire which produces a mouth watering flavour and intensely succulent meat. The lamb is then served with a simple green salad and home grown potatoes, all washed down with some of Chile's renowned vino tinto.
Meals are taken in the attached dining room also with spectacular views of the Towers. Here the estancia staff will take great care of you. Organic meat and produce, home baked breads and pastries, fresh jams and preserves made with fruit from the garden and lots of tasty Chilean cooking. The estancia also stocks a selection of wine and beer and of course the local pisco sour drink.
Traditional gaucho barbeques under the stars are arranged on a regular basis.
Fully Inclusive Riding Programmes NEW
Baguales Ride (5 days)
A unique, exciting and authentic immersion into the real life of the elusive South American gaucho. Witness life on a Patagonian ranch in this gargantuan landscape. Spend four magical days living as a gaucho as you ride out to remote puestos and granite filled landscapes on your trusty Criollo horse. Learn the local customs, hear the local stories and eat the local food.
Day 1: Meet in Puerto Natales. Transfer to Estancia.
Riders will meet in the small town of Puerto Natales. Those arriving by bus will be met at the bus terminal and taken to a waterside cafe where everyone is briefed. After jumping in the van you will be taken to Estancia Tercera, a journey of approximately two hours passing typical Patagonian landscapes and houses. Towards the end of the journey you will be faced with the dramatic mountains of the Paine Massif, these peaks will become your constant companion during the exciting days to come.
Arriving at the Estancia you will have time to explore the grounds with your guide on hand to answer any questions. The rooms in the main house are spacious and very comfortable, each with a private bathroom. Dinner tonight will be in the 'quincho' an outdoor BBQ area specially adapted to the wild Patagonian weather.
Day 2: Ride out to Laguna Azul. Return to Estancia.
After a hearty breakfast of homemade bread prepared by your hostess the charming Carmen, you will collect your packed lunch and walk out to the nearby coral to meet your horses, the legendary Criollos. The Criollo horses are descendants of the first horses brought to South America by the Spanish. Sure-footed, responsive and strong they are built for the rugged terrain prevalent in and around Torres del Paine. After assigning horses to riders you will enjoy a safety briefing and an introduction to the local style of riding.
Today the going is gentle as you ride to the jaw-dropping blue waters of Laguna Azul. Framed by the famous Towers of Paine the glittering waters of the lagoon are captivating. We will spend some time walking along the lake beach and enjoying the views before continuing our exciting ride across the pampas with lots of opportunities for trotting, cantering and for those who want to, galloping.
The ride crosses rivers and skirts the edge of the Blue Lagoon where your guide will find a suitably quiet spot for lunch. After a delicious lunch you will head back to the Estancia via another route where you will have the opportunity to spot flora and fauna of the area.
Tonight dinner is served in the quincho and you can talk to your guide and horsemen, the baqueanos. You will also find a welcome hot tub to ease away any aches and pains while you admire the incredible mountain views.
All meals included.
Day 3: Ride out into the wild pampas with the gauchos.
After breakfast you will once again meet at the coral before mounting your trusty steed for a full day's ride in and around the Estancia. You should witness plenty of natural flora and fauna today as well as sheep and maybe lambs depending on the time of year. You will learn what it is like to live and work on the Estancias in Chilean Patagonia as you chat to the baqueanos. Many of these horsemen have worked these lands for generations. In addition to the wealth of knowledge they possess regarding horses and farming, they have infinite stories to tell.
After lunch with your new friends you will may be be invited to try the local herbal infusion, mate (pronounced matay). Drinking mate is more about the gathering and sharing of tales than the drinking of this bitter infusion. It is a chance for the men to discuss the woes that a hard life in the campo entails. The drink provides many minerals and vitamins which can be lacking due to the remote way of life. It helps to restore the body after a long day riding in the sometimes challenging climate.
In the evening you will be served dinner in the quincho. All meals included.
Day 4: Ride out to the arid mountain ranges to the north.
After breakfast your private transfer will be waiting for you at the Estancia to drive you out to the end of the mystical Route 9, a journey into an arid, mountain landscape known as the Baguales and La Cumbre mountain ranges. This area is little-known and is well off the beaten track.
Today you will experience new horses which are from a different Estancia, one that has over 40,000 sheep in its huge swath of land bordering Argentina. The mountains here are steep and rocky and seem to forbid anyone from entering.
The place was inhabited by the native Indians and there are many arrow heads and artefacts that have been found here. Recently archaeologists have uncovered dinosaur remains that are currently under protection while the studies take place. You can find smaller fossils in the area. Apart from not seeing another person for miles, you may bump into the odd gaucho but it is unlikely. You are more likely to hear the eery warning calls of the llama-like guanacos that live here and if you are lucky, you may see wild horses too. Our destination is the large rock formation high up in the wild mountains. The terrain is varied with vegetation on the lower slopes gradually turning to sand and rock up high. These upper rock formations perch near the sky forming strange shapes and a seemingly alien architecture.
If the weather allows this is where you will have lunch with a view that is hard to fathom. After lunch you will descend the mountains as your eyes take in the incredible landscape before you.
Your transfer will take you back to the Estancia where you will have some time to freshen up before the last night in the quincho and a final asado dinner which is a typical Patagonian BBQ with succulent fire roasted lamb, potatoes, salad and plenty of wine.
A perfect evening to round off this unforgettable experience of a few days in the life of a guacho!
Day 5: Transfer back to Puerto Natales after breakfast.
Today you will leave the Estancia and will take a private transfer back to Puerto Natales for your onward travel.
Price:
From $1,935 per person for a group of 8+ riders to $2,695 per person for a private 2-person trip.
Criollo Ride (4 days)
As above but with an Asado dinner on the evening of Day 3 and a transfer out on the morning of Day 4.
Price:
From $1,425 per person for a group of 8+ riders to $2,015 per person for a private 2-person trip.
In addition to the two trip options above we can adapt these estancia stays to suit families with riding and gaucho workshops for the children, lasoo classes and cowboy camp outs. Contact us for information and ideas.
We are also pleased to offer two fully inclusive riding-based programmes to suit novice or experience riders wanting to further explore these wild Patagonian landscapes on horseback while learning about the customs and history of the cowboys who live here.
Accommodation
This rustic ranch with a friendly and cosy atmosphere sleeps just 14 guests in 7 pretty bedrooms in the casa patronal (main house). Accommodation consists of: 2 doubles; 3 twins each with private bathroom; 1 twin with shared bathroom and a Patagonian caravana suitable for a single person with private bathroom.
Facilities include: Central heating; large, light living room for relaxation/reading with comfortable sofas, log fire and tall floor to ceiling windows taking full advantage of the incredible views to the west; bar area for enjoying pisco sours and local wines.
Outside there are buildings associated with the farm together with a traditional quincho where guests can enjoy a lamb asado. This very Patagonian method of cooking involves organic lamb being cooked outside on an open fire which produces a mouth watering flavour and intensely succulent meat. The lamb is then served with a simple green salad and home grown potatoes, all washed down with some of Chile's renowned vino tinto.
Meals are taken in the attached dining room also with spectacular views of the Towers. Here the estancia staff will take great care of you. Organic meat and produce, home baked breads and pastries, fresh jams and preserves made with fruit from the garden and lots of tasty Chilean cooking. The estancia also stocks a selection of wine and beer and of course the local pisco sour drink.
Traditional gaucho barbeques under the stars are arranged on a regular basis.
Fully Inclusive Riding Programmes NEW
Baguales Ride (5 days)
A unique, exciting and authentic immersion into the real life of the elusive South American gaucho. Witness life on a Patagonian ranch in this gargantuan landscape. Spend four magical days living as a gaucho as you ride out to remote puestos and granite filled landscapes on your trusty Criollo horse. Learn the local customs, hear the local stories and eat the local food.
Day 1: Meet in Puerto Natales. Transfer to Estancia.
Riders will meet in the small town of Puerto Natales. Those arriving by bus will be met at the bus terminal and taken to a waterside cafe where everyone is briefed. After jumping in the van you will be taken to Estancia Tercera, a journey of approximately two hours passing typical Patagonian landscapes and houses. Towards the end of the journey you will be faced with the dramatic mountains of the Paine Massif, these peaks will become your constant companion during the exciting days to come.
Arriving at the Estancia you will have time to explore the grounds with your guide on hand to answer any questions. The rooms in the main house are spacious and very comfortable, each with a private bathroom. Dinner tonight will be in the 'quincho' an outdoor BBQ area specially adapted to the wild Patagonian weather.
Day 2: Ride out to Laguna Azul. Return to Estancia.
After a hearty breakfast of homemade bread prepared by your hostess the charming Carmen, you will collect your packed lunch and walk out to the nearby coral to meet your horses, the legendary Criollos. The Criollo horses are descendants of the first horses brought to South America by the Spanish. Sure-footed, responsive and strong they are built for the rugged terrain prevalent in and around Torres del Paine. After assigning horses to riders you will enjoy a safety briefing and an introduction to the local style of riding.
Today the going is gentle as you ride to the jaw-dropping blue waters of Laguna Azul. Framed by the famous Towers of Paine the glittering waters of the lagoon are captivating. We will spend some time walking along the lake beach and enjoying the views before continuing our exciting ride across the pampas with lots of opportunities for trotting, cantering and for those who want to, galloping.
The ride crosses rivers and skirts the edge of the Blue Lagoon where your guide will find a suitably quiet spot for lunch. After a delicious lunch you will head back to the Estancia via another route where you will have the opportunity to spot flora and fauna of the area.
Tonight dinner is served in the quincho and you can talk to your guide and horsemen, the baqueanos. You will also find a welcome hot tub to ease away any aches and pains while you admire the incredible mountain views.
All meals included.
Day 3: Ride out into the wild pampas with the gauchos.
After breakfast you will once again meet at the coral before mounting your trusty steed for a full day's ride in and around the Estancia. You should witness plenty of natural flora and fauna today as well as sheep and maybe lambs depending on the time of year. You will learn what it is like to live and work on the Estancias in Chilean Patagonia as you chat to the baqueanos. Many of these horsemen have worked these lands for generations. In addition to the wealth of knowledge they possess regarding horses and farming, they have infinite stories to tell.
After lunch with your new friends you will may be be invited to try the local herbal infusion, mate (pronounced matay). Drinking mate is more about the gathering and sharing of tales than the drinking of this bitter infusion. It is a chance for the men to discuss the woes that a hard life in the campo entails. The drink provides many minerals and vitamins which can be lacking due to the remote way of life. It helps to restore the body after a long day riding in the sometimes challenging climate.
In the evening you will be served dinner in the quincho. All meals included.
Day 4: Ride out to the arid mountain ranges to the north.
After breakfast your private transfer will be waiting for you at the Estancia to drive you out to the end of the mystical Route 9, a journey into an arid, mountain landscape known as the Baguales and La Cumbre mountain ranges. This area is little-known and is well off the beaten track.
Today you will experience new horses which are from a different Estancia, one that has over 40,000 sheep in its huge swath of land bordering Argentina. The mountains here are steep and rocky and seem to forbid anyone from entering.
The place was inhabited by the native Indians and there are many arrow heads and artefacts that have been found here. Recently archaeologists have uncovered dinosaur remains that are currently under protection while the studies take place. You can find smaller fossils in the area. Apart from not seeing another person for miles, you may bump into the odd gaucho but it is unlikely. You are more likely to hear the eery warning calls of the llama-like guanacos that live here and if you are lucky, you may see wild horses too. Our destination is the large rock formation high up in the wild mountains. The terrain is varied with vegetation on the lower slopes gradually turning to sand and rock up high. These upper rock formations perch near the sky forming strange shapes and a seemingly alien architecture.
If the weather allows this is where you will have lunch with a view that is hard to fathom. After lunch you will descend the mountains as your eyes take in the incredible landscape before you.
Your transfer will take you back to the Estancia where you will have some time to freshen up before the last night in the quincho and a final asado dinner which is a typical Patagonian BBQ with succulent fire roasted lamb, potatoes, salad and plenty of wine.
A perfect evening to round off this unforgettable experience of a few days in the life of a guacho!
Day 5: Transfer back to Puerto Natales after breakfast.
Today you will leave the Estancia and will take a private transfer back to Puerto Natales for your onward travel.
Price:
From $1,935 per person for a group of 8+ riders to $2,695 per person for a private 2-person trip.
Criollo Ride (4 days)
As above but with an Asado dinner on the evening of Day 3 and a transfer out on the morning of Day 4.
Price:
From $1,425 per person for a group of 8+ riders to $2,015 per person for a private 2-person trip.
In addition to the two trip options above we can adapt these estancia stays to suit families with riding and gaucho workshops for the children, lasoo classes and cowboy camp outs. Contact us for information and ideas.
Ride out onto the Pampas
Become a wrangler
Fireside living room
Pretty bedrooms
Local hospitality
