A Half Day on Horseback · 40 Minutes from Puerto Natales
Horseback with a Gaucho
Climb from the forest to a ridge above the laguna with a gaucho born in this country, on horses that suit the rider — never more than two couples out at a time.
Half day · morning or afternoon · only four saddles per departure
At a Glance
A half day in the saddle, in short.
Duration
About four hours, close to three of them on horseback
Morning ride
Picked up at 9:30 AM, back around 1:30 PM
Afternoon ride
Picked up at 3:30 PM, back around 7:30 PM
Where
A working estancia 40 km from Puerto Natales
The route
Around 13 km, from flat ground and water crossings to a ridge viewpoint
Effort
Low. No riding experience needed, and the climb is done at walking pace
Group size
Four saddles — two couples at most, with one gaucho
Season
10 October to 20 April, departing daily
Included
Transfers both ways, safety gear, your gaucho, and mate with a snack on return
The Pace of the Horse
A horse changes what you notice, and how long the hours feel.
On foot you watch the ground. In a car the landscape goes past too quickly to enter. From the saddle you travel at a cadence that puts you in the present: the branch coming up, the depth of the stream ahead, the bird that crosses the ravine. The horse already knows the route, which leaves you free to look — and the route itself is old: these are the trails the gauchos have ridden here for generations.
The country here is wide enough that the space gets into the body. Riders come down talking about a feeling of openness they did not expect to find on a horse.
Gallery
From the hotel door to the ridge and back.
Picked up at your hotel
Meeting your gaucho and your horse
Flat ground and the stream crossings
Meet Your Host
The gaucho who rides with you.
Felipe was born in this country. Here he tells you, in his own words, what the ride is and what you will see from the saddle. Subtitled in English.
Before You Book
The questions we are asked most.
Do I need riding experience?
What is included?
What is not included?
How many people ride together?
When does this ride run?
Is there a weight limit?
I only have one free day. Why this and not the park?
Will I have a phone signal?
What should I bring?
What if the weather changes?
Who will be with me after I book?
What is the cancellation policy?
What Riders Say
What comes up first, every time.
Almost always the horses. Riders describe them as calm, steady and unbothered — the reason people who had never been on a horse say they relaxed within the first twenty minutes, and why anyone who rides at home finds the climb genuinely enjoyable rather than led around.
After the horses, the gaucho. Guests talk about how much they learned in four hours: the trails, the herding posts, how the animals are worked. Several say they expected a scenic ride and came back having understood how this country is actually lived in.
The horses
Sure-footed on the climb and the descent, and settled enough that first-time riders stop holding on and start looking around.
The view from the top
The ridge over the laguna is the photograph people send afterwards, and on a clear day the Paine massif is there on the horizon.
Half a day, well spent
Riders are back in town with the rest of the day intact, which is why several book it on the morning of a travel day.
Download the brochure
Information about the ride
The route stage by stage, both departure times, what the four hours involve, what is included and what to bring.
Concierge Service
Your local connection, throughout your stay
When you travel with Hub Patagonia, our support extends beyond the experience itself. Throughout your time in Puerto Natales you can reach us directly for considered local recommendations — where to have dinner, where to find wool worth taking home, how to spend a windy afternoon.
Ready to see this country from a saddle?
If something is still unclear, ask us before you book.
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