Estancia Experience

Estancia Huechahue

Estancia Huechahue covers 15,000 acres in the foothills of the Andes. It is 1,000 miles SW of Buenos Aires, 45 miles E of San Martin de los Andes and 125 miles NE of Bariloche.
The Estancia is a working cattle ranch, very different from its origins as an Indian battleground - which is the meaning of the Indian word Huechahue. But there is still plenty of evidence of the Indian past to explore on horseback or on foot.
Its wild-life includes guanaco, rhea, red deer, wild boar, armadillos, black-necked swans, ibis, plovers, eagles, vultures, burrowing parrots and the Andean condor.
A holiday at Huechahue lets you enjoy the best of Argentine life on a working estancia in Northern Patagonia: horse-riding, fishing, rafting, swimming, tennis, bird-watching, exploring the history of the Mapuche Indians – all surrounded by traditional Argentine hospitality and the beautiful scenery of the Andean foothills.
As well as enjoying the wealth of visitor activities, guests are always welcome to join in with the everyday ranching if they wish; many guests find the self-sufficiency of the estancia fascinating.
The accommodation at the estancia is very comfortable. There are 2 guest houses, each has 3 twin bedded rooms with private bathrooms.

The Riding

You may choose to ride out every day from the Estancia or to co-ordinate your stay with one of the planned pack-trip departures into the fantastic Lanín National Park or to combine both in your stay.

Riding out from the Estancia, you can ride through barren rolling hills and along the narrow rocky gorges of the Andean streams. You can ride to the tops of the hills where the mighty Andes rise up behind you and the vastness of Patagonia stretches out before you. Watch condors and eagles as they float high above you. Gallop across water meadows or visit the Indian burial caves where Indian drawings can still be seen on the walls.

Or try your hand at working cattle with the gauchos. The amount and type of work with the cattle will depend on the season - in November and December there are the spring round ups and you may help the gauchos move the cattle to their summer grazing and again in April, help bring them home for the winter. You might also ride through the neighbouring Indian reservation; most of the tack is made on the reservations from rawhide produced on the Estancia so there is usually some negotiating to be done.

The riding program is tailored to the needs and abilities of those visiting the Estancia and is suitable for the expert horseman as well as the novice - providing you are reasonably fit and enjoy the outdoor life. There is scope for faster, more challenging riding when based at the Estancia.

A maximum of 12 riders visit at any one time. Most rides are led by your host and guide, Jane Williams, who is British and married into an Argentine family.

The horses are criollo crosses, part anglo-normando, of about 15.5 hh. They are bred and trained on the Estancia, are sure- footed and generally well behaved. They are neck-reined and the riding is similar to Western style. The saddles used are "montura de monte" which are similar to old English army saddles with a sheepskin on top.

The season for riding on the Estancia runs from early November to the end of April. However, groups of a minimum of 4 are also welcome at the Estancia during the months of August to October.

Pack Trip Itineraries

On pack trips, you will ride deep into Lanín National Park in the heart of the Andes. Here you ride through dense beech forests and bamboo thickets. From the tops of the ridges there are breath-taking views, in the valleys there are tumbling streams and undiscovered lakes. You ride through forests of the only indigenous Monkey Puzzle trees of the world and across lunar landscapes of black volcanic ash, a legacy of the recent volcanic activity in the area. The snow-capped volcano "Lanín" dominates the entire area.

Pack trips are between three and five days long. A minimum of four riders are needed for a pack-trip to run. You are required to have at least one day's riding on the estancia before leaving on a trek to ensure that you are happy with your horse, comfortable in your saddle and that the planned trek is one that you will enjoy.

Whilst on pack trips, you stay in two-man tents and good quality down sleeping bags are provided. The camp staff arranges all the setting up of camp, cooking and care of the horses.

Click to 8 day Itinerary

Click to 11 day itinerary

The Fishing

The estancia lies on the River Alumine which contains good populations of wild brown and rainbow trout. No supplemental stocking of hatchery fish is done. One to three pound trout are common and there are reasonable numbers of three to five pounders.
There is mostly wet, but some dry fly fishing. The fishing is on a catch and release basis. The season runs from mid-November to mid-April.

The Hunting

Red deer and wild boar can be hunted - both of European origin. The rutt is usually mid-March to end of April.