Patagonia Horseback Riding:
Futaleufu River Valley Trail Lite (4 days)
Patagonia Chile

Day 1: Saturday: Arrival and Introductions
Arrive at either of our entry points in Esquel, Argentina or Puerto Montt, Chile, the gateway cities to your Chile horseback riding vacation. Connect with our representative and travel to the remote riverside town of Futaleufu, surrounded by majestic mountains. You will find your accommodations at our comfortable native wood lodge, and unwind from your trip with a hearty welcome dinner at the Futaleufu Adventure Center.



Day 2: Sunday: Orientation & Las Escalas Valley
After breakfast and a morning orientation, you will get fit with a Chilean saddle, tack and Corralero horse. By mid-morning we will horseback ride downstream through green, rolling ranch land. Within several miles you will enter a deep, black rock gorge. The trail is cut into the side of the canyon giving you a birds-eye view of the agitated, radiant turquoise Futaleufu River below. Several miles later the gorge opens into the remote Las Escalas Valley. We will ride across this open area and enter an old growth temperate forest where we will find an isolated ranch. Here we will pitch our tents and eat dinner as the sun sets on the mountain peaks above us. Horseback riding in Patagonia doesn't get any better than this!

Day 3: Monday: Tres Monjas Peaks
After breakfast we will head downstream to view the most furious rapid on the river, the Throne Room. This Class V+ rapid is a whitewater power storm blasting through a narrowing in the canyon walls. After viewing this maelstrom from a cliff above we have lunch on a gravel beach on the side of a huge calm pool below. Fishing and swimming opportunities are yours to take. After lunch, we will lead our horses for the first 500 yards. The trail here is cut into the side of the gorge and is too difficult for the horses to manage with a rider. The river picks up speed 100 feet below us as it rushes through the narrowing canyon. We will soon arrive at our camp at the confluence of the two rivers underneath the Tres Monjas Peaks. This is perhaps the climax of beauty in the valley and where we will stay for the night.

Day 4: Tuesday: Rio Azul Valley
After a scrumptious breakfast, we cross the Azul in our tandem canoes and horseback ride on a trail up the glacier ringed Rio Azul Valley. We will enter a dark emerald green forest as we wind around the backside of the glittering Lake Lonconao. We will pitch our tents at a small homestead where we will enjoy a delicious dinner and get an insiders peak at local life. A genuine horseback riding Chile cultural experience!



Day 5: Wednesday: Espolon Valley
After breakfast, we depart towards another mountain lake, Lago Espolon. As the Espolon drains from the lake to the Rio Espolon it plunges over huge rocks, forming a violent cascade. We will have an excellent view of the tumult called “La Garganta del Diablo” at a high overlook. We then horseback ride down the side of the Espolon River where white sand beaches wait for us to swim in the transparent waters of the Rio Espolon. We return to the little village of Futaleufu tired and excited for the evening’s dinner. You soon will be able to rest and take a shower at our Adventure Center accommodations.

Day 6: Thursday: Departure
Wake up for an early breakfast and drive back to Chaiten, Chile and your flight to Puerto Montt, or relax for a couple of hours and take our shuttle to Esquel, Argentina. As you catch a final view of the Río Futaleufu; surrounded by hanging glaciers and snow capped mountains, take a moment to reflect upon all of the amazing sights and experiences of this past week. After all these years we are still stunned that views like these exist.

PRICE: $1495.00 USD

Included: All meals, lodging, transportation, horses, guides and equestrian gear while horseback riding in Chile with us. Round trip transportation between Futaleufu and Chaiten or Esquel. See the equestrian vacation packing list for specific details. The actual program for your individual horseback riding Patagonia trip will vary according to the desires and skill level of your group, weather, or other factors.

	Experience Needed: Intermediate Physical Challenge: Medium High Cultural Experience: Very High Lodging: Cabins & Ranches Comfort Rating: Rough Comfort Days away from home: 8 Days with us: 6 Max Trip Size: 8 Price: $1495.00 USD Region: Futaleufu and Espolon River Valleys, Patagonia Chile Lakes, Rivers, Sites Visited: Pacific Ocean, Chaiten, Lago Espolon, Rio Espolon, Settlement of Espolon, Futaleufu river, and the Futaleufu village

Other Equestrian Vacation options include: Lodge Based Horseback Riding in Chile , Expedition Horseback Riding in Patagonia, Chile Horseback Riding Trail Rides, Patagonia Horseback Riding - Cowboy Routes. Horseback Riding Chile - Lakes Route For more information see our Horseback Riding Patagonia FAQs

Downloadable pdf: Chile Horseback Riding