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Last Update: 19 Oct 2011

Riding Holidays | Argentina

The richest horse culture in the whole of South America makes riding holidays in Argentina extra special. It’s well known that Argentina is the source of the best polo ponies but there is much more to the country than that. Argentina offers enormous contrasts in scenery from the rich plains of the pampas in the centre to the rolling plateau of Patagonia in the south and the rugged Andes Mountains in the west. An Argentina horse riding holiday offers the best way to explore these diverse landscapes.  

On a horse riding vacation in Argentina you can experience the culture of the gaucho with a stay at, Estancia Los Potreros or Estancia Huechahue. Both are working estancias using many traditional methods of farming and where the influence of the horse is strong.

Estancia Los Potreros, north of Cordoba, offers daily rides across the pampas and also the opportunity to try your hand at Polo. Certain weeks are also dedicated entirely to Polo or to trail rides to explore the surrounding area. Riders of all levels can be accommodated but experienced riders will be able to take part in faster riding and possibly ride the Paso Peruvian horses which are a real treat!

Estancia Huechahue run by Jane Williams in Northern Patagonia offers estancia stays with the chance to help the gauchos with their daily cattle work and also riding expeditions such as the Across the Andes trek to Chile. The Lanin volcano offers an impressive backdrop to the rides. The mountain riding in this area is particularly good. Huechahue is best suited to experienced riders as some of the terrain around the estancia can make for challenging riding.

Other Argentinian equestrian vacations focus solely on polo and there are a multitude of polo estancias around Buenos Aires. After the riding part of your trip there are many other areas of the country worth a visit. Just a few suggestions are the spectacular Iguazu Falls in the north and the Glaciers of El Calafate in the south.

Argentina experiences large variations in climate from mild and humid in the pampas to extreme cold in the south of Patagonia. The most popular time to travel is between November and March which is summertime and average temperature is a pleasant 23ºC.