Modern igloo tents suitable for four used for two persons. There are also shower and estancia bathrooms for entire trip. Bee, and non alcoholic drinks are provided along with three meals a day. We serve Uruguay wines during dinner. There is always vehicle support and every night a vehicle meets the riders at their stopping place, with the cook, food and riders' luggage. For lunch we bring a picnic in the saddle bags (when not in an estancia); for dinner, the cook prepares a good gaucho meal, with fine local wine. A guacho spirit to be celebrated on and off horseback.

Temperatures should be warm and moderate during their summer months with some rain. Temperatures vary from 70 F to 90 F( 23 to 32 C).

Arrival in Uruguay (night in hotel - Montevideo)
Welcome at the Carasco International Airport(Montevideo). Transfer at the hotel in the center of Montevideo. Rest in the morning. After lunch visit of Montevideo city and the Gaucho Museum.Diner in a good restaurant then why not trying dancing tango !

Montevideo - Aguas Blancas - Estancia Gora Gandara (night under tents at the estancia) Starting the riding trip.
In the morning transfer (1h30) to the starting place of the trip, on the riverside of Mataojo. After lunch in Aguas Blancas, you start riding in the "Sierra de Minas" through "Abra del Sauce", a craggy area with pastures and eucalyptus forests. Arrival at the estancia in the evening. You're welcomed by Gora and Raoul, owner and farmer of this old estancia situated at the top of the sierra. From there you can see all the North part of the region. For dinner you'll have your first "asado" (grilled meat on the "parillada", typical of South America), under the eaves.

Estancia Gora Gandara - Minas(night in hotel in Minas) (night in Hotel at Minas)
In the morning, Raoul comes with you for a nice gallop in the fields, gathering and counting sheep and cows, visiting a great part of the estancia (500 ha). Among the ordinary cattle, you discover some rheas, sort of ostrich that has always been living here. Lunch at the estancia then riding in the "Abra Grande" in the Sierra of Minas. to the headquarters of the Sociedad Criolla in the north of Minas. In the evening you're invited by the members of the association : fiesta, mate, music (live) and danse.

Minas - Arequita (night at the estancia turistica Los Nietos)
Today, we will ride north to reach the steep cliffs of Arequita, covered with fir trees. In the afternoon ride in the National Parc of Arequita. This park is well guarded in order to protect the native fauna and flora which was there before the Europeans arrived. The owners of the estancia de Los Nietos are breeding horses for races.

Arequita - Estancia of the Cerro Pelado - La pulperia (night under tents at the estancia)
Though the altitude is not high (500m), you feel like being in the mountains ! In the evening, you're welcomed by Victoria, owner of the estancia "La Pulperia". In the old days, it was a rural center with shops supplying goods througout the whole area, school, artisans, ... The house has a lovely patio where you can see orange trees, hydrangea and cactus. Inside are very old ploughing instruments, weapons and registers of the old times.

Cerro Pelado - Estancia Ortil (night under tents at the estancia)
In the morning, Hector and Carlos show you how to work with leather. They are very proud to show you some old saddles from the times of colonization and their evolution till now. After lunch, horse riding to Ortil's estancia. At night, you share mate with Ortil and his wife, owners of the estancia, listening to the latest gossip by the fireplace in the "tapera" (small rustic house that used to be the dwelling of a gaucho's family one century ago).

Estancia Ortil - Estancia La Cascada (night in bedrooms at the estancia)
In the morning, around the estancia, Ortil with some other gauchos of neighbouring estancias, makes a demonstration of cow roping (you can participate), bull riding ... ! Then riding again through an area of poor pasture, where one can see circular stone shelters made for protecting cattle of the very strong wind that blows in the region in winter. We go through eucalyptus plantations before arriving at the estancia La Cascada, on the crest of Cuchilla de Aygua. On the way, you can watch a lot of coloured birds, and admire the nest of the "hornero" bird, made of trodden earth, which looks like a bread oven.

Arrival in Uruguay
Welcome at the airport of Carasco (Montevideo). Then guests are driven to Tacuarembo in the North of the country (5h). Night in guesthouse.

From La Palma to Picapiedra - 2 hours ride (night in tents at the estancia)
Rest in the morning then lunch in town and transfer to the starting point of the trip, near a village called La Palma. All around there you can see table shaped hills separated by deep rocky valleys. Most houses are log cabins with thatched roof. Horses quietly graze in the nearby fields. Vegetation on each side of the track already existed when the first Europeans came : shrubs in blossom, mainly acacias and jasmine parasited by wild creeping plants with wonderfull flowers ; some tropical plants can be seen, such as aloe, cactus, etc... Wild geese, humming birds, prey birds, herons, budgerigars fly and sing around us. At the end of this 2 hours ride, we are welcomed at the estancia of the Sociedad Criolla "Aparecia Valle de Lunarejo". Our guide, Dario, gives a demonstration of breaking a 3 years old colt. Then we share with other gauchos our first "asado" (grilled meat) while listening local music. Josephine, the family's nandu, is strolling around, swaying from side to side the beautifull feathers of its tail.

From Picapiedra to Costas de Laureles - 6/7 hours ride (night in tents at the estancia)
Today we ride again along pleasant tracks lined with native grove, between rounded hills, just the same shape as our gaucho's hats ! In this area just near Brasil, the cows are mixed with zebus. It gives very strong animals that can resist the rough climate, very hot and dry in summer and quite cold in winter (- 4°C). Bulls, cows and veals never see the walls of stable ; here as well as in all south America, extensive breeding is the rule, and that gives very good meat. Small armadillos sometimes appear on the way. We have picnic lunch and a siesta, then at the end of a path that seems to go nowhere, we arrive at the estancia Costas de Laureles. We are welcomed as old friends by the owners, Atalivio and Griselda. Here water is from the well and electricity is from solar panels. Riding with the gauchos of the estancia, we go off to check the cattle, then come back to have dinner, eating grilled meat, "guizo" or "putchero", while chatting under the moon light.

From Costas de Laureles to Bichadero 5/6 hours ride (night at the estancia)
Today we have to cross the "Cuchilla de Laureles". This natural barrier of hills looks really like high mountains with rocky arid tops. Our Criollo horses, sometimes mixed with Quarter Horse breed, steadily go ahead in spite of stony paths, steep slope and heat. We arrive at noon in our guide's estancia. His wife Serena and their 3 daughters, Alicia, Marcella and Clara, welcome us with a nice meal. Landscape is completely different from yesterday : all is dry and the land is poor. One can understand why Dario choose to change for tourism. The girls, Alicia (8) and Marcella (6) go to school every day on horse, as many of their schoolmates. In the afternoon, we help the gauchos with their work with cattle. The evening meal is a typical Uruguyan prepared by Dario's wife. Night in nice bedrooms in the house.

From Bichadero to Valle de Canas - 5/6 hours ride (night under tents at the estancia)
Going down through scrub covered hills, fording some rivers. After midday picnic, a nice siesta helps us and our horses waiting till the heat cools down. We reach Felipe Bruno's estancia about 5 in the afternoon. In this wealthy farm (1000 ha) we can enjoy the magnificent trees and the cool well sheltered patio. After having some nice fruits, we are again on horse back to check the cattle with the gauchos of the estancia. Dinner together with the gauchos.

From Valle de Canas to Seferino -6 hours ride (night under tents at the estancia)
Riding in the middle of eucalyptus plantations and green pastures. Herds of nandus run away when we pass. When we go past a rural school, we are invited by the school master, very pleased to do a "live" lesson of geography and to explain to the children what is ecotourism ! In the evening, we stay in the village called Seferino, in Cesar Duarte's fields where we pitch the tents. Cesar and his wife run a small shop where one can find everything, and for our great pleasure nice cool beers!

From Seferino to Tacuarembo - 5 hours ride (night in guesthouse in Tacuarembo)
Pines and eucalyptus plantations spred out on each side of the path. We are now near the town and we meet some gauchos in ceremonial dress, going to the feast. After riding 5 hours in this densely wooded area, we stop at Ipora, a small lake surrounded with forests, 6 km away from Tacuarembo. Say good by to our horses, they'll rest for a while in a nearby pasture. Swimming in the lake helps taking off all the dust of the ride. Picnic lunch on the shore, and then we are driven to the town, to the guesthouse where we'll stay for the 3 days of the feast.