Transfer and Other Options:

1. Norte Chico Adventure Ride
2. Norte Chico Condor Trail

Norte Chico Adventure Ride  (no minimum group size)



Day 1: Transfer (2:30 PM) from the colonial city La Serena, Vicuna or Orvalle to the hacienda. Time for Jacuzzi, sauna, a walk across the 1,000 acres nature reserve. Dinner. Overnight stay in a room with private bath.

Day 2: Breakfast buffet and meeting with the team. Briefing of the tour. You will get to know your horse, the Chilean riding style (similar to Western style) and our safety precautions. We set off at 10:00 am after having packed all we need for our trip into the wilderness. We follow the trails of the Incas. We pass beautiful landscape until we find over 500 years old Inca paintings. We give the horses a break while we admire the old art. Then we ride along a narrow path to the place Los Leones. We will build up our camp under a lonely tree and enjoy the evening in front of the campfire.

Day 3: After the first night in wilderness we enjoy the breakfast before packing up. Then we’ll take our way back to the hacienda. This time our way follows a dry river bed, where we admire the wonderful rocks, which are formed by the water. Back at the hacienda we have time to relax and we can even enjoy a bath in the Rio Hurtado. In the evening we will serve a three course diner.

Day 4: After a rich breakfast at the hacienda and preparing all our stuff we start to our next destination Maitén. We pass through wild plateaus and canyons, ride the endless Sierra and enjoy a picnic lunch and an original siesta. In the afternoon, we pass over heights of 2000 meters. Crystal clear air allows magical views down the valleys of the Andes. We camp in an oasis of the Andes called Maiten. In front of a camp fire we serve dinner and enjoy the beautiful colors of the sunset.

Day 5: After spending a calm night next to the camp fire we will have breakfast and start our tour to Las Breas. We continue to climb up the Sierra enjoying the beautiful views over heights of 2800 meters. Perhaps we are lucky to see the snow covered Andean Mountains at the horizon. We have lunch close to a big tree in an old dry river. In Las Breas we overnight at the house of our guide Fernando. It is up to you to choose if you want to sleep outside in a tent or inside in a bed. Dinner we have together with a Chilean family and exchange information about the different cultures.

Day 6 : After breakfast we leave to explore the surroundings of Las Breas. We will find some old and original Inca paintings on the rocks. In the afternoon we come back to Fernandos house where we spend another night. You will have time to take a cold, but fresh bath in the River Hurtado. You can also relax, lying in the sun and preparing your energy for your next ride.

Day 7: Today we pack our belongings for the last time and leave the village Las Breas in order to go back to the hacienda on a ride through valleys, passing small rivers and villages. We cross an old horse racing place where already lots of Chileans bet and lost their money on a Sunday afternoon. We will arrive at the hacienda around 3 o´clock. Just in time to take a fresh shower end enjoy the rest of the afternoon in our garden, listening to the sound of the river and the birds.

Day 8: After breakfast transfer to the airport in La Serena. Certainly, you may stay some more days at the hacienda and join other activities.

Norte Chico Condor Trail  (reg rate based on 3 riders - smaller groups with supplement)



Day 1  Transfer from La Serena/Ovalle or Vicuña to the hacienda. Time for a walk across the 500 ha pure reserve. Dinner. Overnight stay in a standard room with private bath.

Day 2  Breakfast buffet and meeting with the team. Briefing of the tour. You will get to know your horse and the Chilean riding style (similar to Western style). We set off at 10:00 am after having packed the absolutely necessary stuff for our trip into the wilderness. We pass through wild plateaus and canyons, ride the endless Sierra and enjoy a picnic lunch and an original siesta. In the afternoon, we pass over heights of 2000 meters. Crystal clear air allows magical views down the valleys of the Andes. We camp in an oasis of the Andes called Maiten. In front of a camp fire we serve dinner.

Day 3  After having breakfast and packing the saddlebags we leave the village Maiten. For this day we are riding about 7 to 8 hours through the colorful Andean mountains. Enjoy the loneliness of the nature and the spectacular views down from the Andean plateau. We will put up our tents in the wild nature in the valley called Vallecillo. Those who want can spend the night without a tent under the beautiful and clear sky of Chile which is famous for his huge amount of stars.

Day 4  After one night in the pure nature, having breakfast and packing all our stuff we will climb the Andes up to a height of 5800 meters.
We’ll pass a mountain stream which meanders like a green stripe through the desert. Further up the surrounding is similar to the landscape on the moon out of stones and rocks. The wind becomes freezing and not far from us is still snow. Perhaps we are lucky to see the famous condors – the giants in the air.
Finally we ride down again where we build up our camping place in the valley of San Augustin beside the river Hurtado.

Day 5  Enjoy ourselves instead of packing saddle bags that’s what we do today. To start again for the second half of the tour our horses get a day off. We can go for a walk along green fields, take a bath in the cool Rio Hurtado or just relax on the calm and lonely camping site.

Day 6  After our relaxing day we are fit enough to start a heavy tour of ten to eleven hours horseback riding. This day is probably the most beautiful of the whole tour. Once again we climb up on a height of 3800meters. The footprints of the puma on the sandy path show us how near this dangerous wild cat live. But the basic food of pumas are goats. All over we meet herdsmen with their goats so we don’t have to be worried. The landscape gets stonier and steeper and forces the total force of our horses. Reaching the top we got rewarded by a stunning view. A moment we will never forget. We already know our next place to overnight – the camping place close to the village Maiten.

Day 7  We continue our trip after having breakfast. We ride the Maiten Sierra and discover the extreme contrasts of nature. The mineral lets the Sierra shine in many different colors. We will be fascinated by the green Algarrobo trees, cacti as high as yourself and the calm loneliness. We arrive to the civilization of the Hacienda at 1:00 pm. Now it is time for having a bath and a rest.

Day 8  Transfer to La Serena/Ovalle or Vicuña. Certainly you may stay some more days at the Hacienda and join other activities.

There are 310 sunny days a year. The Hacienda  is situated in the typical dry Andean climate of South America at heights of 1000 metres. As a rule, temperatures at night are around 50°F (10°C) colder than temperatures by day.

• fleece clothes to keep you warm during the cool nights in the Andes
• light and comfortable trekking shoes for hiking and riding (do not worry, there are no poisonous snakes in Chile!)
• a good pair of sunglasses, headgear and sun cream
• the estancia supplies sleeping bags and sleeping mats, however, you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer!
  

The hacienda is a gateway to the wilderness of the Andes... Enjoy best local cuisine, selected Chilean wines, traditional architecture and culture.

For our meals we use exclusively local products of traditional cultivation that we obtain directly from the small holding farmers of the Río Hurtado valley. Feel free to visit these friendly and open people in search of delicious fruits, cheese and vegetables and contact to the local folks.

The Hacienda has six comfortable colonial style guest rooms: each with a private bathroom and a garden with a view of the Andes. 310 sunny days per year, an extremely versatile nature and the crystal clear air are an invitation to spend unforgettable days in the Andes. The starry nights and the unspoiled wilderness offer you vacations close to nature and pure relaxation and recreation.

HACIENDA STANDARD Room
Single or Double Beds, private Bathroom with Shower, wardrobe, table and chairs,

HACIENDA SUITE
Double Bed, writing desk with chair, bench, table and chairs, wardrobe, bathtub and shower

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Passports
Passport valid for at least six months required by nationals referred to in the chart.
Passport Note
Passports issued to children must contain a photo and state the nationality.

Visas
Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except the following:
(a) 1. nationals of Greece for up to 60 days and nationals of Romania for up to 30 days.
(b) transit passengers continuing their journey on the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding required travel documents for onward destination and not leaving the airport transit lounge.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).
Visa Note
2. Nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA entering Chile for touristic purposes will be charged a processing fee payable on arrival and in cash only. For nationals of  Australia, the fee is US$56; for nationals of Canada, the fee is US$132; and for nationals of the USA, the fee is US$100 .