1st April 2008: After seeing the beautiful scenery at Seno Ultima Esperanza, we couldn’t help but see it again. This time though, we wanted to get away from the town and immerse ourselves in nature. And what better way to do that than taking a horse ride through the fields and meadows that touch the water.

The area we rode in is called Puerto Bories. This area was once a bustling port where sheep were sheared, slaughtered and shipped north. So while the packing plants, and even the sheep, are mostly gone, they have been replaced with cattle, horses and the odd visitor who comes to admire the beauty.

Behind me is the stable. Although most of the time the horses are left in the fields to graze.

Up and ready to go

For miles we saw no one, it was just us, our gaucho (cowboy) guide, and the occasional cow, flock of birds or sometimes a wild hare.

 

In the distance behind Grace, you can see some of the cattle and further behind are the mountain range leading to Torres Del Paine National Park.

The flat land reaching the sea was in sharp contrast to the mountains which rose around us.

At one point we had to cross through the shallows of the sea. Our horses were steady, but not enough for a clear picture

Once out of the water, we were lucky to come across Andean Flamingos which were migrating through the area and feeding in the shallows.

We wished we had more time to ride again, and again, and again. The scenery was breathtaking and on horseback we could see more of it while still soaking it in.

So if you like nature and want to see it all on horseback, you could consider getting a piece of land and some horses in Patagonia. According to the gaucho who rode with us, horses are cheap in Patagonia. A good horse can cost around US$500, but if you’re not too picky, you can probably find one for just over $100. Maintenance is pretty cheap too, most people just leave them in the fields to graze, and in the winter move them to winter fields that have been growing untouched all summer.

Only downside, you’re really at the end of the world. It’s a 2-3 hour drive to the nearest “proper” hospital or major airport, a 4+ hour flight to/from Santiago, Chile, and then over 12 hours of flying to North America or Europe.

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This entry was posted on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at 12:23 pm and is filed under Chile, Patagonia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.