We GUARANTEE you won't find the same horse riding holiday at a lower price through any other source... and if you do, we promise to refund the difference!
from £1,510 or €1,550
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Rates are quoted per person sharing.
We also offer personal itineraries for shorter or longer stays.
Note: Rates are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations, please refer to our ‘Terms & Conditions’ for full details.
The estancia is open all year round.
Note: Rates are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations, please refer to our ‘Terms & Conditions’ for full details.
Included – All the riding, accommodation, meals, drinks including alcohol, gaucho activities (cattle moving, calves roping and vaccination, dehorning, branding, the cattle. After the gaucho duties, it’s usual to share a good asado with the wood used to make fire and mark the cattle), wildlife and bird watching from horseback, plus return Esquina transfers.
Excluded – Flights, transfers, tips, additional activities such canoe trips, 4×4 trips, motorboat safaris, massages and polo lessons.
Getting There – International flight to Buenos Aires.
Transfer – By coach from Buenos Aires, it’s 8 hours on a luxury coach with seat which reclines fully flat, you will also be served a meal and wine, this is a good option to do overnight & highly recommended as part of the adventure. It takes you right into Esquina, the nearest town from where you’ll receive a complimentary transfer to the ranch. By Air, it’s 2 hours to Goya Airport from Buenos Aires, plus a 2 hour transfer by car to the Estancia.
Estancia Don Joaquin is complete gem in our collection. It’s an authentic working cattle estancia set in Esquina, Southwest Corrientes Province, 6 hours North of Buenos Aires. The Corrientes region of Argentina is the 2nd largest wetland area in South America making for great footing, wide open spaces for splashy canters and fabulous wildlife and birds. Your hosts Angie, Diego and often their daughter Josefina opened the doors of their stunning and unique estancia to guests a decade ago and it is truly a privilege to experience traditional country life on this estancia… the riding, wildlife, the food and Gaucho culture.
What we find unique about this holiday is your hosts Angie and Diego who truly welcome you and you’ll leave feeling like old friends.
Every day at Estancia Corrientes is different and guests receive a tailor made programme to suit which may include exploring the countryside on horseback, bird watching, fishing in the River Corrientes, learning some Argentinean gaucho skills or cooking with Angie. On occasion there may be a rodeo locally your hosts would bring you to or even a trip to the local town is a delight with beautiful artisan local shopping.
For those who simply want to chill out and enjoy the countryside there are plenty of places to relax including a lovely pool and of course you can indulge in the delicious home-made food and fine Argentinean wines.
They warmly welcome guests as part of the family and enjoy sharing their country life and all its traditions.
They say:
We learned to love the Correntinean countryside with its customs, traditions and the extraordinary force of its nature, thanks to our grandparents and our parents who passed this passion onto us from our childhood. We have the privilege of living in it with our children, following the trail our ancestors traced. Today we open its fence to share it with you. If you want to ride, take part in the varied rural activities or simply relax and enjoy the charming nature of the Correntinean countryside, we invite you personally to share some days with us.
Angie & Diego Solanet
Horses – They have over 70 horses, Criollos, Mestizos and Quarter Horses
Level of Riding & Pace – Intermediate to Advanced.
Tack – Western style riding with recado or montura correntina saddles, which are very comfortable and leather covered in sheep skin.
Weight Restriction – 120kg / 266lbs / 19stone.
Group Size – Maximum 8.
This original horseshoe estancia, has been beautifully renovated and stylishly designed by Angie and Diego to include modern comforts in keeping with the traditional elegance can take up to about 24 guests at one time. They have a mix of 12 rooms (3 standard rooms, 8 deluxe rooms and 1 suite) all with ensuite and individually decorated and each named after an Argentine bird. They also have large windows that take in the beautiful views out to the fields and wetlands.
In addition, there is lots of communal space, two living rooms, three dining rooms, a playroom for children, a pool house for barbeques, a bar and a swimming pool.
Food – The food is delicious, all homemade using organic produce from local farmers.
A typical breakfast includes freshly baked bread, cereals and toasts, homemade jams and butter, scrambled eggs, cakes, coffee, tea, orange juice and fresh fruit.
Mid-morning after riding, there are appetizers such as olives, cheese, salami washed down with the offer of a beer or a glass of Malbec wine. At lunch time, the BBQ is fired up there is lots of different meat cooked along with grilled vegetables and salads.
Late afternoon, there’s time for a sundowner of local wines, gaucho bread (a grilled bread) and chipá (small bread with cheese) and variety of tea or coffee and cakes. And if you can make it to dinner, expect something of a European dish with and Argentinean twist.
What’s lovely here is the kitchen is open to guests all the time and you are invited to watch and learn about the local cuisine, enjoying tastings as the cook prepares dishes!
We have travelled the world testing a huge variety of horse riding holidays to make sure we offer you, our client, the best horse riding holiday experience possible.
Our horse riding holidays are thoroughly researched – we consider all the elements that go towards making our horse riding holidays collection the best in the world. We check the quality of the horses, if they are fit for the job, well produced and looked after. We make sure the riding terrain is good going, the countryside is interesting and, for example, on Classic Dressage horse riding holidays, the arenas are in good condition. We make sure the accommodation, whether it’s a five star hotel, a farmhouse or camping, is clean and comfortable, and offers a great night’s sleep. The food is all important too – we take the time to make sure we tell you if it’s cordon bleu, home cooked, or regional and locally sourced – above all it has to be delicious, plentiful and nourishing. Last but not least, we choose the horse riding holidays that have the best hosts, who are friendly, warm and welcoming.
It’s only when all these elements come together that we add a horse riding holiday into our hand-picked collection of horse riding holidays.
Please Ask About
Example of the ‘Estancia Stay’ Itinerary
DAY 1
We will meet in Esquina city. We will then drive you from Esquina bus station to the Estancia (10 minutes) Early breakfast. This is our first day first experience saddling and our first ride with the gaucho. In the afternoon we are having a traditional asado. In the evening, we will depart from the estate and reach the shore of the Corrientes River. We will take advantage of the local trails to access the several islands that make up the delta of the river before it flows into the Paraná River. The place where the two rivers meet is quite interesting due to the contrast presented by the two different colours of the water. Once in the islands, you will be able to watch nature in its most wild state, with few footprints and no wire fences. Centuries ago, these islands were inhabited by aboriginal cultures fond of fishing and hunting, they left behind ceramics that can usually be found. Flora and fauna are exuberant. Then we return by horse to the estancia. Tea at the baranda. Dinner.
DAY 2
Breakfast. We will spend this morning doing daily duties with the horses including cattle moving, calves roping and vaccination, dehorning, branding or bathing cattle. We will choose the activity according to the daily gaucho schedule. Lunch at the estancia. In the afternoon we will go out riding out on tracks where you will be able to see herds of horses and sheep. Immense lagoons with reservoirs will welcome you and you will be able to see the native fauna, otters, tortoises, capybaras (big local rodents), yacarés (local alligators), herons, flamingos, storks, and dozens of bird varieties. We will stop for an asado (barbecue) in the open country and will be back at the estate at dusk. Tea with homemade pastry. Dinner.
DAY 3
Breakfast. Today we are ready to do the Open Plain horse ride. Departure from Don Joaquin. This ride allows you to discover the Argentinean plains with its immense lagoons, swamps and rich ecosystem. Lunch at the estancia. Siesta. Swimming pool. *Relaxing massage. We are ready at night to do the nocturnal horse ride. The nights when the moonlight allows, we are riding across the fields and enjoy the sounds of the night dwellers along with the Correntinean wide skies. Dinner.
DAY 4
Breakfast. We’ll ride to the natural Correntinean scrubland. This ride allows the view of the diverse tree species and bushes of the litoral region, along with the 250 bird species. At times, the paths between the narrow flora cover branches to become arches or tunnels. Lunch at the estancia. This afternoon we will learn gaucho skills.(lasso and sortija)Wine tasting. Dinner.
DAY 5
Breakfast. Today horses are ready to go from the Estancia to Horse Esquina town. We will have Empanadas (Argentinean pasty) in a local restaurant. Return to the estancia by horse or *by motorboat to the estancia (15 minutes). Lunch. Siesta. *Polo lesson or and *relaxing massage. Tea at the baranda and mate tasting watching the sunset. Dinner.
DAY 6
After breakfast. Wildlife safari on horseback. We will see capibaras, caimans and Rheas in our morning ride. Ideal for photographic safari by horse. *Regional Cuisine cookery lesson. Lunch. Siesta. *Optional polo lesson or and *relaxing massage. Or the lagoon horse ride. Dinner.
DAY 7
This is our final last day and we chat about what days you have enjoyed the most and we try and offer you your favourite highlights, perhaps some morning work with the gauchos and an afternoon ride through the lagoons spotting wildlife as we pass!. Dinner
DAY 8
This is a big day! After a hearty breakfast we cattle drive with the gauchos. Asado at the estancia. Siesta. Visit to town.*Polo lesson. Cheese and wine tasting. Farewell Dinner. Transfer.
*Additional cost
All our horse riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book one of our horse riding holidays and will refund the difference should you find the same horse riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
If you are having trouble finding exactly the right horse riding holiday for you from our horse riding holidays collection, please contact us directly using the form below and tell us in your own words what you would like to do and we will use our extensive knowledge to make sure we find that perfect horse riding holiday.
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