General Info

Equitrekking Travel's Uruguay Beach & Coastal Trail Vacation is specially designed to let you experience an array of landscapes and culture across Uruguay.

Uruguay is a country the size of England and Wales with a charming, warm population of only 3 million people. Uruguay is bordered by Brazil, Argentina and a long Atlantic coastline of beautiful beaches. The country has a non-tropical climate, unexpectedly diverse landscapes and gaucho culture. It's a little-known destination made for riding and enjoying nature.

Mount strong Criollo or Criollo cross horses, a breed native to South America, and ride beaches and coastal trails. This is a progressive equestrian vacation. Options for 9 days/ 8 nights or 7 days / 6 nights are available, as well as special 8 day/ 7 night holiday rides. The length of each day's ride varies slightly between each group and day of the itinerary. Transfers from the airport are included in the price so there is no need to rent a car unless you decide to extend your trip before or after the beach and coastal trail vacation.

Stay at charming seaside inns and working ranches, called estancias. Get connected with the traditions of this unexplored, genuine country, where South America's cowboy traditions still rein supreme. On this ride you'll travel through diverse landscapes, try surprising wines, good food and experience the hidden treasures found on paths less travelled in Uruguay.

Check out the special holiday ride. Enjoy 7 days in exceptional scenery on this special holiday adventure in Uruguay. Escape North America's winters for long, warm days in Uruguay and in the saddle. The ride starts in the rolling hills, staying at a small working farm in outstanding countryside, where you'll help the gauchos with cattle work and then ride to an estancia in an idyllic location on the edge of a lagoon. You'll explore the lagoon, marvelling at the wildlife and traversing an area of sand dunes to an isolated fishing village. Riders enjoy long gallops on pristine beaches and also riding through forests to a old Spanish fort. Excellent horses, comfortable lodgings, delicious food and incredible hospitality - including the ever helpful gauchos in their traditional dress- all add together to make this an unforgettable experience.

Packing

Bring along light weight layered clothes and riding gear. Uruguay has a warm, non-tropical climate, which is very pleasant riding. Saddlebags are provided.

You'll need sun block, insect repellent, a warm coat, jacket or sweater, hat (sun / rain), footwear (boots or sneakers) bathing suit and wet weather gear for possible rainy days. Don’t forget to bring your camera and binoculars. Your bags will be transferred from accommodation to accommodation by car, so you can pack as many clothes as you would like, but packing sensibly and lightly is usually best. Guests are strongly advised to bring and use their own riding helmets.

Regarding laundry, they have the service available at Montevideo, Parque Oceanico and El Sauce Estancia. 

Please see Equitrekking Travel’s General Packing List.

About the Horses

You'll be riding strong Criollo and Criollo crosses that are trained year round on a regular basis. The horses are spirited and willing to canter but very soft on the mouth and mild enough so that you may enjoy a happy and secure riding holiday. The guides will treat you as friends rather than as clients so that you will enjoy getting to know Uruguay. You'll ride on South American type saddles, with thick sheepskin seats. Saddlebags provided.

The riding pace will be quite fast at times as you navigate the grassy pastures and firm beaches, on horses.

Activities/Events

Activities

This equestrian vacation lets you experience riding wetlands, virgin beaches, hills, and more. Each day is diverse. You may ride on the beach and then hours later feel as if your are in the middle of the desert surrounded by sand dunes that leads you to a sea lion reserve just next to the wild coast. Local guides will treat you as friends so that you will enjoy getting to know Uruguay. The variety of birds that you will see in these habitats is incredible from hummingbirds to flamingos, kingfishers, flycatchers, and rheas (similar to ostriches). You'll skirt diverse landscapes and try local wines and cuisine along the journey.

Non-riding Options: Sight-seeing, hiking, fishing, surfing, biking, trekking, canoeing, bird watching

Area Attractions

During the months of September through December guests are sometimes able to see whales off the coast. During February, there are two carnival parades, and this is also the height of the shrimp season. Guests are invited to participate in the shrimp fishing experience. Other activities include surfing, biking, trekking, canoeing, and bird watching.

Accommodations/Food

Accommodations

Staying at charming seaside inns and working ranches – estancias – will help you feel connected with the traditions of this unexplored country. The accommodations provided in this program include the most interesting and charming hotels, lodges, and ranches available in the areas visited, all of which include a private bathroom. Enjoy a good night’s sleep in pleasant surroundings.  They are clean, comfortable and provide a very good service. If you are sharing your room, a choice of a  twin or double bed is available.

Food

After a full day riding, return to fully prepared meals that reflect the local cuisine. All meals are prepared with completely natural and fresh products of the region. Red meat, fish and wine are specially recommended, but vegetarians can be catered to at meals. Please let us know in advance of special dietary requests.

Soft drinks and alcohol are not included in the price.  Personal expenses and tips are also each guests responsibility.

The Ideal Traveler

Intermediate to advanced riders who want to experience South America on horseback and ride on the beach. Couples, families and many solo travelers enjoy this vacation. Singles particularly enjoy the experience as it is a great opportunity to make new friends and share life stories. 

8 day Uruguay Beach Horse Riding

Dates & Rates 
Beach and Costal Trail ride - 8 days (7 days riding) / 7 nights

2012: Feb 25- March 3, March 10-17, April 7-14, Nov 3-10, Nov 17-24, Dec 1-8

$2802 USD double occupancy*
Single Supplement $415 USD* limited single rooms available

* Prices are subject to change with fluctuations in currency conversions. Includes all accommodations; all meals and mineral water (except 1 day); English speaking guide; 7 riding days; horses and grooms services & 7 nights (Private Bathrooms); transfers to and from airports; Montevideo City Tour. NOT INCUDED: Soft and alcoholic drinks; personal expenses & Tips.

Please ask us about extending your trip. Extensions available in Uruguay (Montevideo - Punta del Este), Argentina (Buenos Aires - Iguazu Falls) and Brazil. Pre and post rides are easily arranged. 

Non Riding Options: Sight-seeing; hiking; fishing; surfing; biking; trekking; canoeing; bird watching

There will normally be three changes of horses during the ride. As always one or more spare horses will accompany your group. The horses are the local Uruguayan Criollo breed and Criollo cross and ideally suited to the terrain. A western type saddle with a sheep skin cover is used and neck reining (western one-hand riding) is practiced. Help will be given in adjusting to this tack which is very suitable for long days in the saddle.

Maximum Weight limit: 210 lbs. (95 Kg.) An additional of US $250 per person will be charged for the whole trip to clients exceeding this limit in order to provide an extra horse.

Uruguay Riding Holiday Trip Highlights
We start our tour in the wonderful city of Montevideo. The next day we continue our ride in the amazing coastal province of 'Rocha' - protected area and declared world biosphere reserve. We horseback ride on the beach along isolated beaches, over shifting sand dunes, through palm groves and shady woodlands and on along the shores of the wetlands. The variety of birds - hummingbirds, flamingos, kingfishers, flycatchers, rheas (similar to ostriches) - that we see in these habitats is incredible. The pace will be many times quite fast (lots of canters) - the grassy pastures and firm beaches allow this on strong and well- trained criollo and criollo cross horses. While staying at charming seaside inns and working ranches – estancias – where ride with and help the gauchos with cattle drives, you will be able to feel connected with the traditions of this unexplored country. On this ride you'll skirt the most diverse landscapes, surprising wines, excellent food and experience the hidden treasures found on the paths less travelled.

Uruguay Riding Vacation Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: Montevideo – Tango & Candombe
Today is set aside to relax and explore the seaside city of Montevideo the most important city as well as the capital. Guests are met at the Carrasco International Airport and driven along the wonderful coastline called “Rambla” to the downtown hotel. Explore the downtown streets and experience the typical Rio de la Plata music, the Tango or Candombe with the rhythms and coloured costumes. Luxury barbecue at the Mercado del Puerto and city tour to discover Montevideo, a very quiet and safe city that combines museums, street markets, nice restaurants and
very friendly people. Overnight at a nice centrally located 3 to 4 star hotel.

Day 2: Cerro Verde natural protected area
After breakfast we will be driven to the Brazilian border and into Rocha, arguably the most beautiful province in Uruguay with its pristine beaches, emerald shores and network of lagoons. We will enjoy lunch at our beach side hotel and prepare to cross La Coronilla tiny town and ride towards the Brazilian border. Enjoying a fast-pace ride, we will ride along the wonderful, isolated ocean beach of ‘Barra del Chuy’. Visitors seldom reach this beach so we can enjoy a long, exhilarating canter with no signs of habitation as we ride across the pure white sands alongside the Atlantic Ocean.

Sometimes we will go inland and we will surely see ibis, herons, egrets, storks and a legion of migrating birds (birds arrive here from as far as Alaska and the Falkland Islands). We will canter back along the beach enjoying an incredible sense of freedom! Dinner and overnight at the beachside hotel.

Day 3: Barra de Chuy beach Brazilian border along a Pristine Beach
During the morning we will ride towards the “Cerro Verde” natural protected area. The grassy rocky headland that gives its name to the area is also the base for a sea turtles research and protection organization (Carumbé). We pass a shipwreck buried in the sand, one of many along this treacherous coast. Indeed, Polonio, where we ride later is named after a Spanish galleon that went down just off the point. Luckily ‘Beagle’ with Charles Darwin aboard did not succumb to this fate and Darwin spent quite some time in Uruguay collecting species and most likely starting to formulate his theories of evolution. Most days there is a wonderful sight of dolphins feeding in the bay. This beautiful setting with firm beaches, sand dunes and coastal forest will take us to the immense Santa Teresa National Park. The center piece of the park is a fort started in 1762 by the Portuguese to defend the edge of their territories then completed by the Spaniards who took it by assault just a year later. This was just the start of a succession of conquering, loosing and reconquering the fort; it was not until 1825 that the newly forming ‘Uruguay’ finally captured and held the fort. The fort is surrounded by 3000 hectares of forest containing over 2 million trees the majority from other parts of the world. After a traditional picnic close to the fortress or on the beach, depending on the weather, we will canter along the water’s edge towards the charming village of Punta del Diablo where we will stay at a small local inn and enjoy barbecued fresh fish, Uruguayan wine and a pleasant overnight listening to the waves.

Day 4: Santa Teresa National Park, Dolphins & Shipwrecks
The fourth day starts with an early morning drive to “Guardia Del Monte”, a working estancia next to the “Laguna de Castillos” where we will meet our horses. “Guardia Del Monte” has outstanding landscape beauty with important ecosystems like the wetlands with a great variety of birds and native scrublands. This area has been declared Natural Animal Reserve since 1996. We will have the opportunity to ride along the forest of Ombúes, a tree that curiously rarely grows in groups of more than 2 or 3; the forest of Ombúes that we visit is possibly the only one in the world. Each tree has its own wonderful shape with thick, twisting roots spreading out over the ground; some are over 500 years and have a diameter of 2 meters (6 feet). After lunch, we will ride to the nearby palm groves; despite a number of stories, no one knows how the palm trees got here -some 300 years old. They are not native but they give the landscape a very exotic look! After a short drive, we will arrive to El Sauce, a working estancia run by its owners we will be welcomed with a delicious meal.

Day 5: El Sauce Estancia Mate Tea & the Gaucho Life
We wake up on a farm - El Sauce is a working estancia run by its owners where we will enjoy a full day riding around the crops and very varied vegetation on the property. The estancia, built in 1920, is very comfortable –it is not a hotel but the family house that we have been invited to stay as guests of the owners, offering us an incredible experience and a very special insight into the life in the country. For example,
guests can sample the ‘mate’ sipped hot out of a dry gourd. The gauchos and their mate are
inseparable and a ceremony has developed around drinking mate. In addition to the cattle grasslands this estancia has a large area of marshlands and also rice crops both of which are teeming with bird life (more than 400 species in this area) making another very varied ride and giving us the chance to see the graceful black-necked swan (largest populations in the world found here), the rare white goose and many ducks and other birds such as the largest bird in South America- the ‘ostrich-like’ “ñandú” (rhea). Otters, coypus and capybaras inhabit the marshlands and streams. At several points on the trip we will see the pink flamingo – a species of flamingo with very bright pink pigment and quite common in Uruguay. Overnight at this authentic working estancia.

Day 6: Cabo Polonio Shifting Sands & Sea Lions
The day starts with a short drive along a scenic road; during the drive we will pass many roadside stalls selling the fruit and the less innocent ‘hooch’ brewed from the palm nuts. The cloudy, sticky liquid is so potent that if you leave the cap off the old bottles it is sold in the liquor evaporates in a flash! Pretty close to the coast we will meet our horses and ride into the desert! We ride through the area which has been declared a natural animal reserve and a Biosphere Natural Reserve by UNESCO. We will ride towards Cabo Polonio, a charming fishing village which can only be reached by horse or four wheeled drive. The fascinating part of is the huge area of shifting sand dunes; as we ride through it is possible to imagine that we are right in the middle of the Sahara. After lunch at a typical restaurant on the beach we will see seals and sea lions that populate the small islands and make up one of the largest populations of seals in the world; very occasionally we spot a migrating Right Whale. Riders can swim in one of the most beautiful beaches of the country. After this ride full of surprises and diverse scenery, we will stay at a lovely comfortable working estancia, El Charabón.

Day 7: Eucalyptus woodlands, open pastures & rolling hills
The day starts with a breakfast out on the veranda with homemade bread, jams and cakes, admiring the views out across the hills. Guests can take a close look at the rheas; the estancia has some of these native South American birds as pets. The armadillos often pop up out of holes ruining Jorge’s (the owner) beautifully manicured lawns. We will enjoy a full day working alongside the gauchos and their trusty dogs as they tend to the cattle and sheep on this 1200 hectare (2900 acre) ranch (4hrs riding). The work varies depending on the time of the year, but the gauchos always welcome a bit of help checking and moving the stock or putting animals in the corrals. Sometimes a lame animal has to be caught and tended to. The wonderful, friendly gauchos with their berets, ‘bombachas’ (riding trousers) and with their knives tucked into their colorful belts all seem to have been born on a horse and it is a delight to be riding with them. Their dogs are very much work animals and it is an amazing sight to see four dogs working in unison moving a herd of cattle. The dogs unfortunately cannot count and that gets very tricky for us, especially with the sheep, a recount often being required! During the late afternoon, guests can relax around the pool, sunbathe or admire the sunset over the surrounding hills and then gaze in awe at the star-filled southern hemisphere sky. Another delicious dinner with our delightful hosts. Overnight at the estancia.

Day 8: Cattle and ship work with the gauchos on the estancia
The ride today takes us through the scenic estancia lands traversing the eucalyptus forests and grasslands then across the huge fields of the neighboring estancias. There will be a chance of some long canters as we ride across the flatlands. Riders enjoy the glorious blue skies and tranquility as we gallop across the pastures, often sighting the abundant wildlife. A game of armadillo jumping often inadvertently gets underway as the little armor-plated animals make a dash for their holes as the horses approach. After a final swim in the estancia pool and a wonderful home-cooked lunch we say goodbye to the horses and head back to Montevideo – to the airport or the city, or to start an extension tour.

* This itinerary is subject to changes based on the weather or the trip leaders discretion.  

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Traveler Reviews

Liz and I had the most wonderful time on your ride. We have taken over a dozen different week-long rides in all corners of the world and we thought yours was by far the best. The horses are fabulous - responsive, well-trained, bomb-proof. We could all gallop in a random fashion with never a kick, bite, or laid-back ear. The gauchos seemed to know exactly what help you needed, even though they spoke no English. But the guide, Juan Pablo, was the main reason this was our best ride ever. He was serious about safety but his top priority was that we all had fun. He kept emphasizing that it was our vacation and we should do what we want. This was not easy with nine different women with nine different agendas, but he made it happen.

- - Jane 

My horse was responsive, fast and as you probably guessed, I had enormous fun riding her. The scenery, whilst not dramatic, was tranquil and gave a great sense of space with the coastal sections being particularly enjoyable. The accommodations were comfortable and special mention must be made of our numerous hosts for their kindness and warm hospitality. I would also like to pass on my sincere thanks to Alejandro and Paola and his team for their hard work. The organization as a whole was impressive and, if you were all paddling away like fury beneath the water, everything seemed pretty serene on the surface to me!

- - Simon

Thank-you for a fabulous holiday. Uruguay is a gentle country with vast, open skies and beaches, humorous people and lively, eager horses. Each day was varied, enormously fun, the estancias were all idyllic and their owners charming and welcoming.

- - Kirstin

Once more a big thank you for the excellent tour. Pictures look excellent. We hope to see you all in October in Belgium for the after-party.

-- Mark

We loved our holiday and all of us said that it was the best with the most amount of laughs! We certainly will recommend Uruguay to friends and would love to come back. Thanks again for looking after us so well. We had such a great time.

- - Claire

We had a wonderful ride, and enjoyed your country and the people we met VERY much! We enjoyed Macarena, and all her insights into that area of Uruguay where she was from, and Nacho is a real natural at this kind of work. The picnics were lovely and well planned, the horses were fine, and the gauchos did their jobs well. We also enjoyed all the different places that we stayed. The group was friendly and fun, and as riders, everyone was strong and capable, which always helps.

- - Elise

Country of Uruguay: awesome, beautiful, calming and uncomplicated - suited me very well and I hope to return one day.
Gauchos: experienced, professional, good at horsemanship and navigating the terrain - enjoyed them very much and felt that they took excellent care of the group and the horses. Guides: Nacho and Macarena along with our bus driver were wonderful knowledgeable (about the country, history, sites, etc.), fun, good riders and great company. I would send anyone to you and know they would be in good hands.
Estancias: very charming, comfortable and welcoming - I liked going from place to place and each one was special in its own way.
Food: very good, fresh, local choices all very much enjoyed. Loved the wines. Horse: very good. Even though I got unseated and took an early spill, I felt very comfortable with the horses. I found them to be well trained, very willing, very responsive and possessing even/good temperaments. I really thought you and the gauchos did a nice job of matching horses and riders.
Rides: very nice, varied and fun - my only suggestion here would be to describe the ride as intermediate + with a moderate pace (mix of fast and slow with some less intense days to give horses and riders a break). I know the slower days were not as well received as the faster days or as the days which provided for a mix of fast and slow gaits.

- - Susan

It was a super, super trip which I thouroughly enjoyed. The organisation was perfect all the way through. Special thanks to you, Macca and the guide from Montevideo (he was very, very committed, but I cannot remember his name, sorry..). And a big thanks to our enthousiastic and very kind busdriver and to the gauchos who accompanied us most of the way. They were so well organised, it was astonishing!

- - Sybilla

Thank you again to Nacho and Alexandro for introducing us to your wonderful country. I know we will return.

- - Penny

Thank you, thank you to all for making my vacation so brilliant!! I would love to see your photos! Look forward to hearing from you all, and best wishes to those lucky enough to still be enjoying the South American hospitality & weather.

- - Nan

Just a quick email to thank you very much for a great visit to Uruguay. It was a pleasure to meet you and we very much enjoyed our holiday. The horses were always excellent as was the accommodation, and Jan and yourself were good company.

- - Terence

Reading List

You know you’ve found a hidden gem when there aren’t even guidebooks available for the country when you travel there! Uruguay is a small, charming country with a still vibrant gaucho culture, great food and welcoming people. I felt like I was getting a genuine estancia experience in Uruguay and am excited to go back and ride again. 

-- From Equitrekking Travel founder and Emmy winning host Darley Newman.

General Guidebook
Uruguay (Lonely Planet CUSTOM Guide) (Paperback) by Gregor Clark

The first ever Lonely Planet guidebook was stapled together at a kitchen table. We're keeping that spirit alive with CUSTOM guides - sections of our most popular books combined to fit your trip. Uruguay is delightfully low-key and surprisingly diverse, but you won’t find a guidebook for it - until now. This custom guide, made up of chapters selected from Lonely Planet's Argentina guidebook, covers Uruguay, including cosmopolitan Montevideo and the wilder outer reaches. We've also included buzzing Buenos Aires because, let's face it, you're in the area already – why not take in the Buenos Aires blend of old-world languor and contemporary attitude? Sound like your kind of thing? Then this is the CUSTOM guide for you.

This book includes: Maps and detailed information to help you explore every corner of Uruguay. Chunky coverage of Buenos Aires: where to stay, where to eat, what to see. A language chapter that covers all the essential travel phrases in Argentine Spanish. Health information including recommended vaccines.

Equitrekking Coffee Table Companion Book & DVD

Equitrekking Travel Adventures on Horseback by Darley Newman with Photographs by Chip Ward available at Amazon.com
This companion to the PBS TV series, Equitrekking, proves that the world's most beautiful views are often best seen from atop a horse. This gorgeous book features dozens of scenic rides in the U.S. and around the globe. Denver Post review: For horse folk and dreamers, as well as fans of the show, it's a beautiful trip through stunning equestrian-friendly possibilities.



Equitrekking DVD's featuring Emmy winning PBS episodes, available in the Shop section of Equitrekking.com 

Get off the beaten path to see some of the world's most beautiful horses and classic riding destinations with host and equestrian travel expert Darley Newman with Emmy Award-winning Equitrekking, the horseback riding travel series on PBS. 

Season One: Vermont, the Carolinas, Georgia Coast, Wyoming, Colorado and Spain.

Season Two: Iceland, Coastal Ireland, Hawaii's Big Island, Irish Countryside, Maui, Virginia Hunt Country and California Wine Country.

Season Three: Arizona, Belize, Costa Rica, Kentucky, Quebec, Texas and Utah.

Season Four: Southern Spain, Alaska, Central Turkey, Quebec City and Beyond, Scotland and Wales.

    

Good Books for Horse Lovers and Equestrians

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior (Paperback) by Temple Grandin
Philosophers and scientists have long wondered what goes on in the minds of animals, and this fascinating study gives a wealth of illuminating insights into that mystery. ---Publishers Weekly

The Horse: A Miscellany of Equine Knowledge (Hardcover) by Julie Whitaker with Ian Whitelaw
The Horse is an informative gallop through everything to do with the horse:  evolution, history, biology, breeds, behavior, training, competition, health, and care—all gathered into an accessible gallery of solid information, essential facts, and fascinating trivia.                                                           

Hunter Seat Equitation (Hardcover) by George H. Morris
A classic by a world-renowned teacher and master equestrian--the definitive work on the art of teaching and riding the hunter seat, now updated to include refinements in Morris's insightful program of riding instruction.

The New Encyclopedia of the Horse (Hardcover) by Elwyn Hartley Edwards
Chronicling the history of the horse, this guide encompasses the early domestication of the horse, classical riding styles, as well as a survey of the great stud farms and current international sporting events.