Chronicle from Lake San Martin

Dawn breaks among peaks and trails, holding its own silence. The silence of a world still stretching. Further on, a horse whinnies, while the air carries the scent of freshly extinguished wood, a mixture of smoke and dew. Some will say they seek adventure, others disconnection, and still others simply beauty. But deep down, they all seek the same thing: a way to return to the essential. The lodge on the lake's shore, with its simplicity—a wooden table, a fire lit at dusk, the mate being passed around—is the perfect starting point. From there, setting off at a gallop is almost natural, as if there were no other way to explore. Preparing to ride there isn't just adjusting the girths or arranging the poncho over one's shoulders: it's more of a ritual. A way of being. One feels as if repeating a gesture from another time, when the first gauchos traveled these same trails in search of cattle, shelter, or simply the horizon.
Riding a horse through mountains and forests has a different feel than riding in other terrains. The animal is accustomed to the southern wind, the uneven ground, the vastness. As soon as you advance a few meters, you understand that you haven't come for just any tourist ride, but to enter into a dialogue with a landscape that doesn't give itself away easily. The Patagonian land has character; it is harsh, demanding, but it bestows a beauty that strikes hard and leaves a lasting impression.
The march is slow at first, as if testing the ground. The sound of hooves on dry earth, mingled with the occasional bush breaking underfoot, marks a pace that soon sounds like meditation. One begins to notice what goes unnoticed in everyday life: how the wind changes direction, the low flight of a caracara, the wild scent of the black bush or the sun-scorched coirón grass.
One might say that someone rides through mountain ranges and valleys to "live the Patagonian experience." But such phrases often ring hollow. The truth is, it's done to remember something we may never have experienced, but that exists in the collective memory: life on horseback, the slow pace, the communion with the land.

This adventure begins long before I step into the stirrup.
Lake San Martín is located in the Province of Santa Cruz, in Argentine Patagonia. It is a lake shared with Chile, and its name changes to Lake O'Higgins just across the border. It is the sixth deepest lake in the world, reaching a depth of approximately 836 meters.
It is about 110km from the nearest Argentinian town, called Tres Lagos, and about 250km from El Calafate.
Once you arrive in Calafate, we'll be waiting to take you in a 4x4 to the Estancia where we'll have this unforgettable experience, exploring over 7,000 hectares on horseback.

On the first day, arriving in the afternoon, we'll settle into the cabin. It has bedrooms with two single beds and a private bathroom with hot water, linens, and towels. The cabin is located right on the lake and is very cozy, comfortable, and heated. It also has a fully equipped kitchen, living room, and dining area. It's a place where you'll want to sit and enjoy a delicious mate, taking in the lake, with the snow-capped mountains in the background and the captivating surrounding landscape.
After dinner, we will go to rest in order to begin the first horseback ride the next day.

Horseback riding day 1:
After a hearty breakfast, we'll go to the corral to fetch the horses, where they'll be waiting to saddle us up and begin our journey into the Andes Mountains. Today's ride will last approximately 6-7 hours. We'll travel along the lake shore, reaching Laguna de los Juncos (Reed Lagoon) and Laguna Salada (Salt Lagoon), where we'll arrive at the tip of the peninsula. We'll have lunch there before returning via Potrero de los Carneros (Sheep Pasture).

Horseback riding day 2:
On the second day, we'll pack everything we need for the night in the mountains. After a seven-hour ride, we'll set up our tents and spend the night under the stars. That day, we'll cross the Bucarón Pass, enjoying a unique and exclusive view of the lake from a high point on the ranch.

Horseback riding day 3:
Today we woke up at "El Puesto," where we spent the night. From there, after a hearty breakfast, we set off on the third day of our trek to the "Totems." We'll be returning to the cabin at sunset. We'll rest in this beautiful place before starting our return to El Calafate mid-morning tomorrow.

The return journey has a different flavor. You no longer see the landscape with the same eyes. The lake, the mountain, and the greenery seem closer, more familiar. You dismount with slightly numb legs, but with a fully awake soul.
At the lodge, the afternoon winds down with a crackling fire and the promise of a warm Creole meal. Conversation flows amidst anecdotes from the horseback ride, laughter, and comfortable silences. Outside, the southern sky paints itself in shades of orange and lilac, its reflection mirrored by the lake, a guest in the scene.

FLORA AND FAUNA:

All the places we'll visit are surrounded by Lake San Martin, crossing lagoons, native trees, foxes, hares, a herd of wild horses, and cattle roaming freely on the ranch. On several occasions, we'll have the opportunity to herd cattle from one pasture to another.

FOOD AND DRINKS:

All meals and drinks from arrival until your return to El Calafate are included. We'll enjoy typical Argentinian dishes, such as spit-roasted lamb, asado (barbecue), homemade bread with chicharrón (fried pork rinds), milanesas (breaded cutlets), homemade pasta, and much more. Everything will be prepared by a chef who will be with us every day so you can savor the delicious food of our country. And of course, we'll have a good wine with every meal.

HORSES:

All our horses are very well cared for. The breed we use is called "heavyweight," adapted and bred in the area. They are horses with a beautiful gait, agile to the riders' commands, and willing to cross places inaccessible to us.
Weight limit per rider: 90kg.

TEMPERATURE and TIME OF YEAR:

We offer this horseback riding tour between October and May, as winter temperatures drop significantly and snowfall is heavy. The average temperature ranges from 1°C to 20°C; it cools down at night, but the days are beautiful for horseback riding. Wind is common in the area, but it's not always present.

GROUPS:

Minimum 4, maximum 8.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY:

This adventure requires prior experience, as we will be climbing very steep areas and descending steep slopes, in addition to the number of hours we will be riding.

THIS ADVENTURE INCLUDES:

All meals and drinks, horses, saddles, tent, saddlebags, ponchos, gaiters, cabin accommodation, round-trip transfer from El Calafate airport to La Estancia Bahía Lodge, bilingual licensed guide, insurance per person for the entire stay.

DOES NOT INCLUDE:

Sleeping bag for the night in a tent, and personal belongings. Airfare.

FREE ACTIVITIES AT BAHIA LODGE:

Fishing, trakking, boat ride, kayak.

ACCOMPANIMENT GUIDE:

We will be accompanied by two experienced guides who are passionate about horseback riding, fully qualified, and extremely careful with every step we take. One of them speaks English and French for those who don't speak Spanish.

Those who ride among peaks and groves along the shores of Lake San Martín take away more than just photographs. A memory etched in their soul, almost etched on their skin. They take away the certainty that places still exist where life is reduced to its simplest elements: a horse, a path, the wind, and the horizon. Yes, we are still capable of wonder, within a history that began centuries ago.