South America | We go where the crowds don't.

A GAUCHO ENCOUNTER: PATAGONIA ON HORSEBACK

david jules — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 01:01:12 +0000

“No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle,” said Winston Churchill. This couldn’t be truer of a seven-day horseback journey through Argentina’s Patagonia, led by one of South America’s most sought-after guides, Jakob von Plessen. Born to Austrian immigrants, Jakob combines rugged gaucho tradition with European refinement, offering riders an unparalleled glimpse into the wild beauty of Patagonia.
The adventure begins in a private reserve bordering Nahuel Huapi National Park and the 400,000-hectare Lanín National Park. After a scenic flight to Bariloche, a drive, and a boat ride across a glacial lake, guests arrive at base camp, located on a 12,000-hectare estancia. Here, Criollos, the native horses of the pampas, graze nearby, setting the tone for an unforgettable journey.
Days are spent traversing some of the region’s most dramatic landscapes, including the aptly named Pass of Tears, a narrow, knife-edge mountain crossing. The Criollos, renowned for their stamina and sure-footedness, guide riders across volcanic ash ridges and along breathtaking mountain passes. Riders are encouraged to “sit tight and lean back” as the horses choose their path along the rocky trails. With every climb, views of emerald lakes and jagged peaks replace trepidation with awe.
Nights are equally enchanting, with guests bedding down in comfortable tents equipped with proper beds and wood-fired heaters. Evening meals feature lamb grilled on a traditional parrilla, accompanied by flowing Malbec. By day’s end, the flicker of candlelight in the log cabin and the scent of wild sage create an atmosphere of quiet luxury.
Each detail, from the mounted deer skulls to the enamel mugs, feels plucked from an interiors magazine. Sluggish Wi-Fi is replaced with siestas, storytelling, and the meditative task of saddling horses. Riders immerse themselves in the traditions of the pampas, donning bombachas and berets while mastering the intricacies of the recado saddle.
This is more than a riding trip—it’s a connection to a simpler, timeless way of life. From the camaraderie of the Criollos to the meditative silence of the Patagonian wilderness, every hour spent in the saddle is a reminder of life’s purest pleasures. Indeed, four legs are better than two.

This is undoubtedly the most stunning horseback journey in Patagonia.
This seven-day journey starts at approximately €7,000.
Reach out to start planning your unforgettable Patagonian adventure.
david@remoteexperiences.com

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NORTHWEST ARGENTINA UNDISCOVERED

david jules — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:32:00 +0000

Northwest Argentina is South-America in a glass. Lush, green valleys, arid plains, snowcapped vulcano’s, saltlakes,… When visiting this area there are two must-stays in the Salta Province: Bodega Colome near the town of Molinos and the House of Jasmines near Salta city. Colome is a wine estate owned by the excentric Swiss businessman Donald Hess who bought this estancia a couple of years ago and turned it very fast into a drinkable example of how ambitious new world wines can be. Here, at an altitude of 3002 meters, Hess experiments with high altitudes wines with lots of attitude and flavour. Bodega Colome is a dreamy estancia away from everything where gaucho’s en Indo’s rule the land. Perfect for the Latin America lover.

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FLYFISHING IN NOMAN’S LAND

david jules — Sun, 04 May 2008 01:12:00 +0000

Today my article about Nomads of the Seas got published in De Tijd, the financial newspaper in Belgium. A good reason to look back at this unique sailingtrip we did a good month ago. We cruised around the area of Puerto Montt in northern Patagonia on what is by any doubt one of the most high-tech ships in the world. Owner Andres Ergas made sure the hardware for this flyfishing expedition is top-end: 25 million dollar boat, US Army zodiac of one milion, state-of-the-art helicopter,… Definately the ultimate way to discover this end of the world and most of all, to (learn how to) flyfish. Mister Ergas is quite ambitious and is planning more ultimate experience places all over Chile. From ultra-skiing in the Andes to going deep into the Atacama desert. Will be interesting to follow that. On the other hand, tourism and hospitality in South-America is growing so fast, that even a high-end project like Nomads is suffering from growing pains. My feeling is they have to make sure that the software, or the people running these operations, is as good as their hardware. I guess they still have some fine-tuning to do. Let’s keep an eye on that!

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VALPARAISO, THE CREATIVITY OF A HARBOUR CITY

david jules — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:19:00 +0000

What we sometimes miss in Antwerp is that special harbour-city feel. You know that the harbour is there, but it’s far away from the citycenter and the hussle and bussle of the coming and going of the ships is missing. Here in Valparaiso, you look out of the window and you see the city below and a bit further the sea and it’s busy harbour. You hear and even smell the port. In the hills of Valparaiso, especially in Cerro Alegre and Cerro Conception, life goes a lot slower than down in the city center. Narrow street, colorful houses, more and more restaurants and bars…Good addresses to sleep are the newly opened Zero Hotel and a bit further down the road Casa Higueras. The last one offers a bit more classe with a nicely designed swimmingpool and a good restaurant with fantastic terrace and view on the city and port. A good up-to-date guidebook to discover the city is the blog Corrugated City. Matt moved from England to South-Amerika and made it’s way from Quito to Buenos Aires and finally ended here in Valparaiso.

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AUTUMN IN THE CALCHAGUA VALLEY IN CHILE

david jules — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:07:00 +0000

One of the most attractive things about Chile is it’s diversity in landscapes, climate, atmosphere and overall feeling. We went from chilly and wet Patagonia to dry and hot Atacama and now it’s the Colchagua Valley near Santiago de Chile that is getting under our skin. Why? Surely the place, the Clos Apalta vineyard and it’s guesthouse or rather villa style hotel, which is the main reason why we like this area so much. The views over the vineyards with all the autumn colors are specaculair. The wine and the food here are great. The services comes with a big S. The owners are the Grand Marnier family and they brought European expertise to the rich and fertile vineyards of Chile. A great place for tasting and experiencing how Chile made it’s way from a winecountry which was not that specaculair to a deserved spot on the A-list of good wine. When you visit Clos Apalta, make sure to have a chat with the Chilean winemaker Andrea Leon. She will explain about the fact that the vineyards are bio-dynamic and organic and how this contributes to the very good Clos Apalta wines.

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ATACAMA DESERT STYLE

david jules — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:27:00 +0000

Sizzling hot during the day, freezing cold at night. Not to forget one of the dryest places on earth. Handy for people like me who are used to the rain for almost 8 months a year. A new wave of hotels opened their doors here near or in San Pedro de Atacama. The old institude Explora is pretending the new ones are not there and continues their “this is not a hotel but an experience” philosophy. Let’s see how long they can hold on to it. Good options are Awasi for romance and privacy, Alto Atacama for unlimted views on the mountains and absolute silence at night and Tierra Atacama for good design, comfort and lot’s of space. And of course there’s still the desert waiting to be discovered… but at your own speed and only when you want it… don’t let them treat you like you are on bootcamp! Atacama is also about relaxing and enjoying the space and silence…

WWW.EXPLORA.COM
WWW.ALTOATACAMA.COM
WWW.TIERRAATACAMA.COM
WWW.AWASI.CL

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