Relax in the remote heart of the Patagonian Andes. The journey takes you across southern beech forests and gemstone-colored lakes to this exclusive Island retreat. In the middle of nowhere, enjoy warm local hospitality and exquisite cuisine while you leave the rest of the world behind.
In / out private transfers, full – board accommodation & meals (half bottle of wine per person at dinner in Bandurrias) including 1 night at a fabulous retreat on Bandurrias Island, boxlunch on day 1 and lunch menu at a restaurant in day 2 (1 non-alcoholic drink included). Jet motorboat, local guides, tour leader, VHF radio & communication equipment.
Please note: Lake crossing is subject to weather conditions, please request availability and the possibility of crossing to Argentina (or Chile) before selling the program.
Relax in the remote heart of the Patagonian lakes. The journey takes you through enchanted forests of southern beech, native coihue and cypress, across pure blue rivers and lakes to our beautiful island, Las Bandurrias, in the middle of the unspoiled Lago Las Rocas. This is truly a very special place where you will be able to relax, enjoy warm homely hospitality and exquisite cuisine, to swim or kayak in the crystal clear water or just quietly contemplate the peace and beauty of this place. You will feel as if you have left the hurly burly of the rest of the world far behind.
On Las Bandurrias you will find the main house, built in the local rustic style many years ago and decorated and furnished with a delightful fusion of French and Chilean influences. The house is surrounded by a colourful garden, full of native bird life, including abundant humming birds. You will be warmly hosted here for aperitifs and enjoy a convivial evening of lovingly created cuisine and conversation, while just a short walk away, along a fairy-lit path through the woods, you will find our guest cabin. This tastefully decorated and spacious cabaña can accommodate up to four people in the upstairs bedroom, with a bathroom and fabulous views over the lake, and there is a further private en-suite double or twin bedroom downstairs, overlooking the terrace and the mountains beyond. There is a large but cosy living/dining room in the cabin, and a fully equipped kitchen.
We are sure that you will find your stay on Bandurrias Island a highlight of your trip.
BANDURRIAS ISLAND PROGRAMS.
OTHER ACTIVITIES.
This Patagonian refuge is located at the edge of the Chubut River, in Argentina. A remote area in the heart of the foothills. The house is provided with a traditional wood stove, two double bedrooms, a bathroom with a wood fuel water heater system and a living room with a fireplace and one more bed. Everything is made in this place to make your stay a unique experience. The refuge is a warm and comfortable mountain house, decorated in an exquisite rustic style that uses materials from nature. Outside, separated, two yurts, situated in front of the Chubut River. Every yurt has a wooden floor and comfy beds for three people each and with ethnic decoration; the bathrooms in the yurts are shared among the room mates. Made from quality construction, this cosy refuge will allow you to enjoy a well-deserved rest. There is no telephone signal and electricity. It is the perfect place for those who need to disconnect from noise in the most sincere connection with the environment.
We will be invited in inhabitant’s houses, which is an excellent occasion to share in their lifestyle. Houses are very cosy although rustic, with shared bedrooms and facilities. These extremely charming houses offer basic accommodation mostly in twin, triple or dorm rooms with shared bathroom and hot shower. In some places, lodging will be in large rooms with mattresses on the floor. Food is organically grown and sourced from local gardens; dishes are cooked deliciously on fire stoves as well as the Chilean
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Horses in Patagonia, most of the time, are born and raised there, so they have less difficulty in traveling certain places and are experts in crossings between Chile and Argentina through trails, rivers, forests and amazing places.
The Chilean Horse:
The Horse Criollo descends from the horses brought to South America by the Spaniards. Each country adapted, mixed and improved the breed according to its geography and use and the horse of this zone is a more a mixture of Arabic and English. Medium sized and robust, the Chilean Criollo are forward-going, safe, docile and firm horses.
They are extremely hardy and willing to respond to demanding situations. The Chilean horse is muscular, strong, fast and agile, with its own particular characteristics that make it perfectly well suited to our kind of riding as well as being ideal in working cowboy conditions.
Our horses are born and bred in the area and for this reason, know the roads they travel. The saddle is a frame of light wood with metallic finish and it has two cantles, known as cabecilla, at the front and rear. On the top are layers of sheep pelts, which make it a padded and very comfortable seat.
The Argentine Horse:
This breed descends from the Spanish horses brought by the conquistadors in the 16th century. Since then, they have acquired extraordinary qualities of hardiness, resistance and adaptation to the environment, aptitudes to which they add their great patience, agility and docility. With a short and wide head with a pointed muzzle, a muscular neck, a wide chest, powerful flanks and short and strong legs, the Criollo is an animal especially suitable for fieldwork.
It is similar to a saddle horse, in terms of balance and conformation, strong constitution, and a low centre of gravity. The Criollo is sure footed with a loose gait, agile and fast in his movements. The breed is defined by its rusticity, longevity, fertility, resistance, courage, power of recovery and aptitude for cattle work.
The saddle has been specially designed for both endurance and comfort, as well as practicality when saddling/unsaddling.
Depending on each program, we will visit different local accommodations that will give us a view of what life is like in Patagonia, discovering its flavors, aromas and colors.
