Criollos Wild Land

Barra de Valizas

At Tres Cruces bus terminal in Montevideo you catch the bus to the Rocha region. The journey is 4 hours and from the road you may see large herds of cattle in their pastures pasturelands, horses and gauchos working with them.
At Los Chajá Ecolodge, in Barra de Valizas, you meet the team and horses while you enjoy the first lunch together. Meet your horse and start riding through the woods to a hidden lagoon where you can have a refreshing swim! Once on the horses again, return to Los Chajá along the Atlantic coast for a long canter with the surf.
Dinner and overnight at Los Chajá Ecolodge.

3 hours total riding

Cabo Polonio

The day starts taking the horses across the mouth of Valizas’ river, ridden or towed by boat, depending on the tides. A full day ride will go through a fascinating dune system, now a national park, to Cabo Polonio – a fishing village turned ‘low key’ beach resort. The village is only accessible through these shifting sand dunes, making it a fascinating outpost. After visiting the ancient lighthouse and watching to part of the biggest sea lion colony in the Americas, have lunch at a typical local restaurant, with fresh fish, seaweed, and other typical local seafood on the menu. Ride back to Valizas via pine forests. At the end of today’s adventure, if the weather conditions allow it, have the opportunity to swim with our horses!
Dinner and overnight at Los Chajá Ecolodge.

5 hours total riding

Great Ombú Forest

After a special homemade breakfast watching the South American screamers (Chauna torcuata) and the many different storks, egrets, and ibis from your room, start early in the morning on a ride towards the Castillos Lagoon wetlands. During the morning riding you’ll cross pasturelands and ancient Estancias towards the second biggest lagoon in Uruguay, a central part of the IBA 20 (Important Bird and Biodiversity Area). This area is home of more than 270 different species of resident and migrating birds, such as the South American screamer, Rhea Americana, Flamingo and the beautiful Black neck swan. Ride through the unique Ombú forest, a very strange botanical formation that surrounds the shore of the lagoon. You may see colorful birds such as the Pink egret (Platalea ajaja) and native mammals as capibaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) and armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus).

The first camping site is in Barra Grande, a private biodiversity reserve, where conservation and production are equal priorities.
Dinner and camping at Barra Grande

6 hours total riding

Highlands

A vastly different landscape is waiting today. Start early in the morning, riding into drier and rockier lands. Cross pastures and palm forests, appreciating the changing landscape.

At midday enjoy a picnic stop, where the criollo’s saddles are a fundamental part for the deserved siesta! In the afternoon arrive at El Mirador in Cerro de los Rocha. This is a private reserve located just in middle of a natural viewpoint where you can appreciate a view of the trails you have and will be riding. The camping site is in middle of the native sierra forest, full of birdlife and unspoiled nature. Millions of stars and the nature sounds are the perfect atmosphere for the camp fire and dinner.
Dinner and camping at El Mirador.

6 hours total riding

Black Lagoon

The reward for the ones who wake up early before down is the spectacular scenery under the rays’ first light. Today’s riding is one of the most fascinating, toward the coast leaving behind the highlands. Many different species of woodpeckers, colorful churrinches and noisy bandurrias are just some of the most characteristic birds you may see on the way. In the afternoon arrive at Don Bosco, a Salesian colony. On the shore of the Black Lagoon, with beautiful views and by the beautiful Higuerones forest – the biggest Ficus native tree in Uruguay – it is a wonderful place to camp!
Dinner and camping at Don Bosco (optional room accommodation for extra cost)

5-6 hours total riding

Higuerones forest

After breakfast, start off with the horses for a half-day ride. You’ll visit the Cerro de la Virgen from the highest point in the area with 360 degree lookout with a local gaucho. Next you visit the forest of Higuerones, where the enormous and ancient plants with huge roots that point to the ground are so special that many of them have a their own first names. Return to the campsite for lunch.

In the afternoon have time to rest, enjoy the peace of the Lagoon and recharge batteries for the next days. Relax on the lagoon, trek and birdwatch as options to enjoy here.
Dinner and camping at Don Bosco (optional room accommodation for extra cost)

2 hours total riding

Estancia

Start riding through the estancia, crossing wetlands and the palm tree forests so characteristic of this area. More than 7000 centenary palm trees per hectare makes this place unique! This is a special day to see to see wild capibaras on the wetlands, but you need to be very silent and pay special attention to the guide’s instructions.

Find a special spot for picnic in middle of the wetlands. Lots of historical events happened around these ancient palm trees, which you will be discovering along the ride. Continue riding toward the Atlantic coast, reaching the campsite just next to the
beach.
Dinner and camping at Los Moros

5 hours total riding

Departure or continue to beach

Ride back along the beach to the stable in Valizas. Pass through a village called Aguas Ducles, and enjoy beautiful canters on the hard beach with a view of sand dunes. Once back at Los Chajá Ecolodge you’ll end the week with a delicious lunch and final brindis before transferring back to Montevideo.

3 hours total riding

Or you can choose to extend the tour with two additional days. Today you will start by riding on the beach to the north, enjoying an open and endless beach, unlikely to see another person! It will be more likely to see dolphins close in the surf or some sea birds fishing in open waters. At midday you’ll stop in the shade close the coast, to enjoy a picnic and let the horses rest before you continue.

Reach Punta del Diablo, originally a fisherman village turned into the surfers paradise, enjoying some canters on the hard sand. You’ll be able to visit this characteristic village before reaching the lodge, a cozy Posada.
Dinner and overnight at Punta del Diablo.

5 hours total riding

Santa Teresa Fortress

Start riding from Punta del Diablo to get arrive at the Santa Teresa National Park, a recreational forest administrated by the national army. Visit the different greenhouses where diverse tropical and sub-tropical species of native and foreign plants as well as more of 300 different kinds of roses are cared by the soldiers. This is a particularly good place to see the protected native fauna like Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu) and the Yellow Cardinal (Gubernatrix cristata) as it is a protected reserve. After a picnic lunch under centenary trees, continue riding to reach the ancient fortress of Santa Teresa, a Portuguese-Spanish construction made to protect the border between both empires, a
place of dozens of battles. Riding your horse around it make you feel like if you are of that time.

Visit the Cerro Verde and Islas de La Coronilla National Park, another Protected Area (SNAP) where the protagonists are the sea turtles! Arrive at the very comfortable Hotel Parque Oceánic, next to the ocean with warm and cold water swimming pools and an outdoor Jacuzzi, where you’ll enjoy dinner and overnight.

6 hours total riding

Beach gallops

After a delicious breakfast, start riding into La Coronilla, a well-known gaucho’s town on the Atlantic coast, and the countryside that surrounds it. Finish the day and the adventure with exceptionally long gallop along the pristine beach.
Lunch and transfer back to Montevideo