Highlights Swim at La Serena, Chile's best beach resort, which enjoys a marvellous 310 days of sunshine a year Stay in a beautiful Chilean hacienda in the foothills of the Andes and ride in the surrrounding countryside See wonderfully contrasing flora; Algororbo trees and six-foot-high cacti in the North and wind-swept Nire trees in the south Ride trails among the towering granite peaks, crystal-clear lakes and 50,000-year-old glaciers of the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park

Day 1 Arrive Santiago. Connect to internal flight to La Serena where clients are met and transferred to a beautiful Chilean hacienda in the foothills of the Andes. Dinner included (except wine and drinks).
Day 2 Breakfast in the palm garden. At about 10am, we prepare for the Andean horseback adventure. Our German, English and Spanish-speaking team will help acquaint you with the riding horses, the riding style (similar to Western) and any safety precautions. At 10.30am, on Criollo horses, we begin the climb along an 'Inca Trail' to an Indian ritual site with well-preserved ancient rock paintings. Clear air allows magical views far down the valleys of the Andes and there will be enough time to take pictures. A picnic is served in the shade of ancient Algarobo trees. At around 5pm, we arrive back at the Hacienda in the green valley of Rio Hurtado for a candlelight dinner in the Comedor, the Hacienda's lovely restaurant.
Day 3 After breakfast, we prepare for an exploration of the upper Andes, packing for the trip into the wilderness. Around 10.30am, we set off. We pass through wild plateaus and canyons, ride the endless Sierra and enjoy a picnic lunch and an original Siesta. In the afternoon, we pass over heights of 2,000 metres with magical views down the valleys of the Andes. We camp in the green oasis of the Andes called Maiten. In front of a campfire, dinner is served. (Alternatively clients are welcome to change this two-day horseback adventure for two one-day adventures starting at the Hacienda. In this event your overnight stay would be in the comfortable hacienda.)
Day 4 We breakfast under the date trees and then ride into the Sierra Maiten and discover some extreme contrasts of nature. Minerals in the rocks of the Sierra cause them to shine in a wonderful array of colours. You will be fascinated by the green Algarobo trees, cacti as high as you are and the tranquility of this place. When riding back to the Hacienda, herdsmen with their goats might cross our way. We will eventually arrive back at the Hacienda at around 4pm; in plenty of time for a bath and some relaxation before dinner is served in the garden.
Day 5 Breakfast in the hacienda. Transfer to La Serena airport and take an internal flight to Punta Arenas in the far south of Chile. Spend the night in a comfortable, centrally located hotel in Punta Arenas and dinner in one of the town's fine restaurants.
Day 6 After breakfast, we board our comfortable transfer vehicle and start our journey across the Patagonian Steppe where we will have our first opportunity to see some of the unusual plant and animal life that exists in this area. First stop is the fascinating Magellanic Penguin Colony where we get a chance to photograph these pretty burrowing penguins in the wild. We then continue on to the beautifully located waterfront town of Puerto Natales for lunch and a little exploring. In the afternoon we continue on to see the Milodon Cave before arriving at the outpost town of Cerro Castillo where we spend our first night in the comfortable converted estancia of El Pionero. This villa built by settlers to Tierra del Fuego at the beginning of the century is our home for the night. Once home to one of the most important and influential estancieros in the region it offers comfortable accommodation and an excellent restaurant serving a variety of organic local foods and international cuisine. The fireside bar is an excellent place to enjoy a pisco sour while preparing for the adventures ahead. Comfortable en suite accommodation.
Day 7 Morning transfer to the Torres del Paine National Park and the beautifully situated estancia Lazo. With an enviable position on the shores of Laguna Verde and with fabulous views of the Horns of Paine, here we meet our horses and the dedicated baqueanos who care for them. After assigning horses to riders and a short familiarization and safety check we start out with a gentle horseback ride around this pretty lake through ancient southern-beech forests towards the Sierra del Toro. The morning ride is fairly relaxing as we wind our way through this pretty valley passing a number of lakes and mountain views. There is plenty of time to take photographs before we ascend to a lookout with fabulous views of the pampas and lakes below. After stopping to let the horses rest and admire the view we start our steep descent of the Sierra del Toro to the pampas below. Lunch will be taken in the valley and we will have a chance to visit the park headquarters to look at their relief map of the park. After lunch we will continue with an exhilerating canter across the wide open pampas to our accommodation at the Serrano River. Fantastic views of the horns, fishing available on request. En suite accommodation, dinner in restaurant (wine and drinks not included).
Day 8 After breakfast we will transfer to the stables to meet our horses for today's ride. Setting off once again across the pampas we have a chance to wake up with more exciting cantering in the shadow of the imposing craggy peaks known as the Cuernos or Horns of Paine. After a few hours we arrive at the little footbridge leading to Grey Beach. After dismounting and removing our saddlebags we head off with our lunch for a short walk and a memorable picnic on a little island offering views of the huge and ancient Grey Glacier. (Optional three-hour boat trip to the face of this immense Glacier: cost, $60). Icebergs will be seen floating in the grey waters of this frigid lake and there will be plenty of time to relax and take pictures before heading back to our horses for the afternoon ride back to the Serrano River and the second night at our lodge here.
Day 9 Today we will be setting off on one of the longest trail rides of the trip, initially started as an experiment, but now one of our most popular trail rides. The Paine Massif will unfold in front of us as we cross widely diverse scenery on our journey across the heart of the park. Mountain peaks dominate the horizon and we pass numerous lakes of startling colours, and rivers tumbling through tranquil green valleys. Herds of guanacos will be seen and flocks of birds accompany us on our trail rides through the forests. Wild flowers and orchids are nestled among the trees and line the trails. This is truly a fantastic and memorable ride. Finally, after arriving at the parks main entrance we take a short drive in the van to our fabulous base estancia, La Tercera Barranca. On arrival we will be greeted by the local baqueanos and settle into our comfortable 'homestay' accommodation. Time to enjoy pre-dinner drinks in front of the cosy log fire and admire some of the most spectacular views of any of the Park accommodations. Weather permitting, a traditional gaucho barbeque will be prepared under the multitude of stars.
Day 10 After a breakfast of coffee and home-made cakes and bread we will transfer to Punta Arenas stopping en route in Puerto Natales for some last-chance souvenir shopping. We arrive in Punta Arenas in time to relax before dinner in town. Night at Hotel Terra Sur.