Horseback Ride at La Petrona

Very close to Esquel, we rode a sumptuous horse around Valle Chico (Small Valley) and appreciated the natural wonders treasured by this region. We hired this relaxing tour at a local travel agency.

The man in charge of horseback rides picked us up at the arranged spot and took us down to La Petrona. At this venue, there are several expeditions on horseback available, lasting from two to three hours, according to the demands of each visitor.

The venue is a typical Patagonian estancia with an orchard, livestock –especially sheep- and activities related to agricultural tourism or estancia tourism.

While the guide was looking for the horses, the owner invited us with some delicious mate and tortas fritas to mitigate the waiting. As we chatted with these people, we immediately noticed their friendly tone, typical of rural men and women who provide everything necessary for visitors to feel at home.

We also observed the practice of sheep shearing and learned about the various techniques and cuts that improve the quality of the wool.

Suddenly, we noticed our horses had already been saddled and were waiting to be ridden. Special attention has been paid to the horse tack in order to provide the necessary comfort for this kind of tours in which the way up and down steep slopes is to be covered.

We set out following the animal’s pace. The guide gave us some explanations about the local flora and birds as we climbed quite a large hill. As we reached the top, we felt the wind caressing our foreheads and watched an immense mountain rage that skirts the area. From that height, we watched the estancia shell, which looked like a tiny scale model.

We continued riding, now trotting, as we watched cerro Colorado (the Red Hill), Nahuel Pan Hill, cerro de la Cruz (the Cross Hill) and the mountain ranges named Situación and Esquel. We discovered the various hues of the rocks that make up these magnificent walls and observed that all of its peaks were snow-capped.

We were surprised to see the different vegetation to both sides: we were immersed in an “ecotone”, a transition ecosystem where the Valdivian rainforest and the Patagonian steppe converge. We could watch calafate bushes and a green and fertile swamp below where lots of calves were grazing.

That meadow invited us to see it from a close distance. Therefore, we started our way down. We got to the site where the timing and the situation are appropriate for galloping. The scared cows scattered all around as we started running. After some meters, we slowed down and went across a flooded low-lying area. We spattered a little water but the thrill and the sensation of freedom seemed to minimize any inconvenience.

We were astonished by the silence, the quietness and the natural beauty around. We just enjoyed the site as we rode those beautiful animals.

It was time to start our way back to the venue and call it a day. As we arrived, we gave some water to the horses and set them free in their corresponding pens. They started to run with their manes in the wind, thankful for having recovered their independence.

We bade farewell to the locals and went back to the city. We had the feeling that something had changed inside our souls.