This ride is a journey through contrasts. In just five days, you’ll pass from high-altitude deserts to lush subtropical forests, tracing ancient trails through Salta’s most spectacular and varied landscapes.
It begins in the city of Salta, with the option to join a traditional folk gathering at La Casona del Molino – music, food, and the warm welcome of the region. The next morning, the horses are saddled, and the route leads you into the Calchaquí Valleys: trails lined with willows, giant cacti standing like sentinels, and red rock formations carved by centuries of wind.
The climb to 3,500 meters is demanding but deeply rewarding – the air grows thin, the horizon opens wide, and the silence of the high country settles around you. From there, the path drops sharply into the Yungas, a world of dense, humid forest alive with scent and sound, before opening again to the grasslands of the Lerma Valley.
Evenings are spent in remote mountain shelters, where the fire is both warmth and gathering place. Local dishes taste richer after a day in the saddle, and the bond between rider, horse, and landscape grows with each mile.
The final approach to Las Torres offers one last sweeping view before returning to Salta – the dust of the trail still on your boots, and the memory of each landscape fresh in your mind.
Salta, Major city in northwestern Argentina with an international airport
We welcome you the night before the horseback riding departure to join us in a traditional and authentic folk gathering. Enjoy folk music from the region. The place is called “La Casona del Molino” (not included in the horseback riding cost).
We depart from the meeting point in the capital of Salta and travel through the magical landscapes offered by the Bishop’s Slope, arriving at Amblayo, where we will have lunch and the horses will be ready for the first adaptation stretch; we will head towards Yalasguala, passing through “La Salamanca”, a place where the legend of La Salamanca originates, we take the Yalasguala River and exit to the “Camino de Santa Rosa”, arriving at the “Cienego” where the immensity of the willows and cactus surprises us with their beauty. We end the first day until we reach Yalasguala where we will spend the night and enjoy one of the typical local meals.
After breakfast, we saddle up and head south among the immense cactus. As the large number of cactus disappear, we can appreciate different earth colors where we are traveling to reach a river of salt water. Then we approach the rock formations which provide us with shade and wind protection to have lunch. After a short nap, we start among the rocks of different colors and shapes to arrive in the afternoon where homemade bread and Amblayo cheese await us. In the evening, we will enjoy a good barbecue.
We leave a panoramic view of the bald hill and climb to the summit where you can see the two varieties of landscapes, the limit of the Calchaquí Valley and Lerma Valley from where you can see the panoramic view of the Cabra Corral dam. Then, we descend towards the Lerma valley, stopping at Primer Mesada, where we will have lunch while the horses rest. After lunch, we will resume the road towards the Churqui Gorge. In the La Viña department territory, we enter the true Salta yunga. In the afternoon we arrive at Churqui where we will sleep in a mountain shelter.
We leave from El Churqui along narrow paths and, uphill, crossing the last part of the vegetation. We leave the forests, and we focus on the high peaks of La Abra Colorada. Reaching the highest point of the journey at approximately 3500 meters. Then we descend towards El Viejo Rancho where small native bushes from the Calchaquí Valleys predominate. Where we will spend our last night.
We will visit the town, passing by the missionary cross viewpoint and continue towards the picturesque bald hill, heading towards “Las Torres”, three giant pyramids where you can appreciate a panoramic view of the town. After lunch, we return to the city of Salta. We will arrive in the city of Salta at approximately 6:00 p.m
Empowering Rural Communities: Your participation directly supports families and communities in remote areas of Argentina. By choosing this tour, you help sustain rural livelihoods and create opportunities for economic development.
Preserving Gaucho Traditions: Immerse yourself in the timeless gaucho lifestyle, celebrating Argentina’s rich heritage of horse breeding, ranching, and cultural traditions. This helps ensure these practices continue to thrive for future generations.
Promoting Responsible Breeding: Ride Criollo horses bred with care for their gentleness and functionality. These horses reflect a deep commitment to sustainability and equine welfare, supporting a responsible approach to horseback adventures.
Connecting People and Culture: Guided by passionate locals, this tour offers you a unique cultural exchange. By learning directly from descendants of gauchos, you contribute to preserving their stories and way of life.
As the horseback riding tour in Argentina is an adventure activity, we may modify routes or activities due to force majeure or fortuitous event due to natural or man-made situations.
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