Horse Riding in Cafayate, Salta

by Cami

 

As I mentioned in my other piece, Discovering Salta on a Horse, once in that beautiful province it was a must to go to Cafayate. We couldn’t leave without having another ride in the Calchaqui Valleys and getting to know that wonderful place everybody talked about.

 

We went from Salta’s city to Cafayate by car. It’s a two and a half, three hour trip more or less, although it’s only 190 kilometers. The view is amazing and it is a very entertaining road, full of curves and incredible landscapes. I love to drive, so for me it was a lot of fun.

 

Our horse contact in Cafayate was Hernan. He’s a very kind young man, also a horse lover. He was very amiable from the very first contact, eager to meet us and show us his place. We were anxious to meet him too and share a ride with him and his horses. We could tell without seeing him already he was a horse addict like us.

The ranch

Hernan´s place is half an hour away by car from Cafayate. It’s an old family belonging, and you can tell he’s very proud and takes good care of it. It’s simple and nice, and most important, the horses are lovely and well taken care of. As soon as you get there, you feel the peace and silence of being on the outskirts of a town.

 

When we got there, he was already waiting for us under a tree, getting the horses ready for the adventure. Cafayate is really pretty, but I was already eager to get to know its lands on the back of a horse. The experience, at least for me, allows me to feel and know new lands in a different way. It’s like a private date with the place.

 

Our horses were huge and strong. They were definitely eating alright. The surroundings right next to us didn’t show any signs of having a lot of grass, it was mostly this reddish soil. Hernan told us he gave them their grass ration every day. One could see in an instant he took really good care of his horses. I liked him immediately.

The rides

The good thing about Hernan’s place is that he has around five circuits, all of different durations, that can be done in one day. The prices are also really accessible. For a place like Cafayate this is great because people tend to go here for a short period of time. Day rides are easy to coordinate, easy to fit in one’s agenda, and if one really enjoys them, easy to repeat the next day (a different ride, of course). This last obviously happened to me and my partner.

 

All of the circuits are fit for visitors with or without experience. That’s another great thing. Hernan is very attentive to his guests. With beginners, he takes his time to teach them the basics about horses. He is very good at making one feel comfortable and safe. Before leaving the ranch, he makes all the necessary demonstrations of how to handle a horse. He told us all of this as he was putting on the saddles.

 

We did a three-hour ride that went along the Colorado River (which is basically dry most of the year) to the southeast. Leaving the ranch behind, we faced a large arid field full of the typical shrubs and plants. As the horses took us deeper in the valley, the land got red and we were suddenly riding among a mountain canyon. The color was breathtaking, the red soils and rocks and formations were all around us.

A magical place

I had had this feeling already in Rodrigo’s five day horse riding adventure. It was also in the Calchaqui Valleys and already the first day in his ranch there was this feeling of magic in the air, of something mystical going on there. The same thing happened in these red soils with Hernan. The place had this special vibe going on that one could just feel it in the skin.

 

The horses took us through the canyon, zig zagging their way between the red earth and sediments. It was really cool. The place was embracing us, the path was getting thinner and thinner as we moved forward. We finally came to a stop and got down. It was not possible to continue by horse. Hernan led the way and showed us around while our horses rested. It was a lot of fun, we took a lot of photos.

 

As we returned, we kept talking with Hernan about the place and the other rides. We were already planning which other circuit we wanted to do the next day. The one we had done was incredible, but it was a calmer one. There was another circuit to the green fields, in the opposite direction, that allowed visitors to gallop in the wide pastures. This was very tempting. Hernan also told us that he had a full moon ride which was fantastic.

Also in Cafayate

Besides Hernan’s ranch and his beautiful horses, Cafayate is a great touristic place. The landscape couldn’t be any nicer, firstly, and secondly it has the element of the wine and the wineries. What could be more perfect? There is nothing like visiting lovely wineries in such a handsome locality.

My weapon of choice is usually beer or Fernet but I do appreciate a good wine. I was very impressed by the amount of wineries there are all around Cafayate. One can be easily entertained with all of them. They are always pretty and a good opportunity to eat and drink something special in a beautiful place.

 

We visited the winery “El Esteco”. It was wonderful! Of course, we were drawn into it because it had the option of a horse ride around the vineyard. As I said before, for me there is no better way of getting to know a place. We went in the afternoon, just in time for a lovely ride around the fields with the sunset falling on us. It was perfect!

 

The nights

During the night, we had dinner in another winery called “Bad Brother”. This was right next to the main square. The place was original, different to other wineries, but in a good way. It was cool and beautiful. The food was amazing and the wine delicious. There were even some captivating paintings of an Argentinian author who is a specialist doing horses and folklore related drawings. The combo was just perfect.

 

There are also many other bars and restaurants. The place is full of options. We were just too tired to continue but it wasn’t because of a lack of where to go. We were full of horses and wine and yummy food and our bodies just cried for a good night’s sleep.

 

Cafayate is astonishing. A great place to ride, a great place to eat and drink, a great place for nature and adventure. It’s a must when one visits Salta. It even has great small towns around that are also worth visiting, all along Route 40. We also drove along there, and it was amazing.