Estancia Ranquilco: Epic Patagonia Horse pack Trips and Lodge Stays

I got the email inviting me to Estancia Ranquilco and in less than 24 hours my flight was booked.

The invitation was to experience one of their epic pack trips or Digital Detox Retreat, depending on my schedule. I opted for a pack trip. It sounded like the most adventurous choice.

I’ve ridden horses my whole life but am no expert. What I am is a childhood Annie Oakley wannabe, lifelong tourist trail rider and the biggest admirer there is of Argentina’s rural estancia culture and history.

So I said yes to this pack trip without questioning 6 hours in a saddle or camping (I had never camped before).

Jump first, figure out the details later.

Estancia Ranquilco

“Estancia Ranquilco is a family-owned 100,000 acre working ranch and vacation destination nestled in the Andean foothills of Northern Patagonia. A refuge in deep nature, guests from across the globe come to experience miles of unfenced horseback riding, world class fly fishing, and an opportunity to deeply reset away from the modern world.” – Ranquilco’s website

Estancia Ranquilco has been family-owned and operated since 1978 by a family from California.

Today they offer pack trips, retreats, and lodge stays, allowing you to choose your level of adventure.

Activities include seemingly endless miles of horseback trails across the expansive ranch, world-class fly fishing, hiking, and swimming in the river.

Patagonia Horse Pack Trips with Ranquilco

I chose their 7 night/8 day Alpine Lake Pack Trip & Lodge Stay itinerary, which included a 3 night pack trip with 2 nights at the lodge on either end.

Their full offerings include 3 and 5 night pack trip itineraries, lodge stays with day rides, and a Digital Detox Retreat. Read more here on their website.

I was happy with the three night pack trip, having never camped before this was a great introduction. We set up camp and called it home for all three nights.

More experienced outdoorsmen and riders may prefer the 5 night pack trip that follows a loop and changes campsites four times.

How to get to Estancia Ranquilco

Ranquilco is isolated and hard to reach (in all the right ways).

They have a few different access points, you can read about them here and discuss your trip directly with them.

Our group flew into the city of Neuquen, meeting at the airport at 10 am. We piled into two trucks for a 5 hour drive, including a vital lunch and bathroom pit stop.

We drove for a few hours down the highway before the pavement gave way to gravel. For the final hour we circled the Andean foothills upwards before turning onto a rocky path passing gaucho outposts and across pastures until we reached our destination – a gaucho puesto with our horses waiting.

We tumbled out of the trucks a little discombobulated from a long day of travel. I took off my sandals and put on my boots and tried to pretend I was a real rider (fooling no one).

At this particular puesto we had the luxury of a proper bathroom and fresh spring water. We freshened up and filled our water bottles for the ride to come.

From this puesto it is a 3 hour horseback ride to the Ranquilco Lodge. Ethan, our trusty leader for the week, gave us all a thorough briefing on safety before we saddled up for the ride.

If you don’t want to ride or are traveling with small children (the lodge stays do accommodate families) you can reach the lodge by truck, which is how our luggage traveled. But if you’re able, I highly recommend the ride.

TRAVEL NOTE: Being aware of Argentina’s notorious flight delays and cancellations I flew in one day early, just in case. I did this mostly because I was flying on Argentina’s most unreliable airline (Flybondi). It’s not a requirement, by any means, but it did give me peace of mind.

My Ranquilco Patagonia Pack Trip Experience

Our pack trip the 3 night trip to their Alpine Lake Puesto. (Puestos are gaucho outposts and you’ll hear them referenced in this review quite a bit.)

The entire itinerary is 7 nights – the 3 night pack trip with 2 nights at the lodge on either end.

Having two nights the ranch at the start of the trip allowed us to have one full day at the ranch before the pack trip.

The day was strategic, letting us catch up on rest from a long travel day. The guides could also use our first two rides to assess our riding ability and know whether we were on the right horse.

On this first full day we went on a short ride – 90 minutes out to a restful riverside picnic before riding back. We got to know our horses, our guides and the terrain.

So it was after two nights of restful sleep and group bonding at the lodge that we finally saddled up for our first long day in the saddle – 6 hours to our campsite and home base in the mountains.

I admit I was worried about such a long ride but, somehow, the time flew by. By the time we stopped for lunch we’d already been riding for four hours, ascending easy hills and crossing the grassy plateau.

The final two hours were a harrowing thrill as we descended into the valley where we’d be camping. The rocky trail narrowed as we rode the switch backs down the mountain. We were nervous but our horses were not, stepping surefooted onto the rocky path.

The highlight of the ride was when a condor soared just over our heads.

We got to camp with plenty of daylight left to set up our tents while the crew settled in the horses, set up the campsite and made the campfire that would be our living room for the next three nights.

Liz, our resident chef from Melbourne, expertly got to work crafting the first of many memorable campfire meals. We ate, sipped on well deserved wine, and I slept in a tent for the very first time. (I’m now officially a camping convert).

Patagonia Pack Trip: Alpine Lake Puesto

We had two layover days – two full days to ride and enjoy our location.

For our first full day we woke up to a slow breakfast around the campfire before saddling up for the day’s ride.

The menu for dinner was Patagonia lamb and an asado we’d enjoy with all the neighboring gauchos. So we started the day with a ride over to the local grocery store (a.k.a. the gaucho who would dispatch the night’s meal and bring it on over around 5 pm).

With dinner properly planned we then rode to Laguna Negra for a picnic and a rest. Some swam, some fished, and I stood in the cool water chatting with a friend. Liz, resident chef and fly fisherwoman, caught 5 trout in rather quick succession (rounding out the night’s menu).

I was excited to end the afternoon with a quick casting lesson from Liz. My dad is an avid fly fisherman and I’ve always wanted to learn. I enjoyed myself but contributed nothing to the night’s menu.

Later at the campsite, Claudio brought our lamb over and quickly got to work on the night’s asado. His brother Juan also arrived and got to work on the torta frita (a traditional fried bread) that would accompany the lamb.

We ate extremely well and hung around the campfire late into the night. I can’t stress enough how much fresh veggies we ate tonight and throughout the trip (that the gauchos jokingly referred to as grass for the horses).

For our second layover day we had a short but fun ride. By now, everyone seemed infinitely more relaxed in their saddles and with each other.

We went on an easy ride to a couple different panoramic viewpoints with a hillside picnic.

We came back to our campsite with plenty of time to rest since we had another 6 hour ride to return to the lodge the following day. I used the time to do yoga in front of my tent. My muscles and bones were in desperate need of a good stretch.

We spent one final night around the campfire. Some learned and practiced knots. Others (me) chatted the night away. Conversation always flowed. I’d like to think we were a special group but I think trips like this attract a certain kind of people… people that will inevitably get along well.

On our final morning we packed up camp and re-traced our steps back to the lodge. The previously harrowing descent was much easier on the ascent and the views were just as stunning.

We had a picnic lunch at Raul’s puesto one more time before riding the final hours back home.

And this review would not be complete withing saying that when we got home I took the best shower of my life before eating one of the best meals of my life.

Bob, the other resident chef, had been braising beef for a French Daube for two days. He served it with white beans, polenta and ratatouille. It felt like we were coming back home as the rest of the ranch family was waiting for us, eager to hear about our trip.

We had two nights and one final day at the lodge to rest before departing. I went on a short optional ride in the morning and spent the afternoon swimming in the Trocoman River just downhill from the lodge.

The trip ended with another epic asado of two of the ranch’s goats with the entire ranch family – gauchos, travelers, and the international team of carpenters, guides, gardeners and jacks of all trades.

Patagonia has been suffering from a harsh drought for years but our trip officially ended with a welcome storm. Everyone celebrated the rain before I went to bed for one final time as part of the Estancia Ranquilco family.

What to know: FAQ’s and Packing Tips

The most important thing to plan for a trip like this is what to pack. I won’t go into too much detail because Ranquilco provides detailed packing lists for their trips.

But I will give some tips that I think would be useful to keep in mind:

• Pack whatever you can and whatever MUST HAVE into your carry-on. Lost luggage on a trip like this can be a major headache, as someone on our group found out the hard way.
• You need to pack your gear for your pack trip into one medium duffel (40-60 liter) or two small duffels (20-30 liters) to pack them onto the mules. But you can pack for your entire trip into whatever size/type of luggage you want, as it will be brought to the lodge on a truck. I re-packed into the duffels once at the lodge.
• This region of Patagonia is very dry and at altitude. You need to hydrate way more than you think you do and you need to take sun protection seriously.
• Pack two large water bottles. A classic Nalgene is lightweight and easy to pack but a straw bottle like was easy for me to drink from quickly on the go on rides.
• You don’t need to pack a water filter like this. Your guides will have filters to provide potable water.
• Wear sunscreen and re-apply all day. Don’t miss spots like the back of your hands or your ankles, but it’s far better to wear gloves and long pants/socks that provide coverage (and keep you clean from the dust).
• Speaking of dust and sun, bring bandanas and a neck gaiter to cover your nose and mouth on rides. Don’t underestimate the amount of dust that will be in your face for hours on end. It’s a practical item but looking like a wild west bandido is a bonus.
• Bring a hat that straps under your chin or be prepared to lose it in the wind.
• You want tough pants that can hold up to the thorny Patagonia bushes, jeans or Argentine bombachas de campo are ideal.
• If you’re a rider with a good tall riding boot, then bring them. If you’re not, then classic Blundstones were a good strong boot that was popular with the group. If you want half-chaps for your short boots bring them (or borrow them from the ranch).
• Laundry services – Ranquilco does offer laundry services – machine washed and line dried.

Book your trip

If you want to visit Ranquilco, then check their website here for their pack trip and retreat schedules or contact them about a lodge stay.

Thanks again to Estancia Ranquilco for inviting me on this pack trip. Opinions, as always, expressed in this review are 100% my own.