Sierras Chicas

Day 1: Arrival & introductory ride

This morning, a transfer service will meet us at Córdoba Airport (or your hotel, if you’ve flown in the day before) for the hour’s drive to the estancia.

After freshening up and tucking into a late lunch, we will meet the gauchos and guides and mount up for an afternoon ride. Astride sturdy Criollos, nestled into comfy, sheepskin-covered saddles, we will come to grips with the gaucho style of riding, i.e. long legs, deep seat and neck reining.

Afterwards, our host Kevin will join us as the chefs light up the parilla and raid the garden for a fabulous welcome dinner under the stars.

Day 2: Top of the World

We’re heading to the highest point on the estancia today, otherwise known as the ‘Top of the World’, to appreciate the spectacular views out over the Sierras Chicas. It’s here in this 1000-acre field that we’ll begin moving the cows and their calves towards ‘Chiviquin’, (the estancia’s cattle station, and the gauchos’ home). Driving the cattle out through the gates, the gauchos will dot salt bags around the yard for the cattle to dive into (it’s quite comical!) while we head back to the main house for lunch in the garden and a siesta.

This afternoon, the gauchos will give us a demonstration and introduction to the Peruvian Paso horse. We’ll learn more about this amazing five-gaited horse while trying out their super-smooth paces for ourselves on the afternoon ride.

Tonight, the chef will open the farm kitchen doors and invite us to join her in preparing some traditional local dishes whilst sampling some fabulous Argentine wines.

Day 3: Polo Day

Get ready to try your hand at the ‘Sport of Kings’ – polo! We’ll ride down to the polo field for a short lesson followed by some practice ‘stick and ball’, then we’ll play a few chukkas of this highly addictive game. After a long asado (barbeque) lunch, we’ll sit back and make the most of a lazy afternoon in the hammocks or by the pool. There’s also the option to join one of the guides for a birdwatching walk over the rolling hills, before heading back to the estancia for afternoon tea or an Aperol Spritz on the verandah before dinner.

Day 4: Cattle mustering

Today we’ll discover our inner gaucho as we help the incredibly skilled gauchos round up the estancia’s award-winning Aberdeen Angus cattle, collecting them from the far corners of the farm and moving them to the cattle station so they’re ready for sorting and branding at the week’s end.

Following lunch ‘gaucho style’ under a shady tree and a siesta in hammocks (bliss!), we’ll see if we can master the art of the lasso in the corrals, before enjoying some lovely long canters and spotting burrowing owls and condors on the ride back to the estancia.

In the evening, Kevin will treat us to a tasting of some of the best local wines, especially Argentina’s famous Malbec.

Day 5: Cordoba excursion

We’re taking a day off from our gaucho apprenticeship today, heading out to explore Córdoba City. Córdoba is known for its rich colonial heritage, with numerous historic buildings and UNESCO-listed monuments, along with one of Argentina’s oldest universities. The city offers a wonderful day out and after learning about its history, we’ll make a shopping trip to Arandu – our favourite tack shop in the WORLD. Arandu is the home of all things gaucho, and the perfect place to pick up a few items to wear in the coming days, and back home.

For lunch, we’ll head to the Azur Real for a taste of Córdoba’s best food and a great rooftop view of the city, followed by an afternoon in an award-winning spa. YES, you read that right, and yes, it’s all-inclusive! (Just pay for your own alcohol, if you’d like some at the spa.) A drive back to the estancia gets us there in time for a candlelit dinner in the ‘Establo’.

Day 6: Cattle work

This morning, the gauchos are out in force and the cattle work is at its pinnacle: all the cows need to be rounded up and moved close to the corrals, where they will be separated according to gender and age – those to be sold at the end of the summer and those to keep. This is an important moment for Kevin and headman Lucas, as they decide what size herd, and which animals, to keep over the difficult winter months. This is based on various factors, but ultimately comes down to the condition and confirmation of the individual cow. Alongside the team, we will enter the corral on foot and join in as the gauchos start sorting the herd’s future mothers.

After a picnic lunch, we’ll leave the corrals and ride in the direction of Las Tasas, through plunging gorges and over soaring mountain tops, to reach a gorgeous natural swimming hole where we can dive, swim, or take a snooze in the late afternoon sun. Dinner will once again be enjoyed at the main estancia.

Day 7: Branding day

It’s branding day at last! And time to debut any gear you bought from Arandu – ponchos, leather belts, felt caps – today, everyone at the estancia is celebrating all things gaucho! Some of the team will have left before sunrise to light the fires and round up any stray cattle, and after breakfast, we’ll head out to meet them. Riding up and over the hills, we’ll arrive at Chiviquin, where the hills echo with the bellows of cattle and gauchos alike.

Plumes off dust puff into the air as the cattle are herded in one-by-one, roped by the gauchos, and then quickly branded by the team on the ground. We can get as involved – or not – as we please, and either way, it’ll be a very exciting morning! The branding itself is a remarkably quick process thanks to the gauchos’ finesse, and all the calves are returned to their mothers before midday.

Lunch today is family style next to the corrals: the chefs will cook up an asado, the gauchos will help, and soon the cattle station will become a place of celebration. The hard work for the year is done and everyone can relax! Lunch will stretch into a glorious afternoon fiesta where the traditional drinks of sangria, fernet branca and cold beers are on offer, the gauchos might sing, dance or play guitar, and everyone is invited to join in. Knowing how Globetrotting Guided rides usually go, it’ll be culturally rich, raucous, and downright hilarious!

As the afternoon draws to a close, we’ll saddle up and head down the track for the short ride home, where we’ll toast to a successful week with cocktails on the verandah.

Day 8: Departure

Today we’ll share one last tasty breakfast together at the estancia, then say goodbye to the wonderful team who have shared their lives with us over this incredible week, and pile into the transfer vehicle for the drive back to Córdoba city.

Onward flights can be booked for 2pm or later.