Horseback riding through the Sierras in Argentina

A morning in the saddle across mountain trails, with a gaucho's lunch between rides.

A full-day horseback riding experience in the Sierras near Córdoba, Argentina, where you spend roughly three hours riding across mountain terrain, tour a working farm, and share a traditional gaucho meal with wine. The guide speaks English or Spanish and keeps the pace low-difficulty. The day runs about ten hours total and suits riders of any fitness level who want to move at a countryside rhythm rather than a tourist schedule.

The experience

What does a day in the saddle actually look like here? You start at El Rosal ranch in Agua de Oro, in the Sierras Chicas, where the guide walks you through the farmhouse and its history: 300-year-old adobe buildings, stone corrals, and the mortars the Comechingones people left behind. Then you mount up for the first ride, roughly ninety minutes across the mountain routes, moving at a pace that lets you take in the landscape without strain. The horses are trained to a calm temperament and live free in the mountains, so they know the terrain better than any instruction could teach.

After the first ride, you rest for an hour on the banks of the Chavascate stream while the guide prepares lunch: a spread of local salami and homemade bread, asado (grilled criollo with at least three cuts), salad, and grilled seasonal vegetables, with a bottle of red Malbec wine or soft drinks. This is the meal the ranch eats, not a tourist version of it. Once you've rested and eaten, you saddle up again for a second ride on a different route, another ninety minutes, same low difficulty and the same unhurried pace.

The guide is live and speaks English or Spanish, so you're not following a group through a script. Rain gear is provided if the weather turns. The whole day takes about ten hours from start to finish, which means you need to be in or near Córdoba to make the timing work. This is not a quick add-on to a city day, but a full commitment to the countryside rhythm.

What’s included

• Farm tour of the historic El Rosal ranch including 300-year-old adobe buildings and stone corrals.
• two horseback rides of roughly ninety minutes each across mountain terrain.
• traditional gaucho lunch with local salami, homemade bread, asado with multiple cuts, salad, and grilled vegetables.
• one bottle of red Malbec wine or soft drinks.
• rest break on the banks of the Chavascate stream.
• rain gear if needed.
• live guide in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:30

AgesAdult (18 to 70 years) · Youth (11 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 10 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Salvador Gimenez Turismo Ecuestre

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to spend a full day learning gaucho life alongside the family (handling horses and livestock, cooking traditional meals together) rather than observing from a tour bus. You'll ride during the morning and afternoon with a long midday break, and need no experience but must be comfortable in the saddle for stretches of a few hours.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 17 years); Child (4 to 10 years); Infant (under 4): free.

How difficult is the horseback riding if I haven't ridden much before?

Both rides are marked low difficulty and the pace is set for riders of any fitness level. The horses are calm and trained. The guide adjusts the route to match the group's comfort, not the other way around.

What's included in the lunch, and is there a choice for dietary needs?

Lunch is a traditional gaucho spread: local salami and homemade bread, asado with three or more cuts of grilled meat, salad, and grilled vegetables, served with a bottle of red Malbec wine or soft drinks. Dietary restrictions are not mentioned in the ranch's standard offering, so contact them directly if you have specific needs.

How long is the actual riding time versus the whole day?

You ride for roughly ninety minutes in the morning, rest and eat for about an hour, then ride again for another ninety minutes in the afternoon. The full day is about ten hours, which includes the farm tour, the rest break, and travel time to and from the ranch.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to the ranch?

The ranch is located in Agua de Oro in the Sierras Chicas near Córdoba. Public transportation options are available nearby, though you'll want to confirm pickup and drop-off details with the operator when you book.

What happens if the weather is bad?

Rain gear is provided if needed. The rides continue in light rain at the same low-difficulty pace. The guide will advise if conditions make riding unsafe.