Riding with the gauchos, nights out in the high pastures, days on the lake and a whole house on the shore for your group. Tell us how long you have and we'll take care of the rest.
Puerto Guadal is a village of around 600 people on the south shore of Lago General Carrera, in Chile's Aysén region. The country behind it is some of the best riding and walking in Patagonia (and by extension, the World!). But, it is often hard to know just what is on offer and who provides it, and we exist to fill that gap. We know who offers the best experiences, with the best guides, and with the best service.
You just have to tell us your dates, how long you would like to stay for and what interests you. We can then put a plan together just for you, check availability with the guides, and come back with a plan and one price. Once it's all booked, we will send you all the details and make sure you have the most amazing experience here in Patagonia.
Choose how long you have, where you'd like to stay and what you want to do. We'll turn it into a rough plan with a guide price, then make it properly yours once we've spoken.
Including the day you arrive and the day you leave, with transfers from Balmaceda airport.
Pick as many as you like, in the order you fancy them most.
Build a rough plan above, or just drop us a line with your dates, how many of you there are and what you fancy doing. We'll get back to you within 24 hours.
We check who's available and send you a day-by-day plan with one price. We're happy to tweak it as many times as you like until it's just right.
A 30% deposit secures your trip, with the balance due 45 days before you arrive. Once you've paid, we confirm everything with the guides and hosts.
We meet you at Balmaceda airport and look after everything from there. Each evening you'll know the plan for the next day and who's guiding you.
The season runs from roughly November to April. The multi-day expeditions mostly go from December to March, once the snow has cleared from the high country. January and February are the busiest months, so if you're coming then, book early.
Fly into Balmaceda (BBA) from Santiago or Puerto Montt. From there it's about five hours' drive south through Cerro Castillo and Puerto Río Tranquilo, much of it on gravel, and a stunning drive in its own right. We meet you at the airport and drive you in, so all you need to book is the flight. If you're already travelling the Carretera Austral, we can pick you up along the way instead.
Patagonian weather has a mind of its own, and your guide always has the final say on whether a route is safe on the day. If it isn't, we'll do our best to move your activity to another day while you're here, which is why it's well worth leaving a spare day in your plans. If it can't be moved, your options are set out in the booking terms we send you.
Everything is planned and booked with you in English, and our guides speak English too. Most of the riding is fine for beginners. The nights out on horseback ask a bit more of you, so be honest about how much riding you've done and we'll point you towards the right trip.
Riding with the gauchos is what Guadal does best, from gentle rides to several nights out camping in the high pastures. There are marble caves a few kilometres from the village, fossil beds in the hills above it, and boat trips on Lago General Carrera. Within an hour or two you can reach the Río Baker, Patagonia National Park and the glacier valleys off the Carretera Austral. We've written a full guide to things to do in Puerto Guadal.
Fly into Balmaceda (BBA) from Santiago or Puerto Montt, then it's about five hours' drive south along the Carretera Austral through Cerro Castillo and Puerto Río Tranquilo. When you travel with us, we meet you at the airport and drive you in.
The season runs from roughly November to April. December to March is best for riding in the high country and nights out on horseback. January and February are the busiest months, and March and April bring autumn colours to the forests.
At least four, because it takes a day to get here and a day to get back. A week gives you time to ride, get out on the lake and see the national park without rushing. Our trips run from four days to a couple of weeks.
Every trip is tailor-made, so it depends on how long you stay, where you sleep and what you do. As a rough guide, a week usually comes to somewhere between USD 1,500 and 4,500 per person, including where you stay, guided activities and transfers from Balmaceda. Build your trip above for a guide price on your own plan.
Yes, and they're some of our favourite trips. For larger groups we can arrange The House, a whole estancia on the lake given over to your group, with meals, drinks, riding and boat days included.
No. Most of the riding is fine for beginners, and the guides match horses to riders. The nights out on horseback ask more of you, so tell us how much you've ridden and we'll suggest what suits.
Yes. We plan and book everything with you in English, and the guides we work with speak English too.
Fill in what you can and leave the rest blank. We'll come back to you within 24 hours to talk it through, then send you a proper plan and one price. If you'd rather just tell us in your own words, drop us an email instead.
