W&E Rocha Province fixed base ride , Uruguay

Wild and Exotic sample itinerary for the Rocha Province fixed base ride in Uruguay

You will start your holiday in the wonderful city of Montevideo. The next day you will continue your ride in the amazing coastal province of 'Rocha' - protected area and declared world biosphere reserve. You will ride along isolated beaches, over shifting sand dunes, through palm groves and shady woodlands and on along the shores of the wetlands. The variety of birds - hummingbirds, flamingos, kingfishers, flycatchers, rheas (similar to ostriches) – that you will see in these habitats is incredible. The pace will be many times quite fast (lots of canters) - the grassy pastures and firm
beaches allow this on strong and well-trained criollo and criollo cross horses. While staying at charming seaside inns and working estancias you will be able to help the gauchos with cattle drives and you will feel connected with the traditions of this unexplored country. On this ride you will skirt the most diverse landscapes, surprising wines, excellent food and experience the hidden treasures found on the paths less travelled.

Day 1: Today is set aside to relax and explore the seaside city of Montevideo the most important city as well as the capital. Guests are met at the Carrasco International Airport and driven along the wonderful coastline called “Rambla” to the downtown hotel. Explore the downtown streets and experience the typical Rio de la Plata music, the Tango or Candombe with the rhythms and coloured costumes. Luxury barbecue at the Mercado del Puerto and city tour to discover Montevideo, a very quiet and safe city that combines museums, street markets, nice restaurants and very friendly people. Overnight at a nice centrally located 3 to 4 star hotel. (L)

Day 2: After breakfast you will be driven to the Brazilian border and into Rocha, arguably the most beautiful province in Uruguay with its pristine beaches, emerald shores and network of lagoons. As you arrive to the seaside inn you can admire the beach, have lunch and prepare for your first ride which will let you discover the Cerro Verde
natural protected area. A beautiful setting with firm beaches, sand dunes and coastal forest. The grassy rocky headland that gives its name to the area is also the base for a sea turtles research and protection organization (Carumbé). Gauchos and horses will be waiting for you and after a short introduction you will be riding and having your first beach canter! You will pass a shipwreck buried in the sand – one of many along this treacherous coast. Indeed, Polonio, where you will ride later is named after a Spanish galleon that went down just off the point. Luckily ‘Beagle’ with Charles Darwin
aboard did not succumb to this fate and Darwin spent quite some time in Uruguay collecting species and most likely starting to formulate his theories of evolution. Most days there is a wonderful sight of dolphins feeding in the bay. You will stay at "Parque Oceánico" inn, where guests can enjoy the gardens, heated outside swimming pools and the relaxed atmosphere before a pleasant overnight. (AB, L, D)

Day 3: During the morning you will cross La Coronilla tiny town and ride towards the Brazilian border. Enjoying a fast-pace ride, you will ride along the wonderful, isolated ocean beach of ‘Barra del Chuy’. Visitors seldom reach this beach so you can enjoy a long, exhilarating canter with no signs of habitation as you ride across the pure white sands alongside the Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes you will go inland and you will surely see ibis, herons, egrets, storks and a legion of migrating birds (birds arrive here from as far as Alaska and the Falkland Islands). At midday you will have a picnic lunch and then you may have a pleasant “siesta” discovering that gauchos saddles are so comfortable to ride as to sleep! . Afterwards, you will canter back along the water’s edge to the hotel for barbecued fresh fish and Uruguayan wine. (AB, L, D)

Day 4: Today you will ride south, into the immense Santa Teresa National Park. The center piece of the park is a fort started in 1762 by the Portuguese to defend the edge of their territories then completed by the Spaniards who took it by assault just a year later. This was just the start of a succession of conquering, loosing and reconquering the fort; it was not until 1825 that the newly forming ‘Uruguay’ finally captured and held the fort. From the fort there is a nice view of the famous "Laguna Negra" (the ‘black lagoon’, named after its dark waters). The fort is surrounded by 3000 hectares of forest containing over 2 million trees most of which come from other parts of the world. After a picnic lunch you will enjoy riding along the forest trails, down to the beach and towards Punta del Diablo fishing village. After this full day riding, you will meet the vehicle and head to the nearby working Estancia El Sauce for an overnight stay. (AB, L, D)

Day 5: This morning you will wake up on a farm - El Sauce is a working estancia run by its owners where you will enjoy a full day riding around the crops and very varied vegetation on the property. The estancia, built in 1920, is very comfortable –it is not a hotel but the family house that you have been invited to stay as guests of the owners, offering you an incredible experience and a very special insight into the life in the country. For example, guests can sample the ‘mate’ sipped hot out of a dry gourd. The gauchos and their mate are inseparable and a ceremony has developed around drinking mate. In addition to the cattle grasslands this estancia has a large area of marshlands and also rice crops both of which are teeming with bird life (more than 400 species in this area) making another very varied ride and giving you the chance to see the graceful black-necked swan (largest populations in the world found here), the rare white goose and many ducks and other birds such as the largest bird in South America- the ‘ostrich-like’ “ñandú” (rhea). Otters, coypus and capybaras inhabit the marshlands and streams. At several points on the trip you may see the pink flamingo – a species of flamingo with very bright pink pigment and quite common in Uruguay. Overnight at this authentic working estancia. (AB, L, D)

Day 6: The day starts with a short drive along a scenic road where you will be able to enjoy an incredible view of the unique extensive palm groves. Despite a number of stories, no one knows how the palm trees got here -some 300 years old; they are not native but they give the landscape a very exotic look. During the trip you will pass many roadside stalls selling the fruit and the less innocent ‘hooch’ brewed from the palm nuts. The cloudy, sticky liquid is so potent that if you leave the cap off the old bottles it is sold in, the liquor evaporates in a flash! Pretty close to the coast you will meet your horses and ride into the desert! You will ride through the area which has been declared a natural animal reserve and a Biosphere Natural Reserve by UNESCO. You will ride towards Cabo Polonio, a charming fishing village which can only be reached by horse or four wheeled drive. The fascinating part of is the huge area of shifting sand dunes; as you ride
through it is possible to imagine that you are right in the middle of the Sahara. After lunch at a typical restaurant on the beach you will see seals and sea lions that populate the small islands and make up one of the largest populations of seals in the world; very occasionally we spot a migrating Right Whale. You will also be able to swim in one of the most beautiful beaches of the country. After this ride full of surprises and diverse scenery, you will stay at a lovely comfortable working estancia, El Charabón. (AB, L, D)

Day 7: The day starts with a breakfast out on the veranda with homemade bread, jams and cakes, admiring the views out across the hills. Guests can take a close look at the rheas; the estancia has some of these native South American birds as pets. The armadillos often pop up out of holes ruining Jorge’s (the owner) beautifully manicured lawns. The ride today takes you through the scenic estancia lands traversing the eucalyptus forests and grasslands then across the huge fields of the neighbouring estancias, towards the coast. There will be a chance of some long canters as you ride across the flatlands. Riders enjoy the glorious blue skies and tranquillity as you gallop across the pastures, often sighting the abundant wildlife. A game of armadillo jumping often inadvertently gets underway as the little armor-plated animals make a dash for their holes as the horses approach. After a picnic lunch, guests can return to the estancia on horseback and relax around the pool or take the minibus to the nearby beach for a late afternoon swim in the sea, sunbathe or stroll along by the ocean returning to the estancia for tea or drinks in a prime location to admire the sunset over the surrounding hills and then gaze in awe at the star-filled southern hemisphere sky. Another delicious dinner with our delightful hosts. Overnight at the estancia. (AB, L, tea, D.)

Day 8: A morning spent working alongside the gauchos and their trusty dogs as
they tend to the cattle and sheep on this 1200 hectare (2900 acre) ranch (4hrs riding). The work varies depending on the time of the year, but the gauchos always welcome a bit of help checking and moving the stock or putting animals in the corrals. Sometimes a lame animal has to be caught and tended to. The wonderful, friendly gauchos with their
berets, ‘bombachas’ (riding trousers) and with their knives tucked into their colorful belts all seem to have been born on a horse and it is a delight to be riding with them. Their dogs are very much work animals and it is an amazing sight to see four dogs working in unison moving a herd of cattle. The dogs unfortunately cannot count and that gets very tricky for us, especially with the sheep, a recount often being required! After a final swim in the estancia pool and a wonderful home-cooked lunch you will say goodbye to the horses and head back to Montevideo – to the airport or the city, or to start an extension tour. AB, L.

Notes:

Sample Itinerary. The cost of this itinerary is based on two people sharing accommodation and 4 or more guests joining the ride. The price is inclusive of all activities described, together with meals as shown on the itinerary (AB = American Breakfast, L = Lunch, T = Afternoon Tea and D = Dinner).

The price does not include flights to Uruguay, airport departure taxes, items of a personal nature, gratuities, and visa fees.

As ATOL license holders (#6445) we can book seats on most major airlines at competitive prices. We are able to make the booking (and fix the best price, less taxes and fuel charges) up to a year in advance with payment not normally due until 8 weeks before departure - this means that we can release your seats at anytime up until payment is due without penalty. There are three different airlines we recommend for this itinerary. Guests can fly from London Heathrow to Montevideo with Tam airlines via Sao Paulo, from London Heathrow to Montevideo with Iberia via Madrid or from London Heathrow with British Airways directly to Buenos Aires. A ferry can then be taken from Buenos Aires to either Colonia (45 mins) or Montevideo (3 hours) on the north side of the Rio del Plata. There are also short connecting flights from Buenos Aires to Montevideo.

For guests wishing to travel via Buenos Aires, Wild and Exotic can arrange all the necessary transfers and accommodation together with the tickets from London Heathrow to Buenos Aires to Montevideo. Please discuss your options with us prior to booking.

UK citizens currently do not require a visa to visit Uruguay for a stay of less than 90 days.

Neither Wild and Exotic nor the operators or suppliers can accept any responsibility for changes to itineraries or dates that may arise due to weather or unforeseen circumstances such as changes, disruptions or delays to airline flights for whatever reason. This holiday is subject to Wild and Exotic’s terms and conditions, a copy of which is enclosed with your booking form.

Wild and Exotic fact sheet for the Wild and Exotic Rocha Province fixed base ride in Uruguay 

Altitude: The ride takes place just above sea level so riders need not be concerned about any effects of high altitude.

Book list: There are guidebooks available that include a section on Uruguay, many of the publications are limited and misinformed. We can recommend certain books, depending on your interests, many of which are available internationally. If you need more information please do not hesitate to contact us.

Climate: October to April the weather can be hot - above 30 centigrade (January and February near 40C), the evenings do cool down a little. In October, November and April the evenings and early mornings are cooler, but the middle of the day can still be hot. Guests must be prepared for rain storms during the rides and an occasional cold onshore wind on the beaches. The sea is usually warm enough to swim in and guests tend to use the outdoor pools from late October to late March.

Communications: The international telephone service is efficient, though subject to delays (certain nights guests can make international calls from hotels/estancias). One can now use many U.S. telecommunications companies for direct service calls to the United States. Uruguay is two time zones ahead of Eastern Standard Time (USA) and four hours behind the UK during British summertime (only 3 hours end October-March). There are many internet cafes with email facilities and telephones for cheap international calls in both Montevideo and Buenos Aires. Mobile phones from Europe seldom work (must be tri-band) without visiting a local agent in BA/Montevideo. Some US telephone companies have agreements in South America.

Departure tax: Departure taxes are levied when leaving both Uruguay and Argentina (subject to change without notice) which are payable in cash only. Some flight tickets include the BA-Montevideo tax or approximately US8-12 can be requested, it is very difficult for us to know if or not this tax has been included in your ticket. On leaving Uruguay on a long haul flight the tax is currently US27.

Electricity: Electricity in Uruguay is 220 volts, 50 cycle, single phase. U.S. appliances can be used with step down transformers, which are available in Montevideo. Sockets are for 2 or 3 round pins, or rectangular pins - an international adaptor is very useful. (Argentina has a different socket system; most hotels will lend you an adaptor.)

Equipment: Guests are kindly requested on all rides/treks to take a minimum of personal belongings with them. A vehicle brings guests' belongings on to the Estancias/hotels.  Luggage storage can be organised in Montevideo during the ride (there may be a small charge) if you are returning to Montevideo after the ride.

Clothing List: A separate clothing list is available on request.

Exchanging money: In Uruguay the local currency is the Uruguayan Peso, and there are approximately 23 pesos to US$1 or 45 pesos to 1.00 pound sterling. (NOTE this may have changed a little by the time you arrive). In Argentina the local currency is the Argentinian Peso and there are approximately 2.8 pesos to US$1 or 4.5 pesos to 1.00 pound sterling. Depending on the time of arrival, there are opportunities to exchange money in both Montevideo and Buenos Aires airports. If not money should be changed in the cities as during the ride there will not be any opportunities.  Guests should always change money at the official, designated places and the current exchange rate will be posted (please ask your guide at the airport for the updated exchange rate). Travellers cheques have to be signed very carefully when exchanging them and guests are finding it increasingly difficult to cash travellers cheques. We suggest you bring a small amount of dollars in cash and use your credit card to withdraw cash in Montevideo/at the airport.  N.B. Foreign currency must be in perfect condition, otherwise it may not be accepted). Having left Montevideo/ the airport there will be little chance of changing money, many hotels and restaurants accept US dollars but the exchange rate will not be as good as at an exchange house. When changing money/accepting change, please be careful of false notes, although this is not a big problem in Uruguay. Credit cards are accepted in large hotels, shops and restaurants in Montevideo but it is unwise to rely on this. Guests will need to bring money for drinks (soft drinks and alcoholic beverages) although water is provided while riding; expenses such as telephone calls and laundry bills; discretionary tips and souvenirs

Film / photography / video: Please bring enough film / memory sticks and batteries with you, especially film/cartridges etc. for the more modern equipment.  (We advise 400ASA for 35mm cameras.)  The backup vehicle can carry video cameras for guests but the vehicle will not be with the riders all the time (we do not advise riding with video cameras.)

Health: Medical kits are carried on every ride and every effort is made to ensure the safety of guests. In Uruguay there are English speaking doctors and dentists. Appropriate travel health insurance is the responsibility of each guest and is essential. It is each guest´s responsibility to ensure that they have all the necessary health/vaccination certificates to enter the country. General advice would be to drink only bottled water/beverages and avoid food from street vendors. No specific inoculations are required to enter Uruguay, but it is recommended that all standard immunizations be kept current (please always consult with your Doctor/travel health clinic). Sanitation and food-handling standards in Uruguay are high, and the water supply is well maintained.

Language: Most of the population speak Spanish - little English is spoken except in certain of the Estancias/hotels and larger shops.

Luggage: Please see equipment lists. Guests are required to bring the minimum of belongings and we suggest that you pack your belongings for the riding tour in one bag. Checked in bags: 15kg maximum on Argentinean domestic flights (and they are strict!) and 20Kg on most flights from Buenos Aires to Montevideo. You will be charged if your luggage is overweight.

Montevideo: Your guide will be happy to assist you in the city by pointing out post offices as well as recommending shops, restaurants, bars etc.

Time zones: Montevideo is 2 or 3 hours behind GMT (daylight saving in operation).

Tipping: Tipping is at your discretion. Airport and hotel porters: $US1.  Taxi drivers do not expect tips. Guests often leave an envelope with the guide at the end of the ride to give to local guides/grooms/drivers etc. (this is entirely discretionary, as a guideline US100-120 per guest for the 9 day ride).

Valuables: Although Uruguay has one of the best records in Latin America for safety we advise: please take the minimum valuables and avoid wearing expensive watches/jewellery in public; please use the hotel/estancia safety deposit box; please use money belts and do not leave valuables ‘on show' or in back/outside pockets; while riding, valuables can be handed in to the guide for safe storage; in Montevideo/Buenos Aires, taxis should always be taken at night (i.e do not walk). Ask the hotel/shop or restaurant to call you a taxi, particularly in Buenos Aires, do not flag down a taxi in the street. Ride Andes cannot accept any responsibility for loss/theft during your stay.

Visas: It is the responsibility of each individual guest to check that their passport and necessary papers are in order. Passports must be valid for at least six months after the date of departure from Uruguay. Please leave a photocopy of your passport at home and bring an additional copy with you to Uruguay.