Pampa del Infierno

Day Trips

You arrive at Resistencia or Sáenz Peña airport and are warmly greeted by your local guide. A scenic drive through the Chaco landscape brings you to a traditional estancia where you'll be based. Settle into your cozy rooms and enjoy a cup of mate while taking in the rural atmosphere.

After lunch of regional empanadas, take a guided walk around the estancia grounds. Learn about the history of local ranches and admire native flora and fauna. Your guide shares stories about gaucho traditions and land stewardship.

Gather around a crackling fire for your first asado barbecue featuring slow-roasted meats. Enjoy live folk music performed by local musicians under the starlit sky. Savor a glass of Torrontés wine while you mingle with fellow travelers.

Rise early for a hearty breakfast and prepare to meet experienced gauchos. Mount your horse and embark on a horseback ride across the estancia’s sprawling fields. Feel the rhythm of the plains and learn basic riding techniques from local experts.

Participate in a hands-on gaucho skills workshop learning lassoing and cattle sorting. Enjoy a picnic lunch under a grove of algarrobo trees with homemade cheeses and cured meats. Spend time chatting with the ranch hands about their daily routines and traditions.

Return to the main lodge for a relaxing bath using natural soaps made from regional ingredients. Gather in the lounge for a storytelling session about legendary gaucho heroes. Cap the night with a warming yerba mate and pastries by candlelight.

Begin the day with a visit to a local market to shop for fresh ingredients like corn, beans, and spices. Your chef-instructor introduces you to traditional cooking tools and techniques. Learn how to prepare the classic locro stew from scratch.

Enjoy the lunch creation you helped prepare and exchange culinary tips with your classmates. Next, master the art of baking crusty milho bread in a wood-fired oven. Sample a variety of regional cheeses paired with honey from nearby hives.

Assist in setting the table for a communal dinner featuring your kitchen creations. Swap stories with fellow guests as you savor empanadas and homemade pickles. Finish with dulce de leche flan and a strong cup of coffee.

Drive to the nearby Carlos Casares Nature Reserve at dawn to experience the awakening of wildlife. Embark on a guided trail through wetlands and savannah areas. Keep an eye out for capybaras, waterfowl, and elusive marsh deer.

Share a boxed lunch riverside while scanning the horizon for kingfishers and herons. Continue your exploration with a boat ride through calm waterways lined by dense vegetation. Your guide points out medicinal plants used by indigenous communities.

Return to the lodge for a light snack and afternoon tea. Enjoy a presentation by a local biologist about regional conservation efforts. Relax on the porch as the sun sets, painting the sky in vivid hues.

After breakfast, saddle up for a full morning ride across the open plains. Traverse undulating grasslands with infinite horizons and gentle breezes. Your guide navigates you to hidden waterholes known only to local cowhands.

Stop for a riverside lunch prepared by camp cooks on a portable grill. Take a refreshing dip in the shallow river to cool off after the ride. Enjoy a siesta under the shade of native trees before remounting.

Arrive back at the estancia with time to groom your horse and reflect on the day’s adventure. Indulge in a hearty stew and fresh salad in the main dining hall. As darkness falls, gaze at constellations in the clear Chaco sky.

Rise before sunrise to capture the golden light over the grasslands. Join a wildlife photographer who shares composition techniques and camera settings for optimal shots. Track flocks of migratory birds gathering near waterholes.

Review your morning images and learn basic post-processing tips from the expert. Head to a scenic lookout for panoramic vistas of the Chaco Esteros wetlands. Enjoy a light picnic lunch while observing kingfishers and herons.

Return to your lodge to download and organize your photos. Participate in a slideshow session comparing everyone’s favorite shots. Toast to a successful day with a glass of local craft beer on the veranda.

Spend the morning learning the rhythms of the chacarera and zamba from local instructors. Practice footwork on the wooden dance floor of the ranch’s open-air house. Discover the history behind each folkloric tune.

Enjoy a leisurely lunch of grilled veggies and fresh salad. Join the musicians for a jam session playing bombo drums and guitars. Feel the pulse of Chaco folklore as you strum chords and sing along.

Dress up for an evening performance by regional dance troupes. Cheer on the dancers as they whirl in colorful costumes under lamplight. Conclude the night with a connoisseur-led tasting of artisanal spirits and cordials.

Depart for a neighboring rural village to meet local families and artisans. Tour small workshops where ceramics and textiles are crafted using traditional methods. Sample freshly brewed mate and learn about its cultural significance.

Share lunch in a family home featuring slow-cooked tamales and fresh vegetables. Participate in a ceramics workshop making your own painted bowl for mate. Stroll through the village plaza visiting a windmill and historic chapel.

Return to the estancia for a relaxed dinner featuring local vegetables. Gather around the fire pit to compare different mate blends from across the region. Enjoy stories of village life and hearty laughter under the stars.

Board a small boat for a sunrise cruise along the river’s tranquil backwaters. Learn fly fishing techniques from an experienced local angler. Cast your line for dorado, boga, and golden dorado in the morning calm.

Feast on your river-caught fish prepared fresh by your guide over an open flame. Relax on the riverbank with a cold drink and listen to the gentle lapping of water. Take the opportunity to swim in a sheltered cove surrounded by marsh grasses.

Return to the lodge to clean and prepare any remaining catch. Enjoy a fish-based dinner paired with crisp regional wine. Wind down with a quiet walk through the illuminated gardens before bedtime.

Enjoy a final leisurely breakfast featuring homemade jams and freshly baked pastries. Pack your belongings and gather for a farewell group photo. Share reflections and favorite highlights from your journey.

Attend a celebratory barbecue with ranch hands and your traveling companions. Savor tender meats, roasted vegetables, and lively conversation. Exchange contact information and promises to return.

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight under the vast Chaco sky. Raise a toast to new friendships and cultural discoveries. Carry home the warmth of Pampa del Infierno and memories to last a lifetime.