For all lovers of horses, adventure and nature, for all those who want to discover a Uruguay that is authentic and untouched by classical tourism, we offer a very special horse trek. During seven days, accompanied by our horses and the rhythm of their hoof beats, we will be riding from the Sierras of Rocha towards the beach of Oceania del Polonio on the Atlantic Ocean.
On the rest day for our horses we will visit Cabo Polonio with its sea lion colonies and picturesque fishing village, isolated from the rest of Uruguay, accesible only by 4X4 tours.
We will get to ride on the sandy beaches of Oceania, before beginning our journey back to the Sierras.
Program
Day 1 : The participants arrive at the Farm “Caballos de Luz”, in the Sierras of Rocha.
After lunch we will head out for the first ride towards the camp “María Paz”.
The path, surrounding the Sierras,
is beautiful and easy, giving us
the opportunity to get familiar
with our riding horses.
Day 2 : The day starts riding through the outskirts of Rocha,
then we will enter open country. We will be spending
approximately 5 hours in the saddle, with a long picnic break
at midday. Night will be spent in the camp “El Vergel” next to a
”tajamar”, an artificial lake which offers us the possibility to
swim, bathe and relax.
Day 3 : In harmony with our horses and travel companions we will ride some 4 hours through the peace and quiet of this soft landscape, discovering the most enchanting aspects of rural Uruguay. The pastures here, thanks to their biodiversity, are host to numerous species of birds, which are easy and delightful to observe from horse back. In the camp “ Don Carlos”, 2 km from the ocean, a car will be at our service to take us to the beach of Oceania to watch the sunset.
Day 4 : This is a day of rest for our horses, which gives us the
opportunity to visit the natural reserve of Cabo Polonio,
a fishing village, famous for its large colony of
sea lions, and also for its original buildings and alternative life
style. Of course you can skip the visit to Cabo Polonio and
kick back in a hammock and watch your horse graze… At night
return to the camp to share dinner around the campfire.
Day 5 : The day starts with a two hour ride on the beach of Oceania, an isolated, unspoiled, wild stretch of the Uruguayan coast which has always been one of the highlights of this trek for us. There will be time to relax and take photos before turning inland towards this nights camp “El Gaucho Perdido“.
Day 6 : We enjoy a relaxed morning in this beautiful camp spot and
head out at noon for a five hour ride that takes us on country
tracks to our camp spot “Los Coronillas”at the foothills of the
Sierras. There we will have time to swim in the river before
meeting around the camp fire for our last dinner together.
Day 7 : We end this wonderful adventure for humans and horses with a three hours long ride back to “Caballos de Luz”, where our journey began. We will enjoy a hot lunch on our terrace overlooking the Sierras. In these last moments together, we will have time to reflect on our trek together, the new friends we have made and our experiences.
OUR HORSES
Our horses are Criollos and Criollos crossed with Arabians and Thoroughbreds.
This combination of race forms sure footed horses of rather small size, very apt for endurance and with a balanced character.
Most of them have been trained by us using techniques of the local doma natural, or natural horsemanship. We are seeking mutual trust and respect and a good disposition of the horse towards work, thus assuring you a pleasant and secure ride and a close relationship to your four legged travel companion.
THE TEAM
Caballos de Luz is a horse tour company situated in the middle of the beautiful Sierras of Rocha, where the owners chose to settle after many years of travelling. It is part of an ecological, artistic, international community. Great importance is given to human relationships and a harmonious and respectful interaction with nature and the horses. This is shown by the personal and heartfelt connection with our guests, the loving and patient approach to horse training and handling, the maintenance of organic gardens and use of alternative energies at the ranch.
All the journeys have been created with the vision of letting the visitor discover the essence and beauty of this unique rural part of Uruguay, enjoying the companionship of some very special horses.
Lucie Cibulka
A lover of freedom, horses and music, all her life has been like a
preparation for Lucie to run a project like Caballos de Luz.
She travelled more than 1000 km on horse back, first in a group,
then alone with two horses. She speaks 4 languages fluently,
is a passionate Vegetarian chef and likes strumming her guitar and
singing around the fireplace. On a daily basis she is the head of
logistics, horse tour guide and also gives riding instruccions to
beginners. She has been studying different ways of natural
horseman ship for a long time and is very passionate about this
way of violence free and efficient comunication with horses.
Anaïs Puygrenier
Anaïs has three elements running through her veins:
travelling, horses and nature.
Born in France, she emigrated to Spain at age of 18. After years
of travelling through regions as varied as Asia, Greenland, Island
and Africa, she decided to make her passion a way of life and
is now living in Uruguay and Chile, where she works as horse tour
facilitator.
She is certified in wilderness first aid and will be your tri-lingual
guide, putting all her energy towards your well being.
Santiago Barlocco
When Santiago fell in love with Lucie, he also fell in love
with the horses, it was inevitable.
Lover of nature and The Good Life, Santi is the heart of the
company, always at the service of human and equine well being.
Muti talented, he is not only our farrier and specialist in Italian
cuisine, he is also a source of many stories and traditions of
Uruguayan country life. During this journey he will be our driver
and man for all seasons.
About the journey :
• It is fundamental that all the riders are comfortable and safe to walk, trot and canter, as we will be moving in all three gaits during this ride.
•The camp sites were chosen for their natural beauty. Though some of them lack classic infrastructure, this is more then made up by their natural settings and tranquility.
•Lunch will be picnic style.
•Hot dinner will be served at night at the camp sites.
•All the meals are vegetarian but include eggs and dairy products.
•The length of the rides or the itinerary may change due to extremely bad weather.
•During the whole week we will have a car and driver for the transport of camping gear such as tents, food and personal ítems available. If a participant wishes to do so, he can take parts of the journey by car.
•We recommend personal travel insurance that includes horse riding.
•Minimum number of participants: 4 .
•Maximum number of participants: 10 .
•Minimum age: 14
WHAT TO BRING?
Tent.
Sleeping bag.
Camping Mattress.
Comfortable pants to ride horses.
Comfortable pants for the night.
Warm clothing for the night.
Closed boots.
Sandals or Flip Flops.
Hat.
Towel.
Sun screen lotion.
Sun Glasses.
Bathing suit.
Flashlight.
Note:
It is posible to rent the camping gear:
tent, sleeping bag and mattess from us
for 40 US for the week.
The price includes:
•7-day-trek with 6 nights camping.
•2 multi – lingual guides (Spanish, English, German and French).
•Riding horse and equipment (Western style or local saddle).
•All the meals.
•Individual saddle bag.
•Water bottles.
•Rain poncho.
•Backup car.
•Chauffeur.
•Transport by car until Valizas (entry point to Cabo Polonio) and return.
•Transfer from the town of Rocha to the Farm Caballos de Luz and return.
•First aid kit for humans and horses.
The price does not include:
•Transport Valizas-Cabo Polonio-Valizas.
•Lunch in Cabo Polonio.
•Alcoholic beverages.
•Private travel insurance (recommended).
•Tip.
Price of the Horse Trek “From the Mountains to the Sea”:
990 US Dollars.
To confirm your reservation we ask for an non returnable advance of 200 US Dollars.
.
CALENDER
HORSE TREKKING
“FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA”
December 2013
•From 15 to 22 of December
March 2014
•From 09 to 15 of March
April 2014
•From 06 to 12 of April
CONTACT
Uruguay
Lucie Cibulka & Santiago Barlocco
caballosdeluz@gmail.com
www.caballosdeluz.com
099 400 446 from Uruguay
00598 99 400 446 from abroad
Spain
Anaïs Puygrenier
anaispuygrenier@gmail.com
665 437 154 from Spain
(0034) 665 437 154 from abroad