Santa Catarina Gaucho Trail - Brazil

An 8-day horseback adventure in the southern wilderness of Brazil ... The ultimate trail blaze for riders looking for a truly exciting experience living the gaucho way of life and riding gaucho style.

Brazil offers a landscape diverse and beautiful as a backdrop, and the chance to sample the real gaucho world, and make no mistake, this is for real! The hardened gauchos and their agile beloved “Criollo” steeds make a formidable combination in the environment of their work. The “Gaucho do Brasil,” the legendary South American cowboy, refuses to break with tradition. The Brazilian Gaucho lives in the southern states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul and all have roots in Europe due to the large numbers of immigrants who arrived in the 18th & 19th centuries, pioneers mostly from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Holland and Belgium.

The “Criollo” horse is just as legendary, an intelligent animal with unequalled stamina as well as being fast and highly manoeuvrable and a joy to ride. If you are dreaming of a unique equestrian experience and a thoroughly authentic riding holiday...... Well, this is it!  The locals of Santa Catarina will welcome you in traditional style! And this is just the start.......

The adventure starts in Coxilha Rica, a high plateau in the interior of the Southern state of Santa Catarina. Here at an altitude of about 1000m above sea level, in the heart of gaucho territory, you will be welcomed with open arms on an old fazenda (Brazilian for hacienda) by Paul and his Gaucho friends. Flemish born Belgian Paul Coudenys, is one of the pioneers of the international equestrian tourism in Europe (HippoTrek). Paul, together with his gaucho companion Roberio will be your host and riding guide during your entire riding holiday.  For eight (8) days you will be immersed in the most appealing horse culture in the world.

After a traditional first night at Fazenda do Barreiro we will saddle up our criollo horses (very comfortable authentic saddles) and leave for a 6-day trip from fazenda to fazenda. (8 days / 7 nights / 6 days on horseback) The beauty and huge expanse of the pampas with its rolling hills is difficult to put into words. Livestock farms (fazendas) with thousands of acres are the ideal playground to test the temperament of your criollo horse....and there are no roads or paths to follow, just simply pull yourselves across the great outdoors at a gallop or a canter. ...  your riding dreams will all be realised.

On average, we will be 6 to 7 hours per day in the saddle, make our way across rolling grasslands, riding through Araucaria forests, crossing pristine rivers and, in general, off the beaten track of southern Brazil. This is gaucho country so should we come across a cattle “roundup” we will be happy to help. What is work for them is fun for us! During the “cutting” (sorting the cattle on horseback) you’ll be surprised at just how agile your criollo horse is!  Every evening means a different fazenda, colonial fazendas where time has stood still with rooms filled with antique furniture and large country kitchens, a perfect atmosphere to sample the local brew Chimarão (maté, a sort of tea) and Pinga (local rum). 

Gauchos are not only tough men, but also romantic souls. Guitar and accordion will appear more often than not, and the serenade is of lost loves and the good old days, while mama is roasting the best meat in the world. A fantastic relaxed gaucho atmosphere, which is pure and sincere. 

Multilingual Paul guides you through each experience and answers all enquiries whilst leading you through this unique experience. This is not a tourist trip where you're just a number ... but a gathering of riding friends among themselves. With pride, friendliness and hospitality the gaucho families open their doors for you, let you ride their best horses and guide you in their territory. 
Riding the gaucho way, living the gaucho way!  

Not a “nose-to-tail” riding experience, but a trail ride for riders looking for a truly exciting and challenging Gaucho experience!

Welcome to the world of "Gaucho do Brasil"!
 

Itinerary

Your “Gaucho do Brasil” trip leader Paul will be waiting for you upon arrival at the airport of Florianopolis. Transfer (3hrs drive) to Coxilha Rica and Fazenda da Chapada near Lages. You will be welcomed with a local drink upon arrival at the fazenda. You will be introduced to Daniel the owner of the farm and the Gauchos who will accompany you throughout the trip and will even get acquainted with the horses. Installation in the cozy and comfortable  rooms of the fazenda. After a delicious dinner, we can socialize at the bar of the fazenda. Local gauchos will perform music and folklore of the region. It’s a great first evening! 

After breakfast, we saddle our horses early and leave around 09:00 direction Fazenda Rodeio Bonito. After the first few minutes you will notice already how beautiful the region is, we ride through wide and rolling green countryside dotted with Araucaria trees and cross pristine rivers. You will never forget your first canter with your criollo horse. After a ride of 4 hours we arrive at a typical fazenda where lunch is waiting for us. After a good meal and a siesta, we mount our horses again around 14h. We continue towards fazenda Rodeio Bonito through the beautiful landscape of Coxilha Rica.

Here we find the well-preserved colonial Tropeiro Route. This 250-year-old tropeiro route was the route of cattle and mules between Rio Grande do Sul and Argentina to Sao Paulo. Gauchos drove herds thousands of kms being away for months via this route. Goods on livestock traveled along the route, so the tropeiro became also a trade. The route, consisting of an approx 4m wide corridor made of stone was built by slaves. The corridor runs hundreds of kilometers through Coxilha Rica and the State of Santa Catarina. Tropeiro means Trooper. (The route of the troops).

We follow a few miles this historic route and arrive around 17:30 at Fazenda Rodeio Bonito. We are welcomed by the owner Lucia. A hearty and delicious dinner is being prepared for us. We spent the night at this traditional Gaucho fazenda. 

We leave on horseback at 09:00 hiding for the high pampas of Coxilha Rica, the views are wonderful. The group of horses, the Gauchos, the landscapes, the atmosphere in the group, the sense of freedom, ... nobody wants to travel back home after this trip. After a lunch in the field we continue our ride to the next fazenda; Fazenda Lua Cheia where owners Dido and Sonia have prepared the best roasted lamb in the world. Dido is a vet and loves to BBQ and prepared meat.  We make it cozy with a drink and some live Gaucho music.

After breakfast we saddle our horses. Depending on the season sometimes before heading off we give the gauchos a helping hand at the farm rounding-up some cattle or sheep on horseback. We drive the herd to the corral, where they are either vaccinated or receive some treatment. So here or on another farm during our week you will see the Gaucho perform his daily job. Those who prefer not to participate in the activities can easily watch. Want to learn how to rope? Our Gauchos teach you the tricks of the trade! After lunch we continue our ride to the Colonial Fazenda Sâo Joâo.
Upon arrival at this Portuguese style Fazenda we pull off our boots, take a shower and are called to the table for a good meal, a cool beer or a warming Pinga (local rum).

After breakfast we saddle the horses and leave for another great day in the saddle. We regularly ride into other gauchos whom are busy at work. These South American cowboys still live and work the same way as roughly 100 years ago. Gauchos and horses matching great together, living as we can only dream of . Climbing and descending, one slope steeper than the other, the ride regularly invites us for a nice canter. The horses are fun to ride with. We arrive at Fazenda Ferradura and are welcomed by the owner Gaucho Benjamin Krüzen. A hearty and delicious dinner is being prepared for us. We spent the night at this traditional Gaucho fazenda. Dinner at the fazenda.

After breakfast we depart for the last day in the saddle, a good ride until we arrive at Fazenda da Chapada. Daniel, the owner of the farm welcomes us with Caipirinha & hugs.

The ladies of the house make us a delicious dish while the musical talented gauchos bring their best songs, guitar and accordion into the barn. The bottle of Pinga is eagerly passed around and sometimes we dare to dance!

It's always such a pleasant evening, we enjoy the warm gaucho atmosphere and forge friendship with the locals. Overnight at the fazenda.

After our last breakfast around 08:00 we say goodbye to Fazenda da Chapada, the guides, gauchos and horses and drive around 08:00 (depending on the flight) direction Florianopolis. People staying longer can have a drop of downtown Florianopolis, for the others the holiday comes to an end at the airport of Florianopolis.

Brazil is a huge and very diverse country,...staying longer in the country is without doubt a good idea!
See the classic highlights of Brazil, do Iguaçu waterfalls, go for a samba to Rio de Janeiro, discover the 70 Islands and colonial beach town of Paraty, go for a jungle adventure to the Amazon, meet the colonial towns and cities along the Estrada Real in Minas Gerais or stay some time more in Santa Catarina and relax at one of the 40 beaches of Florianopolis.  Stopover in the Paris of the Americas – Buenos Aires and Argentina, or investigate Santiago and Chile depending on your routing – why not?

Please note: Description above is an example of the programme. The itinerary can be different during your travel week. First Fazenda can be the last fazenda, third fazenda can be the second fazenda, etc... We will do everything possible to follow the indicated itinerary, although spot changes can occur due to unforeseen circumstances. Rides are subject to change depending on weather, location and difficulty of terrain in the unlikely event that this happens on your trip, we ask you flexibility and understanding. This is a sporty and adventurous holiday! 

Set departure dates^:

• 06 - 13 January 2019
• 21 - 28 February 2019
• 22 - 29 October 2019
• 17 - 24 November 2019

^Based on a minimum of 2 people travelling together

Click HERE for our specialist Peru Farming and Agricultural Tour

Includes

• Discover the Gaucho way of life, staying in authentic fazendas and riding Gaucho style on this small group tour
• Accommodation: nights in authentic, rustic and comfortable farm rooms in different fazendas. Based on double-rooms, some fazendas have 3 & 4 bedded rooms. (See accommodation) 
• Meals: full board. (From dinner first day to breakfast last day) 
• Guides & Gauchos: All tours are personally escorted by "Gaucho do Brasil" trip leader Paul. (In exceptional cases by a substitute) Paul speaks fluent English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and speaks basic German. Furthermore, you will be accompanied by local gauchos Roberio, Giancarlo & João. There are always one or more musical gauchos (guitar, accordion) joining the group. The guides-gauchos are equipped with cell phones and walky-talky radios. 
• Backup Vehicle: brings your personal luggage to the daily overnight place/fazenda. 
• Horses & tack, including saddle bags and raincoat   
• Transfer: From the Airport of Florianopolis (FLN) to the Fazenda and vice-versa

Please Note:
Not included:

- Insurance: You will not be allowed to participate at the “Gaucho do Brasil” riding holiday programme without having a personal travel insurance. We can offer a range of competitive travel insurance options - ask us for further details.
- Flight: international and local flights are not included. Gateway is Florianopolis (FLN)
- Alcoholic beverages & soft drinks: (see "Open Bar" info)
- Single Supplement: only possible if we have a single room available and in case we have single a room is not extra charged.
- Personal expenses
- Tips: (optional)
- Booking Sales Tax: US$16.50 per payment

Open Bar - All you can drink:
Every day you spent the night at a different farm where you will be offered drinks. To make things easy and not having the hassle with making notes every day for drinks or confused bills at the end of the week we handle the "Open Bar" service.
US$110 p.p. for all alcoholic drinks & soft drinks during the entire week. To be paid on day 1. (Beer, Caipirinha, Cachaça, Guarana, Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Coffee, Tea, Milk, Water, etc.
.*Wine not included, but you can buy wine at each farm. Price of a bottle depends on the brand and quality)

US$60 p.p. for all soft drinks during the entire week. To be paid on day 1.
(Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Guarana, Coffee, Tea, Milk, Water, etc..)

To book - Contact Bryce Read, Travel Managers Group
Call: 0800 880 222
email: brycer@travelmanagers.co.nz

Travel dates:
Specific travel dates apply

Terms and Conditions Apply *