Places for horseback riding

There is ample opportunity to rent horses in many parts of Patagonia – either alone but for the most part with a guide. In El Chaltén, for example, there are several ranches that offer half and full day excursions in the area. You can go riding on the Argentinian pampas with experienced guides and relatively calm horses. Both tours for experienced riders and beginners are offered, but you should be aware that safety is not a big priority here (no riding helmets and virtually no instructions). On the other hand, it is great to ride on the wide plains alongside herds of sheep, rivers, and with beautiful mountains in the background.

Start whistling a Western tune, saddle a horse or just put on your hiking boots to discover the region around Tupiza. This is the area where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid spent the last period of their lives and also found their death. The classic movie might not be filmed here but the real-life story took place in the desert around Tupiza. You don’t need a lot of imagination to get into a Western vibe. The scenery is stunning with red rock formations, narrow canyons and cacti galore. You can easily get a local guide to show you around on a day trip on foot or by horse to show you some of the sites such as Valle de los Machos, Puerta del Diablo, El Cañión del Inca and El Cañión del Duende.

When driving around Iceland, you come across many horse stables / riding centers, where it is possible to rent horses for both day trips and multi day trips. Of course, you ride on Icelandic horses while in Iceland, and there are plenty of rides for both beginners and experts. There are many actual horse trails on Iceland, and horseback riding is also a nice alternative way to get around in the vast landscape and across the many rivers, which are difficult to cross on foot and in ordinary passenger cars.

There are many ways to take in the mountain scenery of Lesotho, but perhaps none more fitting than by Basotho pony. These horses are scrawny and - unless the stable is in sight - not particularly fast, but they do carry your bags for you, and on the steep slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains that is no little thing. Although a short ride is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, a multi-day excursion is really the way to experience mountain life. Not only does this allow you to explore parts of the country inaccessible by car; it usually means spending your nights in local mountain-side villages, providing for plenty of opportunities to get to know your Basotho guide and hosts. You may end up with sore legs and knees, but this is one of those experiences that is definitely worth the pain.