Exploring Trevelin on Horseback

The forested sides of mountains neighboring Trevelin are a good excuse to hire an all-day horseback ride and follow the same roads as the Welsh pioneers did a century ago.

More than twenty trails cross the valley and provide beautiful natural scenery, snowy mountains, vast plains covered with flowers and berries crops, and make riders feel the breeze on their faces to experience the features of the Patagonian climate.

Not only did our expert know the terrain well, but he also told us stories and legends of the colonization of these lands which proudly passed from parents to kids.

The journey delighted us with a series of cascades and a wide palette of colors and landscapes typical of the plateau which blends into the Subantartic forest together with the native flora and fauna. In some areas, the road was steep with high slopes leading to some water course, where animals quenched their thirst and riders slackened the reins to let them free.

Even though summer is the ideal season for this kind of outings, travellers are also able to follow these trails in cold season guided by an expert. Beyond changes in temperature, vegetation colors and the absence of flowers, the spirit to ride a horse still remains strong.

Thanks to the knowledge of our leader, we covered the original trip made by Colonel Luis Jorge Fontana and John Daniel Evans together with the expedition members called Los Rifleros de Chubut (The Chubut Riflemen). This story accompanied us during our horseback ride.

We only let ourselves be guided along some straight paths by the horses, which perfectly knew their way and breathed deeply as we gently balanced on our saddle.

The sun was always present even on the trails where some shady trees relieved us from the heat of February. We only saw beams of light streaming through the branches, reaching the ground and leaving fantastic drawings. Along our journey, we felt the speed and the wind on our faces and we firmly adjusted ourselves on the horse to follow its pace.

During the rest and lunch time, the guide disclosed local stories and we learned about the legend of the famous horse called Malacara (Ugly face), which was owned by John Daniel Evans, one of the Welsh settlers who arrived at this place with the first group of immigrants.

That Criollo horse saved his life during a bloody struggle between a group of indigeneous people and other pioneers. The Regional Museum and comments made by the denizens make tribute to this local character.

It is usual that horseback rides include a typical barbecue or fly-casting experience in a body of water along the local trails. Our horseback ride ended with a unique panoramic view of the landscape of “Tre” -from the Welsh for “town”-, “Velin” -“mil”-, and its Cwm Hyfryd -“Enchanted Valley”.