Jakotango’s End of the World Trail
Ride to the Edge of the World in Patagonia
Some rides are unforgettable because of the horses. Others because of the scenery. The End of the World Ride is unforgettable because it brings everything together. Legendary gauchos, incredible horses, jaw dropping landscapes and the feeling that you’ve travelled to one of the last truly wild places on Earth. Created by the legendary Jakotango team, this is one of South America’s most iconic horse riding adventures.
Set in Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of Argentina, this is a ride for experienced horse riders who love a challenge and aren’t afraid to earn the views. You’ll follow remote gaucho trails across rugged mountains, through ancient forests, across rivers and into vast valleys where there is nothing but endless wilderness.
The riding is every bit as memorable as the scenery. Some days involve carefully picking your way along steep mountain trails, navigating rocky ground, river crossings and high passes where the views are nothing short of breathtaking. Riders with a fear of heights may find certain sections challenging, but those willing to embrace the adventure are rewarded with countless moments where you’ll simply stop, look around and wonder how places like this still exist. The pace varies with the terrain. When the landscape opens into vast valleys and rolling grasslands, enjoy exhilarating canters through scenery that seems to stretch forever.
Riding alongside the local gauchos is as much a part of the adventure as the landscapes themselves, offering a genuine insight into a way of life that has changed very little over generations. At the end of each day, you’ll stay in welcoming local guesthouses or comfortable mobile tents, with the horses tethered nearby. You’ll share hearty meals, swap stories from the day’s ride and experience the warm hospitality that Patagonia is known for. It is authentic, it is unfiltered and it connects you to both the people and the place in a way that few riding holidays ever could.
This isn’t simply a horse riding holiday. It is a true expedition to the end of the world, where every mountain pass, every canter and every campfire reminds you just how extraordinary Patagonia really is. Until you come back again!
Quick Facts
Location:
Patagonia, Argentina
Airport:
Ministro Pistarini (Buenos Aires) International Airport
Month:
December - February
Duration:
7 Nights
Group Size:
Max 8
Riding Level:
Intermediate Plus & Advanced
Weight Limit:
85 kg / 187 lbs
Accommodation:
Mobile Tented Camp
Solo Traveller Friendly:
Great for solo travellers who are willing to share
AN IDEA ON WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE END OF THE WORLD TRAIL
This is a sample itinerary of the riding and experiences you may have on your trip. Please be prepared that the following itinerary may change throughout the week if your ride is threatened by bad weather. In Tierra del Fuego, you can experience all four seasons in one day. Your guides will always adapt the route and daily plans to make the most of the conditions, ensuring the safest and most rewarding riding experience possible while still delivering the spirit of adventure that defines this journey.
You will fly into Río Grande where you are met and transferred to Estancia San José, the headquarters of the operation and your home for the first two nights. The day begins with breakfast at the estancia before settling into your rooms and enjoying lunch in the old shearing shed. In true Argentine tradition, the afternoon includes a siesta before heading out for your first ride. The afternoon ride is gentle and relaxed, giving you time to get to know your horse and your traditional gaucho saddle. You ride out into the evening light, becoming familiar with the vast open steppe that stretches to the horizon. The day ends with dinner
After breakfast at the estancia, you set out on a three-hour ride to lunch on the banks of the Río Grande. This legendary river is home to some of the largest sea-run trout in the world and makes a beautiful setting for a picnic lunch and a riverside siesta. In the afternoon, you ride back to the estancia, enjoying long stretches of canter as you cover ground across the open plains.
Today is a big adventure day with a long thirty-mile ride that takes around ten hours. You leave the steppe behind and ride into the mountains, crossing a variety of landscapes along the way. Saddlebags are packed at breakfast with your picnic lunch, snacks and essentials for the day. Lunch is enjoyed beside the Río Menéndez followed by a well-earned siesta before continuing on to Estancia Río Apen. Your accommodation here is in comfortable gaucho caravans with double beds and sleeping bags, and dinner is served in a cosy cabin with a fireplace.
This morning you change horses, with a fresh group brought in from Estancia El Boquerón. You ride for around three hours to reach the beautiful yellow house that sits in the heart of the island. Lunch is served on arrival and the afternoon is yours to relax, head out for another ride or enjoy a gentle walk to stretch your legs. Tonight you stay in the warm and welcoming yellow house at Estancia El Boquerón.
Today brings your first ride to the top of a mountain. After breakfast at the yellow house, you ride towards Cerro Pelado, climbing steadily for around three hours until you reach the summit. From the top, you are rewarded with a panoramic view in every direction, a true End of the World moment. A picnic of empanadas is enjoyed on the mountain followed by a short siesta in a sheltered spot. In the afternoon, you ride back home where a roaring fire and a delicious dinner are waiting.
You leave your luggage behind and carry only what you need for one night of camping in your saddlebags. There is no vehicle access here and the only way forward is on horseback. After around three hours in the saddle, you arrive at Puesto República where you enjoy a picnic lunch and prepare for your night in fly camp. This remote shepherd’s shelter is your base for the night, with dome tents, cot beds and sleeping bags. Dinner is cooked over an open fire beneath the stars. In the afternoon, you ride up to the highest peak of the End of the World journey.
This exhilarating climb can be challenging for those with vertigo, but the views are extraordinary and make this one of the most memorable moments of the trip. After reaching the summit, you ride back down to Puesto República for the night.
After breakfast at the shelter, you return to El Boquerón for lunch. From here, you say goodbye to the yellow house and set off on a scenic off-road journey by 4×4 back to Estancia San José. The drive takes around three hours and offers beautiful views of the island along the way. Back at San José, you celebrate your final night with an exquisite lamb feast and a relaxed evening sharing memories from an unforgettable trip.
After breakfast, you are transferred on a three-and-a-half-hour drive to Ushuaia Airport for your onward journey home, leaving Tierra del Fuego with a heart full of adventure and a lifetime of memories from the End of the World.
ACTIVITIES ON THE END OF THE WORLD TRAIL
Here are some of the unforgettable activities you can do on the End of The World Trail in Patagonia
HORSES & TACK ON THE PATAGONIA TRAIL
THE HORSES
You ride a wonderful selection of tough, sure footed Patagonian horses, predominantly Argentine Criollos crossed with Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred and Percheron. These horses are bred for stamina, balance and strength, making them perfectly suited to long days in the saddle and the demanding mountain terrain. Jakotango also runs a dedicated breeding programme to produce the ideal mountain safari horse, including crossing Criollo mares with imported Noriker bloodlines. Expect responsive, willing partners who are confident on steep climbs, rocky descents and wide-open valleys.
THE TACK
You ride in traditional Argentine recado saddles fitted with sheepskins for comfort and support, paired with rawhide bridles. All horses are trained to neck rein, allowing for relaxed and responsive riding even in challenging terrain. Saddle bags are provided so you can carry extra layers, water and personal items while out on the trail, and ponchos are available for warmth and protection from wind and rain.
GET INSPIRED TO RIDE THE END OF THE WORLD TRAIL
WHERE YOU'LL STAY ON THE END OF THE WORLD TRAIL
SAN JOSÉ LODGE
Set within eight thousand hectares of private land with the magnificent Río Grande flowing through it, this historic estancia sits in one of the most beautiful fishing regions in the world, known for its legendary sea-run trout. Originally a working sheep farm, the buildings have been carefully restored and now offer comfortable en suite bedrooms. The old shearing shed has been transformed into a warm communal living space with a fireplace where meals are shared and stories are told at the end of each day. Expect a welcoming atmosphere, hearty Argentine food, good wine and a wonderful sense of arriving somewhere special.
ESTANCIA RIO APEN
Here you sleep in traditional gaucho caravans, each with its own bathroom and two comfortable double beds. The communal area is a cosy hillside cottage with a bar and dining room, centred around an indoor parrilla where meals are cooked over an open fire. From the terrace, sweeping views stretch across the surrounding landscape, making this a beautiful place to relax after a long day in the saddle.
ESTANCIA EL BOQUERÓN
Hidden deep within the heart of the island, Estancia El Boquerón feels wonderfully remote and full of character. Known as the yellow house, this traditional estancia has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a very comfortable living and dining room where you can relax by the fire. For two nights, you enjoy the comfort of staying indoors, with warm rooms, generous meals and a true taste of rural Patagonian life.
PUESTO REPÚBLICA FLY CAMP
This is the most remote and adventurous stop on the ride and can only be reached on horseback. All supplies are brought in by pack horses. You sleep in two-person dome tents with cot beds, mattresses and warm sleeping bags, surrounded by mountains and endless sky. Meals are cooked over an open fire and enjoyed beneath the stars. There are no showers here, but fresh mountain springs provide clear running water to wash your face and hands. Spending a night at Puesto República is a highlight for many riders and captures the true spirit of the End of the World journey.
THE DESTINATION
Patagonia
Patagonia is one of the world’s great riding destinations. Stretching across southern Argentina and Chile, it is a landscape defined by soaring peaks, ancient forests, turquoise lakes, windswept plains and vast open spaces where nature still dictates the pace of life. For experienced riders, there are few places that offer the same sense of freedom. Long days in the saddle, exceptional horses and spectacular scenery combine to create riding adventures that feel genuinely wild. Patagonia is a destination that captures the imagination long before you arrive and stays with you long after you leave.
Tierra del Fuego
Known as the “Land of Fire”, Tierra del Fuego sits at the southernmost tip of South America, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan. It is here that the End of the World Ride unfolds, crossing remote valleys, forests, rivers and mountain passes in one of the continent’s last true wildernesses. The landscapes are raw, untamed and remarkably untouched, home to condors, guanacos, foxes and beavers. With few roads and even fewer people, Tierra del Fuego offers the rare feeling of travelling through a place that has changed little over generations.
Ushuaia
Often called the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia is the gateway to Tierra del Fuego and a wonderful place to spend a few extra days before or after your ride. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and the Beagle Channel, the town offers excellent restaurants, museums, hiking trails and boat trips to see sea lions, penguins and abundant birdlife. It’s also the departure point for many Antarctic expeditions, giving the town a unique atmosphere that reflects its position at the edge of the continent.
Rio Grande
Located on the Atlantic coast of Tierra del Fuego, Río Grande is the starting point for many journeys into the island’s remote interior. While quieter than Ushuaia, it offers an authentic glimpse into life in southern Patagonia, where sheep farming, fishing and gaucho traditions remain central to the region’s identity. It provides the perfect transition between civilisation and the extraordinary wilderness that awaits on the End of the World Ride.
HOW WE CARE FOR OUR HORSES
Our horseback adventures are hand-picked for their quality and care of their horses. Here’s how the horses at Jakogtango are kept in tip-top shape for your safaris. The horses are on top of the hierarchy and receive very special care:
- The horses are groomed and checked for any injuries twice a day
- They are fed hard feed two to three times a day as required and have access to grass throughout the day (when not on safari) and throughout the night
- All the horses have dedicated rest days each week, have time off between each safari and have a varied exercise program that includes trails, schooling, lounging and groundwork to keep them fit, happy and healthy
- The horses live out in a herd environment, allowing them to live as naturally as possible
- Most horses are barefoot where possible and the farrier comes every 4-6 weeks to ensure their hooves are in the best condition
- Saddles are well-fitted, and checked regularly
- Each horse has their own bridle, which is checked and cleaned daily
Please chat to us if you have any more questions about this.
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