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South of River Maule, a few hours away from Santiago you'll find the Melado Valley, a paradise for riders and hikers. A total population of 270 people inhabits this extensive 2450 square kilometer valley!
This region lies in the pre-Andean area, barely exposed to tourism, richly filled by natural wonders: hot springs arising from snow-covered volcanoes, glaciers and hidden lagoons. In the skies above you, majestic condors fly in circles. On lagoon shores, you'll encounter magnificent campsites.
The Sendero de Chile (the Chile Trail) as well as another two trails, cross the region allowing for extensive and exceptional horse trekking or hiking exploration events. Good weather is practically guaranteed during the six long, dry summer months. Several cottages along the trail provide lodging and information.
Routes provided differ in length and complexity. The easiest, the Puelche Trek named after the local native Indian settlements. The nicest in comfort is by far the Cottage Ride, which allows you to sleep in comfy mountain cottages. For experienced riders, riding with a guide, we recommend the San Pedro Loop Trail, which leads you through one of Chile 's most attractive landscapes.
Mountaineers can climb San Pedro, Pellado and Longavi volcanoes. Besides the mentioned cottages, some local families offer simple sleeping rooms, campsites and food. Most of them also rent horses and can provide baggage transport horses.
Additional tip: January brings about horse fly incidence in the lower region, a nuisance for all riders and hikers. During January, we recommend tours in the upper areas of the region, over 1500 m.
Melado Valley horse trekking and hiking trails should not be compared to well-managed Nature Reserves such as Torres del Paine or professional hiking trails in Europe. Some paths in this area are hardly recognizable and barely marked. On the other hand they'll lead you to completely unique, unscathed landscapes far from civilization. |
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