Digital Detox Horse Riding Retreat in the Patagonian Andes

Ranquilco is a working ranch in the Patagonian Andes, and the retreat runs on ranch time. Days start with breakfast and then you're out riding — across open valleys, along river canyons, with the guides pointing out the terrain as you go. Riders of different levels are paired with horses that suit them, and the horsemanship lessons happen both in the corral and out on the trail, so beginners get the groundwork and experienced riders get something to work on too.

Not every day is in the saddle. There's garden work — harvesting whatever is ready — and a cooking lesson in traditional Argentine cuisine using what you picked. There's an asado, a whole-animal Argentine barbecue, with a fiesta to go with it. And there's the sauna on the riverbank: wood-fired, with the river right there for a plunge afterwards.

The overnight pack trip is the centrepiece. You ride to the Confluencia, a secluded valley where two rivers meet, with mules carrying the gear. The afternoon is for swimming in the deep pools or fishing for trout in the current. Dinner is cooked over the fire and you sleep out under a sky with no light pollution at all.

This isn't a spa week dressed up as a ranch stay. It's physical — you'll be riding most days, working with animals, and sleeping outdoors one night. But it's unhurried. The point of the week is that there's no signal, no screen and nowhere you need to be.

The ranch is run by T.A. Carrithers, who lives on site. Ranquilco has satellite internet at the main lodge, but it stays off for the retreat; a connection point stays active at his private residence so family can reach him in an emergency and he'll pass the message on. Everything else — email, calls, scrolling — waits until you're back.

What's included

- 6 nights double occupancy lodging - 3 farm-to-table meals a day - Beer and wine - Daily guided horseback rides - Horsemanship lessons in and out of the corral - Garden tending and harvesting - Cooking lesson in traditional Argentine cuisine - Riverside wood-fired sauna and river plunges - Overnight horse pack trip to the Confluencia - Traditional Argentine whole animal asado and fiesta - Internet, phone and television-free environment for the entire stay

What's not included

- Travel to and from Ranquilco - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Any additional excursions not listed - Single room supplement, if available