The secret history of the Río Quillén ranch and a six-day ride through araucaria trees

There are landscapes that seem to know us before we arrive. They aren't explained. They aren't shown. They're there, waiting. Quillén is one of those places.

From the first day, the pace changes . Nothing is rushing. Nothing is urgent. You just have to move forward. Horse, body, silence. The valley opens wide, the river runs through it. The mountains close in at the bottom. The air is dry. Sometimes it hurts to breathe. Patagonia, here we are.

Six days on horseback. We could talk about the pain in our hands from the reins, the cold in our ears, the earth on every part of our body. Riding is exhausting but motivating, painful, and seductive. It's the gift of rustic luxury: becoming part of the landscape almost without a trace.

The Río Quillén ranch is located between Lake Quillén and the mountain range, within Lanín National Park . From there, six day trips depart that combine the challenging with the intimate. There are full-day rides—from 5 to 7 hours net—but also shorter, more adaptable ones: itineraries designed for riding with purpose, without rushing, but above all, without wasting time.

Natalia Fernández and Marcelo Chamorro live there. They're the hosts. She's from Buenos Aires, a mountain guide. He's from Missionary. They met in El Chaltén . They're Patagonians by adoption , like most people. They feel part of the mountains, the wind, and the cold. Today they're in charge of this project at the ranch founded by the Lagos Mármol family at the beginning of the 20th century. They've organized tours, laid out trails, set up camps. They welcome visitors. But they don't sell tourism. Don't let that sound bad: they offer something else. A way of being.

The first night is spent at Casa Grande . A wooden house rebuilt with scraps of native trees—mostly Patagonian oak—after a fire in the 1980s. A roaring fire, home-cooked food, windows overlooking the vast, almost endless valley. Outside, the horses wait.

The luxury of Quillén lies in that balance: inserting yourself without intervening. This is Glamping Malalco , the jewel of the place: six double tents with shared bathrooms, a communal fire pit, and hot showers—everything designed to be lived in without leaving a mark. There are no rugs or Wi-Fi, let alone ostentatious furniture. The luxury lies in the local wood, the tranquility, the view of the river—and its incessant roar —the carefully set table, the barbecue grilled on the fire pit, and the fire over which Marcelo heats the water for the mate.

Another highlight is the Hidden Mallín . Four hours through tall grass, wetlands, and stretches of lowland forest. In the middle, a clearing: the araucaria forest . It's tall, symmetrical, and ancient. It's impossible not to be enchanted. The light filters in. The ground is covered with boulders. No one speaks. You move slowly. The air changes. You feel something. There are no words for it.

The body aches and becomes anchored. Can the cold become energy? The araucaria trees aren't just another point: they define the journey. The horses stop, silence them, recognize the sacredness of that forest. The valley, the wetlands, the torrents: everything is experienced with embodied attention.

Moche guides with a knife and a steady gaze. Franco and Amaro — the Pole and his brother—ride silently, familiar with trails, birds, and footprints. They are part of the team, and also an attraction in themselves: endearing characters, who treasure a thousand stories of the place. They support, teach, and remain silent. The creaking of the forest, the snorting of the horse, the bellowing deer, the trickling of the river: everything has weight.

Then come longer days. The journey to Pampa del Correntoso and Mallín Picudo . A gentle, steady climb. Then the descent down Loma de los Chivos to return to the Malalco camp, by the river. The body is tired. Mate. Dinner. Rest. Nothing more is needed.

The next morning, another herd is waiting. They skirt the river and ride toward the craters of the Rucachoroi volcano . Three demanding hours. They reach the lagoons that formed in the craters. Some climb. From the top, they can see Mount Lanín . The volcanoes of Chile . Everything seems still, but there is wind. And cold. And something exciting.

Ancestral history beats at every step. Natalia tells how Juan Lagos Mármol arrived, sent by the State more than a hundred years ago, rented land, settled, and built a house, sheltering the valley. His mark can be felt in the Casa Grande , in the way everything is cared for. In the family book , in documents and decrees. But even more so, in the weathered hand of the muleteer who knows how to light a fire , in the way Natalia welcomes guests, in the food served with dedication.

Then comes the return to the valley. The passage through Las Tordiallas , a hot lunch, another night in Casa Grande . The body has learned. It hurts less. Not because it has stopped hurting, but because it's already part of the journey.

The last few days are calm, with a backdrop of dust and fur. You go to bed knowing you'll have to leave early tomorrow, but it doesn't matter anymore. Riding over a silent valley is the reward. On the day you cross the lake, many choose to stay. Perch by the water, watch the clouds pass by, feel the icy air on your face, with the Lanín Mountains in the background.

Quillén isn't a picture postcard, although it could be. And it doesn't invite you to sleep in. It doesn't raise any objections. It doesn't promise spas or urban luxuries. It offers other things: effort, silence, cold, effort again, water, stone, horse, bread, firewood, memory. A new luxury that isn't flaunted, that is felt in the flesh, in the dry throat, in the tired gaze that suddenly discovers a sick tree, a deer trail, a condor circling above.

You come back different. Slower. More awake. There's fullness and emptiness at the same time. As if something were left behind. Among the monkey puzzle trees . Or on the back of the animal that bore your weight.

Location:

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IG: @rioquillen

Website: www.rioquillen.ar

Horseback riding in Río Quillén takes place between September and May. Organizers recommend wearing comfortable clothing, a raincoat, a hat, and sunglasses. Price per person, per day: from US$400.

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