Southern Brazil Horseback Riding Adventure

Upon arrival at Florianópolis airport, meet your expert guide and transfer to Lagoa da Conceição, a brief half-hour drive away. Check in at the cozy Pousada Casa da Lagoa and take a guided tour of the city to familiarize yourself with the area. Most of the restaurants are within short walking distance offering the perfect opportunity to explore and wander along the gorgeous waterfront.

Today, head to Serra Catarinense and upon arrival, check-in at the lovely Fazenda Panelão hotel. Take a few moments to settle in and then dine on a delicious lunch. Afterward, saddle up for a horseback ride in the region and explore the great outdoors. After building up an appetite, savor the taste of traditional dishes from the region for dinner.

Rise early and learn how to groom, feed and take care of the horses from your expert guide before sitting down at the breakfast buffet. Then take up the reins and ride across the mountain landscape. Travel past some steep canyons, rivers, impressive Araucaria woods and giant ferns. Pass by herds of cattle and small fazendas, waving to the friendly locals.

In a small village, stop in at a local pub and pull up a chair. Order a Skol or Bohemia, popular beers from the area, and toast the villagers with a “saude”. Enjoy a meal served by a host family and continue to see the sights of the surrounding area on horseback. Round out the day and feast on a delicious, homemade meal.

Wake up at your leisure today with no set plans for the morning. After a few hours of free time, pack a picnic lunch, mount your horse and ride to a nearby waterfall. Admire the sight of the rushing water cascade down the mountain. Discover the surrounding landscape and continue riding across the stunning terrain. As night beckons, head back for dinner and take pleasure in the charming company of your hosts.

Groom, feed and clean the horses before breakfast, then say farewell to your hosts and set off for the Pousada Fogo Eterno, your accommodation for the night. Ride through peach, kiwi and apple orchards, cross some gently flowing rivers and delight in the pleasant scenery of this region famous for cultivating fruit and vegetables. After 6-8 hours of riding, arrive at Pousada Fogo Eterno and dine on mouth-watering churrasco after a long day in the saddle.

This morning, take care of the horses before enjoying a hearty breakfast, and select a suitable route for a horseback journey depending on the season. Gently canter through a small village and travel across a landscape of canyons before stopping for lunch on the banks of a river. Continue riding through the fazendas and absorb the vastness of the open countryside. Then meet your driver to load up the horses and travel to the wonderful Pousada Serra Bella, your accommodation for the night. Pull up a chair, chat about the day over dinner and wash it down with a glass of wine or home-brewed cachaça before retiring for the night.

Leave the Pousada Serra Bela this morning and drive to the magnificent lookout point called “Morro da Igreja”. Soak up the sight of cavernous canyons that drop almost 1800m below. Continue onto Corvo Branco to explore the best that nature has to offer. Take a detour from the direct route to visit Laguna, where wild dolphins assist local fishermen in getting a catch. This unique phenomenon is still a mystery to experts and an experience not found anywhere else in the world. Return to "Ilha da Magia", the magical island of Florianópolis and stay one more night at the Pousada Casa da Lagoa.

Prepare to say goodbye to the wonderful southern Brazil countryside. Then transfer to the airport and catch your flight home or continue onto another fantastic South American destination.