Programs Abroad

CHILE - Farm Stay at a Ranch in Patagonia

	Project: Farm Stay Booking Nº: CL104 Country: Chile + Location: Southern Patagonia Minimum Stay: 3 months Start dates: zwischen Oktober und März Price: 3 months, from 595 USD
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Task

Garden work
Feeding and taking care of horses and cattle
Attending tourists
Administrative tasks
Help with daily tasks in the house

During your Farm Stay at the Ranch in southern Patagonia you will employ diverse tasks in order to make your day more diversified. On the one hand you will work directly with the animals and help to feed them and look after them. You will also do some garden work cultivating and harvesting vegetables, herbs and salads, etc. Additionally, you are expected to lend a hand in daily household to-dos, which may include cleaning, collecting firewood or preparing food.

On the other hand the farm is developing a touristic operation. So, you will get in contact with guests that stay at the farm to spend some vacation days and to enjoy the Patagonian adventure and natural beauties. You will attend the guests, show them around the property of the farm, the facilities and advice them about the plenty of activities and excursions they can participate at.

The farm makes a lot of efforts to create awareness among its guests and humans in general to conserve our planet earth and our unique wildlife. You are encouraged to develop your own ideas to organize events and sharpen the environmental awareness among others.

Accommodation

Double room in the house of the farm owner
Room might be shared with another person
Shared bathroom
Full-board

During your Farm Stay, you will live and work directly at the farm and hence get the unique opportunity not only to get to know the Chilean farm life but also the family life, its traditions and cuisine. You will be accommodated in a double room in the farmer's house. You most likely will share this room and the bathroom with another participant of our Farm Stay program. You'll be provided with full-board and meals are taken with the family and sometimes other farm workers.

To make your stay a pleasant and unforgettable experience for you, you should be willing to live in a very remote region, where neither internet nor radio or mobile phone connection is available. You also should not mind to have little contact with people and you should be motivated to support the farm's development into a more tourist focus.

The Farm Stay at the Ranch in southern Patagonia is a real adventure and an unforgettable time for those who like to life a kind of cow-boy experience.

Requirements

Language:
English, Spanish, other languages welcome.

Skills:
Basic knowledge of agriculture and cattle-breeding, experience with the organization of cultural activities, knowledge about environmental education, experience in working with adults and children.

Age:
18+ years

Vaccination:
No special vaccination needed. For more detailed information consult your doctor or Chile’s entry regulatory.

Insurance:
Full health and travel insurance for Chile.

Visa:
Stays up to three months do not require any special visa. For longer stays you have to apply for a visa.

Details

The ranch is a cattle estate located at Chile's third largest Island, just about 100 miles from Punta Arenas. Besides cattle and horse breeding, the farm also receives tourists which come in order to explore the Magellan's culture, bird watching or to discover the particular history of southern Chile or enjoy the silence of the island. Two in a traditional style built cabins can accommodate up to twelve guests.

The geographic location of the ranch has pre-mountain range characteristics, with immediate access to the river basins and the mountain range from the extreme south west of the "Alacalufes" forest reserves and the borders of Seno Otway. An adventurous place where every day varies, discovering its ongoing natural beauty. The ranch is really a great destination at the world's south. It is a place of rest and adventure, where people can enjoy a variety of camp life activities like simply resting, walking, horseback ridding or fishing in the river, learning about conscious taming, excursions, native wildlife observations among others. Zodiac boat rides across different creeks are also offered to keep admiring the majestic beauty.

Prices

Duration	in USD
up to 3 months	595.-
up to 4 months	625.-
up to 5 months	655.-
up to 6 months	685.-

One time registration fee 75 USD.

What’s included:

Accommodation
3 meals per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Orientation kit
Local support
24h-Emergency Number

What’s not included:

Flight
Airport Pick-up
Medical Insurance
Visa (if necesary)
Personal expenses

Country

Chile is truly a country like no other in South America. This country embraces the long and narrow Pacific Ocean coastal region to the east, embedded between the Andes Mountains and Argentina to the west, while bordering Bolivia and Peru to the northwest. Chile takes great pride in being the longest country in the world with a width of 115 miles and an incredible length of 2,700 miles. Due to the country’s vast length, a wide range of climatic zones and weather conditions exist with a daily average of thirty-eight degrees difference between northern Arica and southern Patagonia.

While the country’s total population adds up to about 16 million, almost 6 million (40%), Chileans live in the country capital of Santiago. About 85% of the country's population lives in urban areas, while an incredible 15% of the population are responsible for agricultural productions of oranges, avocado, flowers, melons and much more. Moreover, the relatively small central valley around Santiago dominates the country in terms of agricultural resources.

If your Chilean travels take you outside the economic and cultural side of Chile, you will find landscape variety in forests, grazing lands, spectacular volcanoes, rocky/sand coasts and shimmering lakes. With a little extra local knowledge, you might be lucky to discover the labyrinth fjords, beautiful inlets, remote islands and historic glaciers.

Chile’s most known attractions for adventurers and culture seekers alike are Easter Island, Robinson Crusoe Island, the southern region of Patagonia and famous Altiplano in the north. Further, within a two-hour radius from Santiago are spectacular beaches, glacial hiking, climbing, biking, surfing, wine tours and much more. From the world’s driest desert in the north, endless coastline in the west, majestic Andes in the east, smoking volcanoes, virgin forests, lakes, fjords, rivers and glaciers in the south, there is something for everybody in Chile.

The best time to travel to Chile depends greatly on what you hope to see and do. If your mission is to play hard in the southern region, the most accessible months to the backcountry of Patagonia are December through March. The months of November through February are fantastic for long days, hot, dry weather and empty city streets in central Chile. For skiers, along with rain in the city, snow begins to fill the mountains again from July through September. In northern Chile, the Atacama Desert is easily accessible all year. March is a general all around ideal month to explore Chile from north to south because this is the transition time between the winter cold and rainy seasons.

We believe you’ll find Chileans are generally quiet but welcoming people. They are very proud of their amazing country and love to talk about its endless variety. The Chileans are very kind, helpful and will soon consider you to be their amigo so you will never feel lonely. Don’t forget the mention to a Chilean about their National soccer (futbol) team going to the 2010 World Cup!