Active Pursuits in Colchagua Valley

Biking

Viu Manent has bicycles for rent for either independent riding through their vineyards, or guided tours.

Hiking

Montes offers a new botanical trail for hiking, with guided tours leaving at 9am every day, and lasting about 4 hours total. Plan this hike with a tasting upon your return -- you've earned it.

Horseback Riding

The Colchagua Valley isn't just about wine -- it's about rural tradition and huasos, and historically the only way to get around the valley was by horseback. It makes sense, then, to see this beautiful region from atop a saddle. Hacienda Lolol (tel. 72/941077; pradera@cmet.net) offers three rides -- Adventure, Family, and Basic -- that include riding, a Chilean-style lunch at the old-fashioned Hacienda, and a tour of the quaint village of Lolol. Prices per person are: Adventure tour $65 (£43) adults, $55 (£37) kids; Family tour, $50 (£33) adults, $40 (£27) kids; and Basic tour, $38 (£25) adults, $28 (£19) kids.

Viña Viu Manent (tel. 72/379-0439; www.viumanent.cl) boasts a certified equestrian club, and they offer a 45-minute tour through their vineyards for $33 (£22) per person, or a 1-hour ride from their vineyards in Peralillo to a spectacular lookout point for $58 (£39) per person. The rides are led by professional riding guides who are members of the club, and they also offer a 1-hour professional lesson for $23 (£15) per person.

La Punta del Viento (tel. 72/823599 or 9/639-5027; www.colchaguavalley.cl) has a minimum of four guests, but the unique thing about these rides is that not only do you ride high to a sweeping lookout point, but you can also program a wine-and-cheese tasting there, then descend for a typical Chilean barbecue. The cost for the 3-hour ride on stunning Chilean purebred horses alone is $50 (£33) per person, and the 5-hour ride with barbecue is $100 (£67) per person. La Punta can also organize a visit to Macho Overo, the finest saddle maker in the country.