Intimate Waters: wild brown trout on a private spring creek across a 15,000-acre working estancia — walk-and-wade, not jet boats.
Intimate Waters
Private spring creek
Walk-and-wade
Coyhaique Alto, Chile
Estancia del Zorro — Intimate Waters
Estancia del Zorro is the Intimate Waters lodge: a 15,000-acre working ranch in the Coyhaique Alto foothills with about 15 miles of private spring creek and two private rivers, fished on foot for wild brown trout. Sister lodge Cinco Rios on the Rio Simpson runs Classic Waters with boats and lakes; Best of Patagonia splits the week between both. Sebastian Galilea and Greg Vincent have run the pair since 2002. Angler Adventures books Estancia del Zorro and helps plan the travel.
Intimate Waters stays on the ranch all week. The Zorro spring creek is a short drive from the lodge on the ranch’s gravel road. Its deepest runs and pools hold the larger browns, which rise to hoppers and big terrestrials. The shallower stretches hold more fish, many of them 12 to 20 inches.
Beyond the creek, guides fish the Nerihuao and Guillermo rivers and other private and public water on the eastern foothills, and some days cross the border into Argentina. This page is for walk-and-wade anglers who want private estancia water; Cinco Rios Lodge is the Classic Waters page for Simpson floats, jet boats, and lakes.
Andean condors ride the ridgelines above the ranch. In the evening, guests gather in the lodge’s great room to trade fish stories and plan the next day’s water.
Wild brown trout on spring creeks and small rivers
Intimate Waters — private spring creek on the estancia
Walk-and-wade only (no jet-boat program)
Two private rivers on the ranch
Some days across the border in Argentina
Met at Balmaceda airport, about an hour away
Book Estancia del Zorro, get a quote, or ask us about fly fishing in Chile.
Estancia del Zorro runs the Intimate Waters program: six days of guided walk-and-wade fishing on the ranch’s spring creek and rivers, plus private and public water nearby. Waters include the Zorro spring creek and the Nerihuao and Guillermo rivers, and the guides choose each day’s water by conditions.
Spring creeks on the Patagonian steppe run clear and slow, so a careful approach and a clean drift pay off. Guides fish attractor dries, small flies, and streamers as the day calls for them.
Fly Gear for the Zorro Spring Creek
Rods: 9-foot 5- and 6-weights
Lines: floating
Flies: attractor dries, small flies, and streamers
Waders and boots: bring your own
The lodge keeps a small selection of loaner rods and reels. Plan to bring your own rods.
Walk-and-Wade Days at Estancia del Zorro
Anglers share a guide and fish on foot, moving along the spring creek and the rivers to find rising fish. Lunch is eaten streamside.
Staying at Estancia del Zorro
The lodge hosts up to 12 guests, and every room has a private bathroom and a balcony. A great room in the main building is where guests gather in the evening.
The dining room serves local fare with a South American accent, with Chilean wine at the table and a fire in the hearth. Guests arrive to a Pisco Sour.
Guides: most have guided here for more than 12 years
Meals and drinks: all meals, plus beer, wine, and alcohol
Owners: Sebastian Galilea and Greg Vincent, operating since 2002
Estancia del Zorro 2026–27 Rates
Intimate Waters stays entirely at Estancia del Zorro. Best of Patagonia splits the week with Cinco Rios Lodge (Classic Waters). Both programs are listed at the same package price on the operator rate sheet.
Program
Lodging
7 Nights / 6 Fishing Days
Intimate Waters
Estancia del Zorro
$7,950
Best of Patagonia
Cinco Rios Lodge and Estancia del Zorro
$7,950
Rates are per person in USD for 7 nights and 6 fishing days, double occupancy with a shared guide, and are subject to change. Source: Chile rates sheet / Cinco Rios–Zorro operator package pricing.
Angler Adventures services are free. Call 860-434-9624 or send a message to start planning your Estancia del Zorro trip.
What the Estancia del Zorro Rate Includes
Included at Estancia del Zorro
7 nights at Estancia del Zorro, double occupancy
6 days of guided fishing with a shared guide
Transfers to and from Balmaceda airport
All meals
Beer, wine, and alcohol
Fishing license
Not Included at Estancia del Zorro
International and domestic flights
Travel insurance
Meals, transfers, and hotels in Santiago
Fishing equipment
Gratuities
Getting to Estancia del Zorro
Estancia del Zorro is in the Coyhaique Alto foothills on the Chile–Argentina border, about an hour from Balmaceda airport (BBA).
Fly to Santiago (SCL): international flights from the United States land in Santiago.
Santiago to Balmaceda (BBA): a domestic flight south, sometimes with a stop in Puerto Montt (PMC).
Balmaceda to the estancia: the lodge meets you at the airport for the drive of about an hour. The transfer is included.
Brown Trout of the Zorro Spring Creek
Brown trout
(Salmo trutta)
Wild browns on the Zorro spring creek, the Nerihuao and Guillermo rivers, and nearby private and public water. The deeper runs of the spring creek hold the larger fish, which rise to hoppers and big terrestrials. Shallower water holds more fish, many of them 12 to 20 inches.
Wild brown trout, on the ranch's private spring creek, two private rivers, and nearby private and public water.
How many guests does Estancia del Zorro host?
Up to 12 guests. Every room has a private bathroom and a balcony.
How much does a week at Estancia del Zorro cost?
The Intimate Waters week is $7,950 per person for 7 nights and 6 fishing days, double occupancy with a shared guide. It includes meals, drinks, the fishing license, and transfers from Balmaceda.
How do I get to Estancia del Zorro?
Fly to Santiago, then take a domestic flight to Balmaceda (BBA). The lodge meets you at the airport for the drive of about an hour, and the transfer is included.
Do I need to bring my own rods?
Plan to. The lodge keeps a small selection of loaner rods and reels and recommends 9-foot 5- and 6-weights with floating lines. Bring your own waders and boots.
Who runs Estancia del Zorro?
Sebastian Galilea and Greg Vincent, who also run Cinco Rios Lodge in Coyhaique and have operated in the region since 2002.
Plan Your Estancia del Zorro Trip
Book now, get a quote, or ask about fly fishing the Zorro spring creek.
Owners Jay Burgin, Mary Jacques and their Chilean partner, Sebastian Galilea have
established a network of private ranch leases that allow their clients to fish an entire week without touching public water. Add in the public water, and the variety of waters available is diverse and exciting, with an emphasis on walk and wade fishing.
To limit pressure on the creek, each guest is allowed to fish it one day during his or her week. For the other 5 days of your stay at Estancia del Zorro, you select from a variety of rivers, streams and creeks in both Chile and Argentina.
Estancia del Zorro guests also have the opportunity to float the Rio Simpson once or twice during their stay. The Simpson is approximately 45 minutes by car from del Zorro.
The Highlands, a small stream tributary of The Petragosa, flows through the del Zorro ranch property and offers another option for a day of walk and wade fishing and usually constant action. Estancia Isabela is less than a half hour drive from Estancia del Zorro and is a small, wadeable creek available exclusively to Estancia del Zorro guests.
Just west of the ranch is the Petragosa, a small stream loaded with large numbers of browns from 12 to 22 inches. Pack your lunch in your guide’s backpack and you can walk and wade the Petragosa for miles, sometimes pulling a dozen fish from a single pool. Further west the Petragosa runs through a gorgeous canyon, which is difficult to access and so holds very unsophisticated trout. Estancia del Zorro guides are exploring ways to make the canyon a regular part of their fishing program.
Breakfasts and dinners are served in the main dinning room. Guests prepare their own lunches from a selection of cold cuts, breads, fresh fruits and other snacks. Lunches are packed and eaten streamside.
Our Services are Free! Contact us for Seasonal Discounts, Special Offers or Promotional Pricing
Estancia del Zorro 2020 – 2021 RATES
The rate is $5,495 US per person for 7 nights/6 days guided fishing (in on Saturday, out on Saturday) per person, double occupancy and shared guide.
Rates include: pick-up and return to Balmaceda Airport; daily guided fishing by vehicle / foot and by drift boats or jet boat; accommodations at Estancia del Zorro, all meals with house wine and beer; soft drinks; Pisco Sour before dinner; satellite TV in club house; flies, leaders and tippet material (provided by your guide); tax.
Rates Do Not Include: airfare; fishing license (approximately $15 US to be paid at Estancia del Zorro); airport fees and taxes (to be paid upon arrival in Santiago); laundry; tips to guides and staff; hard liquor (a limited selection is available at the lodge, you may want to bring your own); tackle, possible meals or sightseeing during layovers in Santiago; additional tours; use of fax or telephone.
How to get there: From the United States you will fly into Santiago. An impressive, scenic flight on a 737 jet from Santiago, with a stop in Puerto Montt takes you to Balmecada. Upon arrival in Balmaceda, you will be met by your Estancia del Zorro Chile representative and transferred by vehicle to Estancia del Zorro. This trip takes approximately 1½ hours.
Estancia del Zorro is a private ranch located in the Coyhaique Alto mountains on the Chile-Argentina border, 23 miles from Coyhaique, Chile. A great variety of wild trout waters are within easy reach at Estancia del Zorro.
Less than a half-mile from the lodge, by gravel road, lies a spring creek that traverses the 15,000 acre ranch. The deepest runs and pools of this creek are home to brown trout to 30 inches that will rise to a hopper or large terrestrial. Other parts of the creek support greater numbers of smaller fish, averaging twleve to twenty inches. The entire spring creek, more than a mile in length, is reserved exclusively for Estancia del Zorro guests.
To limit pressure on the creek, each guest is allowed to fish it one day during his or her week. For the other 5 days of your stay at Estancia del Zorro, you select from a variety of rivers, streams and creeks in both Chile and Argentina.
Owners Jay Burgin, Mary Jacques and their Chilean partner, Sebastian Galilea have
established a network of private ranch leases that allow their clients to fish an entire week without touching public water. Add in the public water, and the variety of waters available is diverse and exciting, with an emphasis on walk and wade fishing.
Estancia del Zorro guests also have the opportunity to float the Rio Simpson once or twice during their stay. The Simpson is approximately 45 minutes by car from del Zorro.
The Highlands, a small stream tributary of The Petragosa, flows through the del Zorro ranch property and offers another option for a day of walk and wade fishing and usually constant action. Estancia Isabela is less than a half hour drive from Estancia del Zorro and is a small, wadeable creek available exclusively to Estancia del Zorro guests.
Just west of the ranch is the Petragosa, a small stream loaded with large numbers of browns from 12 to 22 inches. Pack your lunch in your guide’s backpack and you can walk and wade the Petragosa for miles, sometimes pulling a dozen fish from a single pool. Further west the Petragosa runs through a gorgeous canyon, which is difficult to access and so holds very unsophisticated trout. Estancia del Zorro guides are exploring ways to make the canyon a regular part of their fishing program.
Of course, Estancia del Zorro is surrounded by pristine trout water; these are only a few examples of what guests at the ranch might fish.
The lodge at Estancia del Zorro can accommodate up to twelve guests at a time in 6 double rooms. A main Great Room invites guests to relax, swap fish stories, and make plans for the next day’s angling.
Also located in the main building is the dining room. The chef takes advantage of savory local fare prepared with a distinctive South American style.
Breakfasts and dinners are served in the main dinning room. Guests prepare their own lunches from a selection of cold cuts, breads, fresh fruits and other snacks. Lunches are packed and eaten streamside.
Our Services are Free!
Contact us for Seasonal Discounts, Special Offers or Promotional Pricing
Estancia del Zorro 2020 – 2021 RATES
The rate is $5,495 US per person for 7 nights/6 days guided fishing (in on Saturday, out on Saturday) per person, double occupancy and shared guide.
Rates include: pick-up and return to Balmaceda Airport; daily guided fishing by vehicle / foot and by drift boats or jet boat; accommodations at Estancia del Zorro, all meals with house wine and beer; soft drinks; Pisco Sour before dinner; satellite TV in club house; flies, leaders and tippet material (provided by your guide); tax.
Rates Do Not Include: airfare; fishing license (approximately $15 US to be paid at Estancia del Zorro); airport fees and taxes (to be paid upon arrival in Santiago); laundry; tips to guides and staff; hard liquor (a limited selection is available at the lodge, you may want to bring your own); tackle, possible meals or sightseeing during layovers in Santiago; additional tours; use of fax or telephone.
How to get there: From the United States you will fly into Santiago. An impressive, scenic flight on a 737 jet from Santiago, with a stop in Puerto Montt takes you to Balmecada. Upon arrival in Balmaceda, you will be met by your Estancia del Zorro Chile representative and transferred by vehicle to Estancia del Zorro. This trip takes approximately 1½ hours.
