Length of stay:
Minimum 1 month
Maximum the entire season (September - May)
Number of volunteers:
Up to three
When:
September to May
Other requirements:
Previous experience volunteering or working in hospitality or gastronomy.
Good communication skills in English and Spanish. Any additional languages are much appreciated.
Minimum 18 years old.
Nibepo Aike is a family-run estancia in Los Glaciers National Park. Currently, it is the third generation managing the estancia. Southern Patagonia offers stunning scenery, and Nibepo Aike is no exception! Surrounded by mountains, lakes, and glaciers, Estancia Nibepo Aike has a lot to offer— not just horseback riding, but also trekking, picnics, and boat tours within the park.
Nibepo Aike is the only estancia within Los Glaciers National Park with livestock production, featuring about 500 cows for breeding and selling. They also have 15 bulls for exhibitions and breeding.
They have approximately 110 sheep, all raised for consumption by the estancia, whether for demonstrations like sheep shearing or for the asado (barbecue).
They receive guests from all over the world during the season. It is therefore important you have a good understanding of English and preferably Spanish too. Any additional languages are always a plus.
Nibepo Aike has been working with volunteers since 2021 and enjoys welcoming different nationalities to their home. Volunteering with Nibepo Aike is not just about riding horses! It is much more about helping out wherever needed: general maintenance, housekeeping, cooking and being part of the team welcoming guests to the Estancia.
If you have previous experience working in hospitality, it's an advantage. It’s important that you are open to meeting new people and talking to different individuals every day. You need to be flexible and able to work in different areas depending on where help is needed.
While I was volunteering, I worked in the Quincho. This is where the guests participating in Día de Campo (Field Day) come to have lunch. Día de Campo is a one-day activity for tourists organized by the estancia. The tourists arrive at the estancia at 10, followed by coffee and cake. From here, the tour of life on an estancia begins. First, they go to see how to milk a cow, and the guests have the opportunity to try it themselves. Afterward, a gaucho demonstrates herding sheep, and activities such as prueba de riendas (reins competition) and tambores (barrel racing) are shown. Then, guests have the option to go for a guided walk or horseback ride. After the walk or ride, a gaucho demonstrates how to shear a sheep, and the guide will explain more about the shearing process. While the tour is going on, your work in the Quincho involves cleaning the tables after the coffee, setting up the tables for lunch, preparing bread and salads, and taking care of the last details before the guests arrive. As the guests arrive and begin their lunch, Cordero a estaca (lamb prepared over fire), you will assist the head of the Quincho by handing him whatever he needs—drinks, refills of salads, etc. After lunch and dessert, you will help clean up, washing plates, drying, polishing, and preparing for the evening guests or the following day. You work 5 hours a day from 11:30 – 16:30. Hours can be adjusted if there are guests who will dine in the evening and need more help than for lunch.
In the Quincho, you work with 3-4 others. While I was volunteering, Marcelo (Mexican) was the supervisor of the Quincho and my boss. All I can say is that you won’t find a better supervisor than him. He will show you everything and you can always ask him if you are in doubt. In the kitchen, I worked with Marcelo (Argentine), and he always made sure the conversation flowed. He’s the best multitasker I’ve ever met, and he always has a cheeky reply up his sleeve.
The work is relatively easy when you first arrive at 11:30, but as the guests arrive, the rush starts and lasts until about 2:30 p.m., when they move on to their next activities. The remaining hours involve helping clear tables, cutlery, and plates from lunch and dinner.
The work at the Hostería (Inn) is a little different from the Quincho. At the hostería, you have two different shifts: either the morning shift from 7 – 12 or the evening shift from 18 – 23.
During the morning shifts, you have a quiet few hours until 9 When the rush begins as breakfast finishes. You’ll need to help prepare the outdoor seating for guests, assist with general cleaning in the kitchen, clean the dining area in the inn, clean the living room, set tables for lunch, and ensure the fireplace stays lit.
There’s a maximum of 23 guests at the inn, whereas the Quincho can serve up to 50 guests. In the kitchen, you work with one chef (sometimes two if they’re busy), a host, and one or two others who help with cleaning or odd jobs.
In the evening, your shift starts at the end of tea time. You will need to do the dishes from tea time, help with cooking from 18 – 20, and grab vegetables from the garden. The rush occurs from 20:30 – 23, as dinner service gets busier. Cleaning up after dinner is a big task. They always have more guests for dinner than for lunch, as most guests either check out or are out exploring for the day. Sometimes, you’ll also need to prepare lunches for the following day if guests are going hiking.
The volunteer work is great, as there’s no rush or pressure. You work together, and you’ll only be assigned tasks you’re trained for. It’s a very friendly environment to work in.
If you stay for longer than one month, you will rotate between the hostería and Quincho, depending on where they need help. Depending on the time of year you volunteer, they may also need help with the animals, garden work, construction, and maintenance.
In your free time, you can participate in any tours they offer. For example, you can go by boat to the Perito Moreno Glacier with the company Glaciar Sur. You can join the tour for free, but you will need to pay the entrance to the park yourself.
You are free to trek around the estancia, and they have several hiking trails. You can even try to beat some of the guides' records!
You can join the horseback rides if there’s space on the ride—just ask one of the guys working at the stable. They have four different rides throughout the day, so there are plenty of options.
For safety reasons, it is not permitted to go riding without someone from the estancia.
The horses are very well-trained and accustomed to working with tourists, so even if you have no experience or haven’t ridden for years, it’s the perfect place to volunteer if you want to experience rural and cultural gaucho life.
They have about 20 horses for guests, and the rest are used by the gauchos or are young horses in training. During the first years of a horse’s training, they are only ridden by the gauchos. Once they are older and suitable for beginners, they begin to be used with guests.
There are four gauchos, who focus solely on livestock and training. They usually keep to themselves, as they are always working somewhere far from the heart of the estancia.
It’s a very social place to volunteer. There are always guests around who are interested in learning about the culture, horseback riding, the estancia, or even about you. When you're not around guests, you can chat with other volunteers or employees, and they're always up for doing something. Everyone works different shifts, so there’s always someone free at the same time as you.
Lunch and dinner are served in the dining room, and everyone gets together there. If you're working during one of the meals, food will be sent to where you're working.
You will live in a house with other employees. The volunteer room is shared. When I was there, we were two girls and one boy, with space for three volunteers at a time. The house has a shared bathroom, but even though you’re living with 6-7 people, I never experienced a line for the bathroom. Everyone is very respectful, and no one will enter your room; you’re free to close the door whenever you want. You’re also more than welcome to join others for mate and have a chat.
Argentinians don’t usually do breakfast, but someone is always around drinking mate. Lunch and dinner are specially prepared for the workers.
The majority of the employees speak English. Everyone working at the hostería and directly with guests speaks English, but the employees in maintenance, the gauchos, and kitchen staff primarily speak Spanish.
You have free use of the laundry facilities. Just drop off your bag in the morning, and by the afternoon, it will be washed and ready to hang to dry.
The easiest way to get to El Calafate from Buenos Aires is by plane. There are direct flights, which take about 3.5 hours. From El Calafate, you can take the estancia’s shuttle from the city straight to the estancia, about 1.5 – 2 hours.
If you’re already in the area or in southern Chile, there are buses running several times a day. From Puerto Natales, Chile, it’s about a five-hour bus ride.
Since it's in Patagonia, it's important to bring waterproof clothes and shoes. The weather can be unpredictable, shifting from a sunny summer day to thunderstorms and rain in no time.
You can contact Nibepo Aike by email at gerencia@nibepoaike.com.ar. Please send a brief resume with information about your previous work and volunteer experience, what kind of volunteering you would be interested in, when you'd be available to volunteer, and something about yourself.
