Andalucian Adventures, Spain
Programmes
• Sweet Chestnut and Wild Lavender (4 Days)
• Shepherds and Smugglers (3 Days)
• Stag Forest Special (4 days)
Programmes
• Sweet Chestnut and Wild Lavender (4 Days)
• Shepherds and Smugglers (3 Days)
• Stag Forest Special (4 days)
Horses
Type of horses:
Mainly local Andalucian horses with some Criollo and Arab crosses.
Nature of horses:
Born and bred in the mountains, these horses are sensible, well trained, good natured and light mouthed. They are fit and forward going.
Height of horses:
14hh - 16hh
Weight limit:
85kg (heavier riders can be accepted with a supplement as will require supplementary horse on trek)
Tack type:
English tack with padded saddles
Weather
Current Conditions:
Clear, 24 C
Forecast:
Fri - Sunny. High: 29 Low: 21
Sat - Sunny. High: 29 Low: 21
Full Forecast at Yahoo! Weather
(provided by The Weather Channel)
Pricing
Winter Gold
Prices per person is based on double/twin room accommodation:
4 riders: £560, 3 riders: £636, 2 riders: £778.
Single Supplement: £113.
Due to the very steep terrain, riders over 85 kilos will pay 20 Euros extra per
day as an extra horse will be brought on the ride for them.
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Sweet Chestnut and Wild Lavender (4 Days)
For a group of four: £523 per person
Group of three: £598 per person
Two riders: £740 per person
Single supplement: £25
This price includes riding, a trilingual guide, 3 nights accommodation (shared bathroom on day 3), meals, snacks, water (please take your own water bottle), tax, airport transfers (from and to Gibraltar) and entrance to Natural Park.
Not included: drinks except on picnics and on first night, souvenirs, tips, flights or travel insurance.
Shepherds and Smugglers (3 Days)
For a group of four: £401 per person
Group of three: £452 per person
Two riders: £548 per person
Lunch and afternoon ride on Day 1 for early arrivers: four riders: £38 per person, three riders: £42 per person and two riders: £50 per person.
The main price includes two nights accommodation with private bathroom, riding (except day 1 which is available to early arrivers at the extra cost stated above), trilingual guide, meals (lunch day 1 is extra as above), snacks, water (please take your own bottle) and soft drinks, wine and beer with dinner. Also included are tax, airport transfers (from and to Gibraltar), entrance to Natural Park.
Not included: Drinks with restaurant meals and airport transfers from airports other than Gibraltar, flights or travel insurance.
Hills of Ronda (7 Days)
Prices are per person, based on sharing a double/twin room:
4 riders: £866, 3 riders: £983, 2 riders: £1225.
Single Supplement: £46.
Due to the type of terrain, riders over 85 kilos will pay 20 Euros extra per day to cover an extra horse which will be brought on the ride for them.
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Stag Forest Special (4 days)
The price for this tour is per person and depends on how many riders are in the group.
4 riders: £539 pp.
3 riders: £615 pp.
2 riders: £765 pp.
Single supplement: £46 pp.
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Availability/Booking Form
Ride Description
This ride is a true holiday experience through the southernmost tip of Andalucia. Escaping into the Andalucian hills, you will follow secret paths and timeworn trails, often following in the hoof prints of smugglers and bandits who too relied on their faithful horses. As you navigate the mountainous terrain, you will reach heights allowing you to gaze down at the Mediterranean and Africa beyond it or up to the rocky crags that surround the legendary city of Ronda. This sensational trip will have you riding across forests of cork and chestnuts, over carpets of wild lavender, through the scented pastures and into historic 'white villages' where you will feast on local delicacies and can experience the traditional Andalucian way of life.
All rides are personally led by your host, Karen, who is an experienced horsewoman and who speaks English, French and Spanish. Karen was brought up in Ireland and has ridden all her life, working within the worlds of hunting and polo. She has riding experience of three different continents with various terrains and has a great knowledge of the local area and Spain itself. This destination offers a wide range of tours, including many shorter breaks which would be perfect for a long weekend. There are very few Spanish riding destinations that offer these shorter trails and even fewer who make them so enjoyable.
With the warming sun on your back, a trustworthy guide, delicious 'tapas' at the ready, local wine and a cooling pool waiting for you after an incredible day of riding, this is a real Andalucian adventure.
See Programmes.
Food & Accommodation
The accommodation during these trails is in comfortable inns and hotels or more traditional 'casa rural' accommodation in the heart of Andalucia. Alternatively, should you prefer a based holiday, you can book a beautiful farmhouse or country hotel and ride out daily.
Guests are provided with delicious Spanish country cooking using local ingredients. The villages here produce wonderful peppers, tomatoes, avocados and many salad ingredients and tasty vegetables. The local Iberian pork, from pigs that wander the hills eating chestnuts and acorns from the cork oaks, is the most popular meat. There are also sweet mandarins, oranges, lemons, figs, cherries and many other fruits hanging from the trees in season. On some days, typical 'raciones' and 'tapas' are served for lunch and your hostess sometimes cooks supper for everyone in the local bar. Picnic lunches also consist of fresh, local ingredients and are never so basic as a mere sandwich! Your guide will help you to choose local wines and summer drinks to accompany your meals.
Activities
If non-riders wish to accompany the tour, they can travel in the car between each destination. Alternative activities can be arranged for them and on some days, everyone can meet for mid-day meals. Local options, which involve an extra cost, include hiking and bird watching. A little further afield there are historic towns to visit, national parks and golf courses.
Further Details
Languages: English, French and Spanish
Health requirements: Fit, healthy and riding fit.
Age limit: None within reason but children are advised to do based stays (young children will not be accepted on trail rides).
Tuition: None
Included: Accommodation, riding, food and transfers from and to Gibraltar airport.
Not included: Flights, insurance. Soft drinks (other than juice and water), alcohol, discretionary tips, souvenirs.
Travel Information
Gibraltar is the best airport to fly into for this ride and transfers from and to this airport are included in the price of the holiday. Your driver meets you at arrivals with your name clearly displayed. From here he will escort you and your luggage across the border into Spain where the car will be parked (this helps to avoid long queues getting in and out of Gibraltar). Malaga and Jerez airports are both within a few hours drive but transfers from here incur a charge - guests planning to stay on after their ride may wish to hire a car.
Airport: Gibraltar (GIB)
Alternative Airport: Malaga
Programmes
Winter Gold
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A very special tour to shake off the winter blues of northern Europe, riding high up into the Andalucian hills where the chill winds from the high mountains are softened by the warm sun from Africa. The views from the Serrania de Ronda at this time of year are unbeatable, the clear air and sapphire skies make you feel you can see forever. The days are shorter than during the hot summer months and in December and January, as the sun sets, the air can become chilly so we have built this tour round a cosy boutique hotel with central heating, open fires and delicious cuisine. There may be an occasional rainy day but we guarantee you can ride back to a hot deep bath, excellent dinner and coffee in the hotel sitting room gazing down over the treetops to the flickering lights of El Colmenar village far below. We have also added the little bit of luxury of lunching each day in a local ‘venta’ or restaurant, trying out some of the typical seasonal dishes of the region such as game and traditional soups. Day 1 You will be met at Gibraltar airport and driven up for a little over an hour to Hacienda La Herriza Hotel, an exclusive and unusual boutique country hotel nestled in the hills south of Ronda. There are views of rolling countryside and mountains in every direction and lovely gardens surrounding the hotel. Your guide will be there to show you into your cosy suite that is more like a country cottage with spacious sitting room, TV and your own front door. This evening you will be served dinner in the hotel restaurant. Dinner. Overnight in La Herriza. Day 2 Full day ride. (5hrs approx, can be longer at guests’ request). After a leisurely breakfast your transport will take you to a picturesque farm where your horses are waiting to meet you. You mount up and set off over the road where once the famous local bandoleros, or highwaymen, lay in wait for carriages taking wealthy families to Ronda from the coast. Then you cross a broad sweep of land where wild boar, partridge, rabbits, hare and mountain sheep are hunted at this time of year, but not on the day you ride it, though you may be lucky enough to see some of the game! You cross a saddle in the mountains into the cork forest where buzzards and vultures circle above us and start your descent to El Colmenar, a delightful little village built around the one track Victorian railway that runs from Algeciras to Ronda. Wading across the rushing Guadiaro river you arrive in twisting narrow streets between white painted houses where local dogs and cats sunbathe in shafts of winter sunshine. Tying our horses to towering palm trees in the main square you enjoy a late ‘Spanish’ lunch in a typical bar. After lunch you ride back to La Herriza through steep meadows and where early almond blossom shades the cork cutters’ grazing mules. You can enjoy a drink in the high hotel bar with panoramic views of a golden winter sunset before being taken to a ‘venta’ for dinner with an opportunity to sample some of the traditional local dishes. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight in La Herriza. Private parties can opt for a visit to Ronda this evening to explore this delightful little city, shop and have dinner before being taken back to your hotel for the night. Extra charges apply, please enquire. Day 3 Full day ride (5hrs approx). This morning, after a hearty breakfast, you leave the hotel behind you, climbing stony tracks into a very beautiful part of the cork forest. Crossing streams and springs, non existent in the summer months, you ride on a variety of wide cork cutters’ trails and narrow shepherds’ paths. You pass through a goat farm where 700 goats are milked and find yourselves in a fertile valley with small farms on either side. Donkeys and mules watch you as you canter past until you emerge beside a well known local landmark ‘La Capilla’ – a chapel that is now a pigsty! In the scattered hamlet of Salitre, lunch is waiting in a local venta. This afternoon you ride back southwards by a slightly different route, joining broad tracks with plenty of chances for longer trots and canters. Steep gorges in the forest give wonderful vistas, there are high hills all around and the rock mountain ranges to the north are clearly visible. You emerge behind the picturesque village of Gaucin, known as “the balcony village” because of the stunning views south across the Mediterranean to Africa and north to the ‘white mountains’ often snowy at this time of year. Here you leave the horses under the castle. Guests will have time to explore this famous village or just sit in a bar with a drink and enjoy the view. Your transport will take you back to your hotel for dinner. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Overnight in Hacienda La Herriza. Day 4 Half Day Ride (3.5hrs approx). Your transport will come and drive you to your horses and you will ride out of Gaucin down the ancient Roman road to Gibraltar. This is an unforgettable ride, dropping gradually down the hillsides, with the Genal river valley, the Mediterranean Coast, Gibraltar and, if it is a really clear day, Africa laid out below you. You pass the village shrine with its own legend and descend steeply until you emerge through the bamboos to the river bank. Here you pause for a snack by the clear water of the river Genal which rises out of the ground, fully formed, beside a village upstream. No one knows the exact location of the source which is buried deep in the secret caverns of the barren mountains around Ronda. Having followed the river bank for a while you turn up a sandy track, cantering away from the valley floor with wonderful views opening up ahead of you as your group reaches the top of the ridge. For a while you can look right and left into two spectacular river valleys and then the hills rise to the north and you are on the sheltered track back to La Almuna where you started the ride. (3.5hrs) Lunch, showers and your bags will be waiting for you and, after lunch, your transport will arrive to take you to the airport. Breakfast, Lunch. (Today’s route may be slightly altered according to the amount of water in the river at the time of the ride. The alternative route runs above the river basin and is equally beautiful.) NB: Guests must bring and use their own riding helmets. At the end of every day's riding, each guest, where possible, will be expected to lend a hand untacking and settling their horse. All ride times are approximate, and we reserve the right to alter the itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control. |
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| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 4 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate to advanced. |
| Type of ride: | Trail ride but returning to hotel each night. |
| Total riding time: | 3 days riding (3.5 - 5hrs each day approx). Can be longer at guests' request. |
| Departure dates: | Dates for 2010: november and december. |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Sweet Chestnut and Wild Lavender (4 Days)
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The route takes riders through beautiful old forests, past citrus groves, over a rocky pass between valleys, among the cork oaks and chestnut trees on the hillsides as we follow tracks and trails around one of the famous white villages of Andalucia: Gaucin. Stunning views of the coast and Africa beyond. Delicious, traditional local dishes are served as guests ride into tiny villages clinging to the hillsides. Day 1: Arriving at Gibraltar airport in the evening, guests will be met and then driven away from the coast climbing up into the hills to La Almuna farm (approx 1hr) where you will spend the first night. The old terracotta farmhouse, bursting with charm with its gardens, swimming pool, beautiful terraces, courtyard and patios, is the place to slip into the gentle Mediterranean atmosphere. Diana Paget, who owns and runs this delightful farmhouse is known for her wonderful hospitality and cooking and will greet guests and can tell them anything they want to know about living in this area. A ‘sundowner’ on the terrace watching the sun set of Gibraltar is a perfect start to a few days away. Dinner and overnight at La Almuna Farm. (Drinks included). Scheduled pick-up time is the early evening. Other arrival times are possible and an extra charge may apply if several pickups are then required for the same group. Day 2: Full Day Ride (approx 6h). After breakfast, guests will meet their guide and horses and have a chance to get comfortable in the saddle before they set off through fields that give way to high woodland of cork oaks and unforgettable views. Here we often see mountain goat and wild boar. At the top of the ridge, we join the smugglers’ trail, a narrow path through scented herbs and wild lavender, where the contraband was brought from the ships landing illicit spices and silks and tobacco down on the coast. Ronda was a very important and wealthy city providing a thriving market for exotic goods if the ‘Bandoleros’ (bandits) didn’t rob them from the smugglers first! From this path we look across to the famous ‘balcony village’ of Gaucin, complete with castle. Riding on we are soon descending into the valley where the one track railway runs beside the River Guadiaro. Oaks, bushes of broom and mimosa provide shade and then, following a stony track, past almond and wild pear trees, we arrive at our picnic spot. After lunch we join the cork cutter’s trails in wide stands of cork oaks and pines with sweeping views of green valleys and hilltops. On these tracks we can trot and canter. Taking a path through the pinewoods we emerge at Gaucin village where the Hotel Caballo Andaluz, with friendly staff and excellent views, is guests’ stop for the night. Before or after dinner guests can explore the quaint streets of Gaucin, sitting in one of the tiny squares for a local drink: ‘cava’, ‘tinto de verano’, ‘un fino’ or just enjoying the atmosphere. Dinner at a local restaurant next to the hotel serving traditional dishes & with wonderful views of the Genal valley. Overnight at Hotel Caballo Andaluz. Breakfast, picnic and dinner. Day 3: Full Day Ride (approx 7h). Early morning ride out of Gaucin for a long day in the saddle. We ride out through the village, soon leaving the road and climbing up woodland paths past the village bullring, with amazing vistas towards the northern mountains. Dropping down through forests of enormous cork oaks, the cork still carried out by large, magnificent mules, we have some steep descents as the country gets wilder down in the deep valleys. We pass a ‘calera’ where the white ‘cal’ paint was made for the typical houses in the villages of this area. Here, depending on the weather, we will take a narrow path that brings us up into the village of Benarraba or skirt around the lower hillside through a hidden valley where the river is dammed in summer to make a swimming pool. Cork oaks soon make way for olives and finally chestnut trees. In this area, sweet chestnuts are an important crop and, in autumn, the trees with their brilliant colours, make quite a picture. We arrive on the valley floor and enjoy a picnic beside the River Genal. After lunch we follow a country lane with pretty views of the narrow gorge below us. We cross the river and arrive at a fine example of a water mill joining a spectacular path. With more impressive views at every turn we eventually arrive in the village of Benalauria where horses and riders will spend the night. Dinner, a selection of ‘tapas’, and breakfast will be in the village bar/eatery (the only one so expect to be inspected by the locals!) and overnight in friendly ‘Casas Rurales’ where local people open their houses to visitors. Breakfast, picnic, dinner. Day 4: Long half Day Ride (approx 4.5h). We ride up through the tiny streets often meeting villagers heading out on their donkeys to work the land. Wild cherry trees line the route and fig trees laden with fruit in the late summer. Passing a little factory that makes delicacies from chestnuts harvested locally, we ride on to the crags above where we can often see the eagles and vultures, that nest there, riding the thermals. A track takes us up to a saddle in the mountains with a bird’s eye view of the valley we are leaving and the one we are riding into. Here there is always a breeze, very welcome in summer but, when there is snow on the Sierra Nevada, it can be very chilly! Winding down a twisting trail we pass small meadows & pastures with ‘encina’ oak trees. As we continue down through increasingly fertile farmland, farmhouses come into view and we emerge in the little settlement of Siete Pilas, which means seven drinking troughs. We turn south and follow lanes and tracks through open farmland and scattered houses eventually dropping down to a wooded dell where we enjoy a break & a snack. Now on wider tracks with wooded slopes falling away below us and mountain views in every direction, there are chances for a faster pace. Climbing to the ridge above we once again see the sea and join the spectacular Smugglers’ Path back to La Almuna. Showers await guests and after a relaxed lunch transport to the airport will pick guests up from the farm. Breakfast, lunch. |
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| Minimum group size: | 1 |
| Maximum group size: | 4 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate - advanced. Must be comfortable in all paces in open countryside. |
| Type of ride: | Trail |
| Total riding time: | As detailed by programme. |
| Departure dates: | 2010 dates: 23 - 26 September. 2011 dates: 24-27 March, 31 March-3 April, 6-9 AprilPlease enquire for special dates or private tours. |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Shepherds and Smugglers (3 Days)
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See where eagles cruise the thermals, where storks bathe in the river and where wild boar roam the forests. This fabulous ride through the glorious hills and valleys of the 'Serrania de Ronda' is tailor made especially for you. It's a chance to get a taste of the region at your own pace and to see how it provides some wonderful riding country for your enjoyment. See rich avocados and juicy oranges ripening on the trees around you and watch as the birds and turtles bathe in the cool, clear waters. On this ride you will explore historic white villages and small, traditional restaurants serving typical dishes. Here you can tie up your horse and enjoy a refreshing glass of wine in the shade before climbing up to rocky crags, the lair of the wild boar and mountain sheep. Watch as vultures hunt above you and take a look down at the sea and to Africa on the far horizon. These few days with be tailor made to suit your preferences so there is no set timetable, not until you've had an opportunity to discuss what you want over a delicious drink on your arrival evening. Day 1: You will be met at Gibraltar airport and taken to La Almuna Farmhouse where your hostess, Diana, will be waiting to greet you. The house is rustic and typically Mediterranean with terraces, beautiful gardens and views across the rolling countryside where you will soon be riding! There is a swimming pool for you to relax beside after a hard day’s riding. Diana is a fund of local knowledge having lived in Spain for many years. If you arrive at the farm in the morning a light lunch and an afternoon ride can be arranged. With your guide, Karen, you can make plans for the next two days exploring on horseback. Dinner. Overnight at La Almuna. Day 2: You will set off in the morning for up to 5 hours riding following little known trails. This is a region of legends and there are hidden paths used by the men who brought contraband up from the coast - rocky trails where the ‘bandoleros’ lay in wait to rob the rich, steep routes for mule trains carrying fish to hurry the catch up at night and, of course, the gentle ways of shepherds and goatherds. Along all of these, your well trained horse will take you confidently as you gaze at the views, the birds and the wildflowers. Depending on the route you will stop for ‘tapas’ in a village bar or have a picnic in the hills. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Overnight La Almuna. Day 3: Today you will ride out in a completely different direction from yesterday, once again deciding what sort of riding and how long you want to go for. There are so many options and circular rides, and all so very different it is not hard to cater for guests’ preferences. After the ride, you will return to La Almuna. There will be time for a shower, and a swim if you want, before your transport comes to take you to your plane home. Breakfast, lunch. |
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| Accommodation: | For this programme you stay in the La Almuna Farmhouse, a rustic and typically mediterranean house with terraces, beautiful gardens and views of the countryside. There is a pool here for you to relax after a hard day of riding and your host, Diana, has lived in Spain for many years so is a real source of knowledge. |
| Minimum group size: | 1 |
| Maximum group size: | 4 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate to Advanced |
| Type of ride: | Based |
| Total riding time: | To suit |
| Departure dates: | 2010 dates: November and December. 2011 dates: February onwards |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Hills of Ronda (7 Days)
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A very special tour riding in the hills overlooking Gibraltar, the Mediterranean and Africa. This is a real chance for guests to immerse themselves in the spectacular scenery of the ‘Serrania de Ronda’, rugged hills and wild country south of Ronda. You climb the high passes where the famous ‘Bandoleros’ of Ronda lay in wait for the unwary. You follow in the tracks of those who made this little city rich with spices and silks from Africa and, half way through the ride, you have an opportunity to explore the ‘Dreaming City’ yourselves for a day of relaxation and discovery. The riding days are full of spectacular views of the white villages of the ‘Serrania’, down to the coast with Africa beyond. There is plenty of opportunity to try traditional tapas and local food and wine and the accommodation is equally varied and rustic. Day 1: (D) Arriving at Gibraltar airport, in the evening, you will be met and driven for about an hour away from the coast climbing up into the hills to La Almuna farm where you will spend the first night. The old terracotta farmhouse, bursting with charm with its gardens, swimming pool, beautiful terraces, courtyard and patios is the place to slip into the gentle Mediterranean atmosphere. A ‘sundowner’ on the terrace watching the sun set over Gibraltar is a perfect start to a week away. Overnight La Almuna. Day 2: Full Day Ride (5.5hrs approx). (B,L,D) After breakfast you mount up and set off up the hillside, fields giving way to woodland. If you have an early start you may see mountain goat and wild boar. At the crest of the ridge you join the smugglers’ trail, a narrow path where the contraband was brought from the ships landing illicit spices, silks and tobacco down on the coast. From this path you enjoy stunning views of the famous white village Gaucin, known as the ‘balcony’ of the Sierra because of its privileged position looking south to the sea. You ride on paths and then into the picturesque village itself where you stop for an aperitif and tapas at Otilia’s bar and gaze across the river valley below and beyond to the Mediterranean and the Rif mountains of North Africa. After lunch you take the trails the cork cutters use with their mules and trucks to harvest the cork in the valley behind Gaucin. These are wide tracks with opportunities for trots and canters as you cross to more open meadowland. You drop down a stony track and along the Guadiaro River to Estacion the Cortes where you will spend the night in a charming hotel beside the river. Overnight at El Gecko Hotel. Day 3: Full Day Ride (6hrs approx). (B,L,D) Today’s wild and beautiful ride starts with a climb up from Estacion de Cortes. You enter the Natural Park of the Cork Forest where deer graze and human habitation is almost non-existent (Spain’s Natural Parks cover huge areas of varied landscape and, unlike the National Parks, also protect the cultural and architectural traditions of the area). Little green meadows and streams are interspersed with dreamlike forest, the grey trunks of the trees giving at times an almost eerie atmosphere. There is a feeling of untouched wilderness in the Natural Park. You stop for a picnic in a forest clearing. After lunch we climb up out of the forest through avenues of strawberry trees, past a tiny habitation of three or four smallholdings until you reach a high rocky track clinging to the side of the hill. Far, far below are the famous gorges cut by the Guadiaro River and crossed only by the little train that tunnels into the rock when necessary. After this spectacular path you drop down into El Colmenar, perhaps stopping for a drink at one of the bars. You clatter on out of the village over the bridge to ‘Cortijo’ Las Marianas wheree you are spending the night. ‘Cortijo’ Las Marianas is a typical local farmhouse with comfortable accommodation, a swimming pool and wonderful views down over the village of El Colmenar. Dinner is in a local restaurant. Overnight in ‘Cortijo’ Las Marianas Day 4 Full Day Ride (5hrs approx). (B,L,D) Today, after a quick ‘cuppa’ and a drink of juice at your accommodation, you set out early on horseback to call in for breakfast at one of the village cafes. Then you take a track that runs parallel to the railway and the river up the ridge opposite the cork forest, passing through an old farm with ancient stone walled meadows. You are high above the village of San Pablo de Buceite which comes into sight below you surrounded by orange groves. On wider tracks and a small lane you arrive on the stony path that the fish merchants used to hurry their catch to the white villages and follow this beautiful route where it hugs the steeply wooded hills. You stop for a picnic lunch. Emerging on the lane that runs under El Hacho, the mountain that dominates Gaucin village, you turn south and ride into Gaucin once again taking the horses up to their field perched under the 12th century castle above the twisting streets. Here you will stay in the Caballo Andaluz hotel with spectacular views across the valleys to the sea. There will be plenty of time to explore the streets and bars of this beautiful little town before dinner – or just to sit with a drink on the hotel terrace and admire the view. Dinner is at a local restaurant. Overnight in Caballo Andaluz. Day 5: (B,L,D) Today you will leave the horses grazing happily under the castle and, after a leisurely breakfast, drive along the spectacular ridge road to Ronda. This city, built either side of an extraordinary gorge, is steeped in history. You can explore the old town whose steep cobbled streets hold royal Spanish and Moorish treasure, gardens and palaces, now crumbling but once exceedingly important and grand. There is also the wonderful 18th century bullring, reputedly the oldest in Spain, with adjoining stables for the Andalucian dressage and driving horses which are part of the visit. Or visit the Bandolero Museum among others. As well as plenty of culture, Ronda is a bustling town full of shops and bars and restaurants. Plenty for the shopaholics including leather from nearby Ubrique, a small town that reputedly produces the best leather in Spain. The shops close about 2pm and guests are at liberty to choose where they will have a late Spanish lunch. Then perhaps a stroll in one of the many parks beside the spectacular gorge before the 15 minute walk up to the railway station to catch the train that leaves at 4.30pm. This is a trip not to be missed! At first gently following the winding Guadiaro river valley and finally teetering above the gorges and through the tunnels, the little train takes you to Gaucin station. Far, far above the one track line is the stony trail the group followed on Day 3! Transport will be waiting to take guests back to Gaucin and your guides will be pleased to help you choose somewhere for dinner. Overnight in Caballo Andaluz. Private parties ask about optional flamenco show in the evening in Ronda. Day 6: Full day ride (6hrs approx). (B,L,D) You have a fairly early start, riding out through the village, soon leaving the road and climbing up woodland paths past Gaucin bullring, with amazing vistas towards the northern mountains. There are some steep descents as the country gets wilder down in the deep valleys. You pass a ‘calera’ where the white ‘cal’ paint was made for the typical houses in the villages of this area. Here, depending on the weather, you will take a narrow path that brings you up into the village of Benarraba or skirt around the lower hillside through a hidden valley where the river is dammed in summer to make a swimming pool. In this area, sweet chestnuts are an important crop and, in autumn, the trees with their brilliant colours make quite a picture. You arrive on the valley floor and enjoy a picnic beside the River Genal. After lunch you follow a country lane with pretty views of the narrow gorge below you. You cross the river and arrive at a fine example of a water mill. Joining a spectacular path, with more impressive views at every turn, you eventually arrive in the village of Benalauria where horses and riders will spend the night. Dinner and breakfast will be in the village bar (the only one so expect to be inspected by the locals!) and overnight in friendly ‘Casas Rurales’ where local people open their houses to visitors. Overnight Casa Rural. Day 7: Half Day Ride (approx 4.5hrs). (B,L) You ride up through the tiny streets often meeting villagers heading out on their donkeys to work the land. Wild cherry trees line the route and fig trees laden with fruit in the late summer. You pass a little factory that makes delicacies from chestnuts harvested locally and ride on to the crags above. A stony track takes you up to a saddle in the mountains with a birds eye view of the valley you are leaving and the one we are riding into. Here there is always a breeze, very welcome in summer but, when there is snow on the Sierra Nevada, it can be chilly! Wending down a twisting trail you pass small meadows & pastures with ‘encina’ oak trees then continuing down through increasingly fertile farmland, farmhouses come into view and you emerge in the little settlement of Siete Pilas, which means seven drinking troughs. You drop down to a wooded dell where you enjoy a break & a snack. Now on wider tracks with wooded slopes falling away below you and mountain views in every direction, there are chances for a faster pace. Climbing to the ridge above you once again see the sea and join the spectacular Smugglers’ Path back to La Almuna. Hot showers and your bags await you and after a relaxed lunch your transport to the airport will pick you up from the farm. End of tour. Notes: Guests must bring and use their own riding helmets.At the end of every day's riding, each guest, where possible, will be expected to lend a hand untacking and settling their horse.All ride times are approximate, and we reserve the right to alter the itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control. |
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| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 4 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate to advanced. |
| Type of ride: | Trail riding. |
| Total riding time: | 5 days riding (4.5 - 6hrs a day approx). |
| Departure dates: | Dates for 2010: 15 -21 September; 2 - 8 November. Dates are constantly being added, please enquire for special dates or private tours. |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Stag Forest Special (4 days)
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Set Date departure. Intermediate level or above. This exciting adventure takes us into the beautiful high cork forests lit by the setting sun. At this time of year the stags prepare for rutting, locking antlers and roaring, and you ride up to hear them and attempt to sight them, returning as the setting sun lights the mountains to traditional Spanish cooking and a glass of Rioja in a white village high on the mountain. Please contact the office for more details. |
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| Minimum group size: | 1 |
| Maximum group size: | 4 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate and above. |
| Type of ride: | Based |
| Total riding time: | 4 days |
| Departure dates: | 2010 dates: 6-9 October, 27-30 October |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |