Packages and Options

Day 1: ARRIVAL
Pick up from the airport in Barcelona at 6:30 PM. After a 1.5 hr drive north you will be driven up a winding track to the riding centre, an 11th century Farmhouse perched high up on a ridge overlooking the Pyrenees. Here you will meet the family, the guide and the team. At dinner the guide will go over the week’s program, you will be told about the special characteristics of our Andalusian trail horses. And after dinner you will be given an introduction to the weeks program with an opportunity for a one to one conversation designed to find every rider their perfect horse.
Finally you will discover how to play the ´Champagne rules’ which is anyone found guilty of holding up the ride at any point having to buy a bottle of local cava for the group that evening, making for lively dinners!
Day 2:  The Trail Begins
After breakfast and tacking up, we leave following a ridge with spectacular views, forest, rosemary and thyme. We pass by Besalu, a medieval village, the gateway to the Pyrenees. Down to the river Fluviá, out of the rolling hills onto the planes, we canter and gallop through olive groves and fields of wheat, past country farmhouses and churches and into the Pyrenean foothills.
Our destination for today is Sant Marti de Sesceres, an XII century church and rectory, here we settle the horses for a well earned rest and we are driven back to the center. Before dinner we will try some of the Empurdan wines.
Day 3   THE WILDERNESS RIDE
The Mediterranean Pyrenean wilderness stretches out before us, foothills heavily forested with oak, cork and beech, the spectacular vastness of the Pyrenees. Today you will notice the fitness of the horses as at the end of the days trail they are still enthusiastic about a long gallop.
Before lunch we lead our horses along a winding forest track.
Picnic by a mountain river, a swim, a rest and then we ride through the ancient medieval village of Sant LLorenc de la Muga with its castle in the background. We tie up the horses and have a drink in the local cafe, and then on to our hotel for the night. “La central” an art nouveau palace of blue ceramic tiled towers a haven of peace and tranquillity, an exclusive Spa Hotel, renound for its delicious cuisine, Hydro massage pool and relaxing saunas, very welcome after 3 days in the saddle. Now we are on the edge of the Alvera, the oldest wine growing region of the Iberian peninsula.
Day 4   THE COASTAL VINEYARDS
Today we leave the mountains & ride through the Alvera wine growing region, olive groves vineyards, intense natural beauty. A day of lively riding. The village of Cantallops (singing wolves) is our destination. Nestled beneath a rugged crest of mountains you can imagine the wolves howling in the heights. From here there is a spectacular view over vineyards and olive groves out across the planes of the Ampurdan down to the coast. Now you can smell the sea in the breeze. Here we will settle the horses in a meadow and return to hotel la Central for the night, but not before we enjoy a wine tasting session in one of the most special bodegas of the area and maybe a nice massage before dinner.
Day 5   Along the plains to the CATHEDRAL OF CASTELLON DE EMPURIAS
Heading out across the plains a long day (50km) with some long trots and canters. Hard working, responsive horses enjoying the pace. Today we pass some interesting villages and big Empurdanees farm houses, follow a beautiful river and enjoy the wide open space. In the morning we stop in Capmany for a refreshing glass of Cava in one of the best Cava producing bodegas in the Alvera.
This evening our destination is Castellon d´Empurias. In ancient times this was the capital of the region, a village with a spectacular cathedral Our hotel has an outdoor swimming pool where you can relax on one of the sun beds on the lovely patio. Here we can do some shopping, enjoy some excellent tapas or cold drinks at one of the nice terraces and the local nightlife. And of course sample the cava of Perelada, a nearby cava producing village.
Day 6   AIGUAMOLS THE NATURAL PARK
After an excellent breakfast on the magnificent roof-top terrace of the hotel over-looking the cathedral with the Mediterranean on one side and the gentle curve of the Pyrenees on the other, we saddle up again to continue our journey through the Aiguamols. The aiguamols is a natural park, home of flamingos and other exotic birds.
We will ride out of this medieval village through the northern part of the Aiguamols park over a small mountain range and on to the Cap de Creus peninsular. From up here the views are spectacular, kilometres of coast rocks, cliffs and little bays. We will have lunch in a pine forest near a lake where you can swim. In the afternoon we will ride down out of the mountains through an idyllic vineyard of beautiful terraced vines.
Our evening destination is Port de la Selva, an active fishing village in the small bay, on the northern side of the peninsular. Our hotel for the night has an excellent spa and is situated right on the edge of the port. You can enjoy a swim in the sea & a delicious fish dinner next to the sea.
Day 7   RIDING ON THE MOON
Today we ride further along the Cap the Creus. This peninsula of sculptured rock full of flowering shrubs, a truly lunar landscape. This is Salvador Dali country, this area inspired many of his paintings. This morning we will have spectacular views on the Mediterranean coast. We lead our horses down to Talavera Bay a smugglers cove and fantastic beach, where we have a picnic. Here you can swim with your horses and its a pleasure to see how much they like to swim. Following a lovely afternoon on the beach we ride on to the ridge above the village of Cadaques. Before we are driven back, we will celebrate our arrival with a glass of Cava at a lighthouse overlooking the coast and the terrain we have been riding through. Tonight we will be back at the mountain lodge for a final farewell supper, a glorious end to a wonderful journey.
DAY 8 : BYE BYE
Breakfast, goodbye, and you leave for the airport with a lot of memories and a little bit more peace of mind, we hope. Arrival at the airport in Barcelona is estimated around 11:30 AM. If you are staying for an extra few days, there is a good train connection from the airport to the center.


Subject to Change

The overall climate of Catalonia is similar to Southern California: hot in the summer, pleasant and moderate in the spring and fall, and fairly cool in the winter. Rain is possible anytime, but rare in summer. The main rainy season is from the end of October to the beginning of May.