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Exciting and
varied trail riding from village to village through spectacular mountain
scenery in the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, gentle river valleys,
forests and open grassland. Relaxed, friendly but professional
guides, great hotels, delicious food and wine, beautiful and well-cared
for horses.
This ride explores the upper reaches of the Trevelez and
Poquiera Valleys and was designed to give those with less time an
insight into this amazing area. This ride was recently described by Gary
Ashton-Coulton in HORSE magazine as "....the best holiday I have ever
had"
All rides offer some challenging riding at all paces and are embarked
upon in the same spirited style of great riding, great food, excellent
wine and most of all, terrific fun.
 IT-SPRT01G
Rates include 4 nights accommodations with
private bath, all meals with fine local wines, 3
riding days
Single +$125
8 days/ 7 nights $ 1,445 Single +$110
2008 Dates:
08/31-09/04 now $ 1,130
09/28-10/02
now $ 1,130
10/26-10/30 now $ 1,130
2009 Dates:
03/21-03/25 04/04-04/08
07/04-07/08 10/31-11/04
 check
availability
Meeting:
Trevelez
Airport: Malaga, Granada
Transfer: incl. from
Malaga airport at 4:30 PM
- return to Malaga by ~ 11:30 AM
Pace: walk,
trot and canter
4-7 hours riding per day, average 5
Level:
Good
intermediate ... riders must be comfortable at walk, trot, and canter.
Tack:
English trekking,
Australian
Horses:
Andalusian and Hispano Arab
Weight limit: 195 lbs.
Min/Max: 2-8 riders
Note: Elaborate picnics in leafy
glades with trees in hammocks, several different
wines, etc.. Average of 320 sunshine days.
... see
weeklong trips
Sample Itinerary
Day
1 Collection from airport and transfer to hotel in the pretty village
of Pitres.
Meet the other riders and guides over dinner and
wine. (If you cannot meet the transfer, we can
arrange a taxi for you).
Day 2 Ride to Capileira
Meet for breakfast at 9.00 am in the Hotel San Roque
. Briefing for the days ahead. Ride from the farm (Busquistar)
to Capileira and the Poqueira Gorge via the pretty
white villages of 'La Taha' for a leisurely lunch
and a swim. The morning ride is quite slow in order
to get used to the horses, after lunch we generally
up the pace a bit - so go easy on the Rioja!
Overnight: The beautifully restored Al Catifa (where
random outbreaks of Cante Jondo - our own local form
of flamenco - are far from uncommon) is just a few
minutes outside the village and boasts one of the
most spectacular views in Europe. The rooms are
beautifully furnished in the simple, local style of
chestnut beams and copper sinks. The food and wine
are particularly good, being rather eclectic in that
it blends many Andalucian styles. There is a pool
with a bar which looks down the Poquiera Valley out
to the Mediterranean Sea.
Day 3 Spot the Ibex
Today is spent exploring the Poqueira Gorge in the
shadow of Spain’s two highest mountains. There is
much flora and fauna here not found anywhere else in
the world, as well as wild boar and mountain ibex. A
long canter finds us high in the mountains for a
leisurely picnic and some great views. The
riding is quite spectacular, with sandy tracks and
steep climbs. As evening descends in the high
Alpujarra, we return to the beautifully restored Al
Catifa where we can watch the warm sun give way to
the myriad starry night and try a few of the local
wines. (Approx riding time: 5.5 hours)
Overnight: Al Catifa
Day 4 The Ride Home
After a leisurely breakfast we leave the Poquiera by
the high road and descend to just above the unspoilt
pueblo of Portugos where we have lunch before
picking up the old track to Busquistar and let the
horses have their heads. Andalucian horses are
renowned for their sure-footedness and this ensures
a nice, long leisurely canter through the oak forest
before looping over the foothills of Mount Mulhacen
to return home for a farewell dinner in the
picturesque hotel Maravedi in La Taha
Overnight; Maravedi Hotel, La Taha. (Approx riding
time: 5 hours)
Day 5 ¡Adios! Transfer to
Malaga Airport
(earliest possible time we can arrive at Malaga airport is 11.00am)
Meals
The Mediterranean picnics are legendary!! We use local (mainly
organic) produce - fresh fish, vegetables and fruit, jamon, cheeses and
wines of the region. Dinner in local restaurants - 3-4 courses, wine
included.
Fortunately, the Mediterranean diet is healthy, plentiful and
extremely tasty. The Alpujarra is particularly renowned for its mountain
air-cured hams, local cheeses, French-style bread and almost every
conceivable vegetable. We also provide wine at lunch and dinner each
night, choosing a different bottle for each meal to ensure that our guests
have the opportunity of sampling at least a small selection of the almost
inexhaustible varieties available.
Lunch is either a picnic prepared and delivered to a suitable spot by
ourselves in the support vehicle, or at a local tapas bar. Those who don’t
eat meat have traditionally had a tough time in Spain, but this is not
true of these rides as we are particularly sympathetic to the needs of
vegetarians.
Accommodations
Comfortable hotels with en
suite facilities - the best in each area and run by their owners.
Fantastic views. Accommodation is in locally owned country hotels
on a twin-share basis. We always try and use those places that reflect the
charm or history of the Alpujarra to the best effect.
Weather
With an average of 320 days of sunshine a year, good weather is almost
guaranteed. However, there can be variations in temperature with altitude
and between day and night. The temperatures in February to early May range
from 10 degrees C and 25 degrees C with a possibility of showers. From
mid-May to July and September it ranges between 18 and 30 degrees C and in
August the temperatures can reach 35 degrees. However, riding at altitude
always brings a wonderful fresh breeze and makes these temperatures very
comfortable. In October and November temperatures drop back to between 20
and 25 degrees C and there may be the odd shower. Early mornings and
evenings can be cool even in the summer.
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