Cote d'Argent Ride

Introduction
Southwest France

Where the Atlantic Ocean crashes onto the coast of south-west France lies the Côte d'Argent. Here you will find a ribbon of silver sand, 150 miles in length, which is popular with surfers, anglers, families, and celebrities in search of a little privacy - and now also for horseback riding enthusiasts.
Exhilarating gallops on fine sandy beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see: this is the Côte d’Argent. The Pays de Born stretches out in the middle of the biggest forest of Europe. Come and discover! Ride between the wild marshes and ponds in the company of our horses, mostly Anglo-Arabs, and enjoy the flora and fauna that makes this area of France so special.
In this abundance of greenery, dominated by the fragrant flowers in bloom in the spring and the purple heather in autumn, we ride on paths that have the mixed fragrance of many blossoms. Each day we can see deer, stags, squirrels, hare, and heron whilst meandering along the paths. Throughout your holiday we lead you along the coast with its rivers and canals. We help you discover the country as it is- tied to its traditions, its history, and whose rural habitat and picturesque areas are still a living testimony. We would be amiss if we did not mention the excellent gastronomy of the Côte d'Argent region, which is influenced by the bountiful nature of the land!

Accomodation

You will stay in unique guest houses, manor house, hotels during your ride. The lodgings are not super luxurious, but make more than up for it by their uniqueness and personal charm. They vary from simple B&B type stays to an overnight at a wonderful historic manor house. First two nights and last night are at the Hotel Le Plaisance in Mimizan la Plage.  In July and August three of the overnights are camping in tent camps with very nice surroundings - people can swim in the lake, the river or swimming pool at the end of the day. You will find a bathroom and  hot shower in each camping place. 

Meals:  The food, typical from Landes is prepared by the owner. Tasty dishes are served on the terrace or veranda. Lunches are a real meal, with tables and chairs. We provide French aperitif and appetizer, Bordeaux red wine, soup or salad according to the weather, chicken or meat and veggies, French cheeses, dessert and coffee or tea. We spend the 5^th lunch beside a lake protected by the state. If the weather is fine from June to the end of September, people are allowed to play and swim in the water with their horses.

Two lunches are not included to give you the chance to go and explore the Mimizan beach and its nice restaurants. 

A car follows the group for lunch and carries rider's luggage to each nights accommodation. It can happen but very rarely, when the group is only of 4 riders and if  we‘ve got two groups in the same time, that the riders may have to carry their clothes in saddle bags (provided by the riding center) for a day and a half.

This trip includes some wine with dinner and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Riding

We ride around 30-40 km per day in 5 to 7 hours. Spending as much time walking as cantering or galloping. This trek requires a rather good, fit intermediate rider confident at all paces and able to ride several hours over varied and sometimes challenging terrain. The ground of our forest is often very clean and offers us the opportunity to not be restricted to riding in one line, which can be very boring and bad for the horses. All the canters and gallops in the forest or on the beach start one by one, and very rarely in a group.     
If the weather is good from June to the end of September, we organize a swim in the ocean  with our horses!

The Horses: 
A large number of the Anglo Arabian horses come from the family stud farm "Des Sables". We take great care in providing the horses with a good quality of life.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in the afternoon , check in, go for a walk along the sandy beach and meet for dinner.
Day 2: The first riding day is a half day trail of four and a half hours, including a stop for 45 minutes allowing time for everybody to get to know each other around a cup of tea, cakes and orange juice. This day enables the riders to get used to the horses and gives your guides the opportunity to grasp the different levels and expectations, and to match you to the best suited horse.
For some of the riders, this half day gives them the chance to get back into the swing of riding. The surroundings are very beautiful and with excellent views of the ocean from the top of natural dunes. Optional riding lessons are available with prior notice.
Day 3: A very varied day that starts with a ride along the coast before we head inland to discover the Tirelagüe marsh, Sintias lagoon and Bourg le Vieux lake. In the afternoon, we return towards the coast, riding through the sand dunes before finishing with a ride along the banks of the River Courlis. Throughout the week we enjoy excellent meals with extensive lunches on the trail.
Day 4: The day starts with a ride across a large sandy plain, after which we ride around two lakes. After lunch, we continue south to the idyllic village of Lévignacq by crossing a very nice bird reserve, then we are in the middle of the wilderness until the Manor off Tireveste where we stay overnight.
Day 5: In the morning we discover an area known as the Grande Lande then ride along the banks of the River Mézos to our picnic spot. Afterwards, we head back towards the Bourg le Vieux lake via the Moulasse marshes.
Day 6: On our last full day of the trail, we head towards the Etang d’Aureilhan, the large lake just to the north of Mimizan. We spend the afternoon riding along its shores before finishing the day with a sunset ride along the beach.
Day 7: Enjoy a half day local ride in the morning or the afternoon, according to the tide, with a last exciting galop on the beach, then leaving you the rest of the day free to relax on the beach. Farewell dinner? Tonight we have a feast!
Day 8: Departure after breakfast.

During July and August only 3 nights are (very comfortable) camping. The rest of the year the accommodations are in hotels only. 
subject to change

Non riders welcome. 
Extra activities:
- Tennis
- Bicycle
- Swimming pool
- Numerous water sports 
                   

Rates and Dates for Cote d'Argent Ride

Dates Note: July and August dates are 3 nights camping and 4 nights hotel.

Other Info
Meeting: Mimizan-Plage
Airport: Bordeaux
Transfer: Pick up Morcenx train station 13:20, drop off 16:00. Airport pick up from Bordeaux by early afternoon.

Climate:

The Bordeaux climate could be classified as oceanic-temperate, with moderate temperatures in both winter and summer. There are on average 2,000 hours of sunshine per annum. The nearby Atlantic Ocean has a major effect on the difference between day and night temperatures. Cool nights in the summer keep acidity levels in the grapes high, helping ensure that they stay healthy.