Day 1:  Afternoon pick up from the airport in Oaxaca and transfer to the finca. Settle into your room. Have a cool drink on the terrace and soak in the vistas of Teotitlan & its spectacular countryside that are yours for the next week. Meet your guides and horses before dinner. Every evening enjoy a cocktail before our dinners that feature fresh regional Oaxacan cuisine. Our local specialties are savory but never fiery although there is always a fresh salsa on the table for those who like it hot.
Day 2:  Hearty breakfast of fresh tropical fruit, yogurt, homemade granola, Oaxaca estate coffee or our famous hot chocolate along with a different hot & savory breakfast offered daily.
Meet at the stables just below the guesthouse where we match each guest to their horse. Today we head east to the Cuevita, a sacred ceremonial site to the native people of Teotitlan. These trails are lined with exotic vegetation and a gentle ascent offers excellent views of the southern Sierra Madre Mountains.
Passing ancient terraced hillsides we cross over a saddlepass - gateway to the foothills of the Sierra Juarez. The Pierda Azul Dam is a haven for water fowl, and a menagerie of livestock and birdlife congregate daily on its banks.  Riding parallel to the Rio Grande, this quiet dirt road lined with the yellow flowering Calaverita trees is a nice place to pick up the pace.  A "sit-down" picnic lunch is waiting along the grassy riverbanks of Teotitlan's own Rio Grande.
This afternoon we ride south skirting the western slope of the river, through dramatic volcanic rock groomed with ancient candelabra cacti. Farther along we enter the classic farmland of the valley; alfalfa fields, corn crops and open spaces for grazing.
... from October to May we ride in the morning and return for lunch. The afternoon is free to explore and then we finish the day with a sunset ride.
Every evening enjoy cocktails before dinner which always features fresh Oaxacan cuisine. Our local specialties are savory but never fiery.  A fresh salsa is always on the table for those who like it hot.
Day 3:  Today’s ride is new to the itinerary with the destination being Matatlan, an important Mezcal-making village, about a 20 mile ride away. We wind through the valley on excellent footing - a perfect opportunity to trot and canter. We pass through the quiet craft village of Santa Ana del Valle before entering a stand of old-growth cacti. Turning south an area of fascinating rock escarpments is dappled with pre-historic caves dwellings. A narrow trail leads us to the top of Caballito Blanco, a true mesa with panoramic views of the broad valley and grand sierras.  This area is the home to some of the oldest known civilization in the Americas. We ride right through the hamlet of Tanivet, famous for its cacti fences. As we near our destination, the flat valley turns to rolling hills covered in blue agave plantations. Lunch awaits us in Matatlan where you learn how mezcal is made and of course taste the fine artisan varieties produced here.  A short car ride along the famous Pan-American highway leads us back to Teotitlan.  Approx. 5 hours
Day 4:   Today's ride explores the valley to the southwest and its unique geological formations left from extinct volcanos.  Deep russet-colored earth carpets trails lined with native flora that lead to the remnants of the old Camino Nacional.  Worn paving stones still mark this long-abandoned road. Winding westward we’ll find the hidden entrance to an enchanting mountain pass which opens up to sweeping vistas.  A gentle descent into the valley leads to oxen lanes that traverses an ancient lava flow and ascends passing agave plantations to our destination for lunch - a narrow mesa that is an ancient ceremonial site. Weather permitting we will picnic under the shade trees and soak up the views. 
From here the finca is in sight and a pleasant ride though sandy stream-beds and native farmland ends on the cobbled lanes of Teotitlan. We ride by Teotitlan’s recently uncovered pre-Hispanic archeological sites.   Sunset cocktails before dinner.
Day 5:   Ride due south and into the foothills of Teotitlan’s extensive communal lands, look up over its wide rolling hills and you will likely spot eagles and Cara-cara hawks.  We cross a dry gulley and head towards the village of Santa Ana del Valle.  The trail, ideal for a long canter, leads us to a spring-fed oasis and natural bird sanctuary.  The steady ascent ends on a forested slope, gateway to the village’s remote and virtually impenetrable backcountry. From this extreme eastern vantage point the view stretches over hundreds of miles. 
The earthen trail that divides the lands belonging to Teotitlan and Santa Ana is a perfect place to pick up the pace before turning north on the ancient road to Tlacolula. Massive stone mojoneras dot today’s ride, monuments to the ancient Oaxacan tradition of marking village borders.
Lunch is back on the terrace of the finca.   4 hours of riding
Optional afternoon excursion:
Explore the far points of the valley of Tlacolula. Visit the ancient archeological site of Mitla, famous for its intricate carved stone facades and the 2,000 year old cypress tree in El Tule – the widest tree on earth! Stop to see the early colonial church in Tlacochahuaya, decorated in a delightful native Mexican style.
Choose between a hired taxi at $12 per hour or English speaking guide & driver at $25. Allow 3-4 hours
Day 6: The ride begins due south, passing Teotitlan’s colorful cemetery on the edge of town.  Cobbled lanes soon give way to natural tracks that lead to a spring-fed wetland - a hotspot for native birdlife. The distinct of Dain Zaa, Zapotec for "the Cloud Mountain," lies ahead and houses one of the area's best preserved cactus groves. We pass stands of wild cane before turning our gaze to the west. We’ll spend the rest of the day on the communal lands of the villages Santiaguito and Machuilxochitl. Not only will we see traditional farming methods but we can explore these villages on horseback, admiring the wild cane fences, flocks of turkeys and wonderful brick homes. Leaving houses and streets behind the ride along a sandy river bed offers up-close views of the areas fascinating geology.  Weather permitting a sit-down picnic lunch awaits at a scenic spot within the rolling hills.  The journey back to Teotitlan crosses a series of small waterways, the dry open plains contrasting with lush gullies nourished by the rains. Finally the sound of hooves on cobblestone signals horses and riders that Casa Sagrada is not far away.
The afternoon is free to explore, enjoy a massage or traditional native Temascal  (ceremonial herbal sauna)  Sunset cocktails before farewell Mexican grilled dinner.   6 hours of riding
Day 7  Hearty breakfast. Transfers to airport or hotel in Oaxaca if you are extending your stay to the city of Oaxaca, a UNESCO declared world heritage site where great shopping and beautiful colonial architecture awaits you.

NOTE:  The itineraries for Day 3 and 4 can be substituted for an overnight trek into the Sierra Juarez.  Riders give up some of the elegant lodging and fine of Oaxacan cuisine to expore the remote backcountry of the high sierras. Riders are required to carry all their own personal items, very light packing is essential. Saddlebags provided. Rain gear is recommended.  

First Day:  We will trailer the horses half an hour away to Diaz Ordaz in the southernmost corner of the valley of Tlacolula and a short ride along a old pilgrimage route leads to the Zapotec village of San Miguel. This charming village is known for the colorful native dress of its women and its 16^th century church. This is the entryway for the Sierra Juarez. In 8 miles the trail ascends almost 5,000 feet!
With a grade this steep the horses can’t do much more than walk but it doesn’t much matter since the views are so spectacular and due to the change in altitude, new vegetation appears every mile or so.  The forests will change from giant candelabra cacti to oak forests with flowering yuccas to dense pine forests and massive agaves. 
The Sierra Juarez is an surging mountain range characterized by a series of ridges at 10,000 ft that drop down to lush valleys nearing 7,000 ft..  The horses enjoy trots and canters along the five miles of gentle descent into the secluded hamlet of El Carrizal. The friendly inhabitants are new to eco-tourism but they are off to a good start with charming adobe cabins complete with comfy beds, fireplaces and hot showers. Riders can help with unsaddling, grooming and feeding their horses.   5 hours of riding
Meals in Carrizal are simple but cooked with garden produce and their own farm fresh eggs. The ultra-pure tapped spring water is very safe for drinking.
Weather and energy permitting riders can explore the village on foot or take a guided hike to one of several nearby landmarks.

The following day:
Today's ride depends on the time of year.  At some points, it is necessary to descend to the valley of Tlacolula on the same single-track road although departing San Miguel we will return to Diaz Ordaz on a new trail that follows wild cane stands and crosses streambeds several times. The reverse experience feels very different and looking down into the valley and across to the southern Sierras is unforgettable. In Diaz Ordaz horses and riders make the short drive back to Teotitlan.
Other times in the year, it is possible to ascend to the next ridge and follow it to the northwest, passing through the village of Llano Grande. Meandering along narrow trails in dense pine forests for about 5 miles we enter Cuajimaloyas one of Oaxaca’s pueblos mancomunados renowned for their ecological and social consciousness. For lunch visit friends at their beautifully preserved early 20^th century adobe home. The afternoon ride continues along a 2 mile-high ridge until we reach Benito Juarez,  the mountain village directly above Teotitlan.  Vehicle transportation will be waiting for riders and horses for an hour-long trip back to the finca and Teotitlan.   5 hours of riding today.

                          Itinerary subject to change!

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

Riding Level: Good Novice to Good Intermediate (special rides for beginners can be arranged with different guide)

Tack: Mexican Vaquero, Australian or English saddles. Helmets are available.
Horses: Quarter and Criollos mix
Min/Max Riders: 2- 6
Min Age: 12
Pace: All paces

Tack:		Mexican Vaquero, Australian or English saddles. Helmets are available.
Horses:		Criollos
Pace:		All paces | Walk | Trot | Canter |
Level:		(2.5 to 3.5 out of 5)    Good Novice +
Age:		Min 12
Riders:		Min 3	Max 6

Riding Level: Good Novice to Good Intermediate (special rides for beginners can be arranged with different guide)

Tack: Mexican Vaquero, Australian or English saddles. Helmets are available.
Horses: Quarter and Criollos mix
Min/Max Riders: 2- 6
Min Age: 12
Pace: All paces

Passports
Passport valid for at least six months after date of entry required by all nationals referred to in the chart .
Passport Note
(a) Applicants for Blue Tourist Cards should have a valid passport, return/onward ticket and proof of financial means. (b) Tourist Cards must be kept by the visitor during the entire length of stay as they will have to be presented and stamped on leaving.

Visas
Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above, who can obtain a Blue Tourist Card for touristic purposes from their airline on direct flights, at port of entry, or from the Mexican Consulate before travelling, for 180 days, except nationals of Australia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic and Slovenia who can stay for up to 90 days.
Visa Note
(a) Nationals seeking to visit Mexico on business are advised to check with the consulate regarding visa requirements as they may need to apply for a Non Immigrant Business Visitor carnet (FM3). (b) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements