| Day 1 Arrival |
| Briefing of what lies ahead while enjoying dinner and local wines.
Hotel Pepe Alvarez, Trevelez
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| Day 2 The white villages |
| After a relaxed breakfast at 9am we drive to our farm (5km from the hotel) to meet the horses. This day takes us via forestry roads and bridle paths into the famous white villages Portugos, Capilerilla, Pitres and Busquistar. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. (Approximate riding time 5,5 hours)
Hotel Pepe Alvarez, Trevelez
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| Day 3 The Trevelez Valley |
| Breakfast at 9am. We take the high road towards Trevelez through oak and pine forests. Broad tracks invite for exciting long cantering followed by ancient Moorish trails. At the Rio Trevelez we stop for one of our legendary picnic lunches before continuing along the Moorish trails to the beautifully restored Hotel El Castañar Nazari. (Approximate riding time 5,5 hours)
El Castañar Nazari
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| Dat 4 The Mountain High |
| Breakfast at 9am. This day takes us along bridle paths and forestry roads into the next valley. Along the way we will stop for a relaxed saddle bag picnic while enjoying the beautiful views of the Contraviesa Range and Mediterranean Sea, on clear days even Africa’s coast. Our hotel for the night is the comfortable El Cercado in Alcutar, with it’s great pool and country cuisine. (Approximate riding time 5,5 hours)
El Cercado, Alcutar
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| Day 5 The Berchules Way |
| Breakfast at 9am. We will explore the area around Berchules and Alcutar via forestry roads and bridle paths. We will return to the Hotel for lunch and to have time to enjoy the fantastic pool. (Approximate riding time 4 hours)
El Cercado, Alcutar
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| Day 6 Back to the farm |
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Breakfast at 9am. Ride back to the stables by one of three different routes: we walk, trot and canter from Alcutar back to the farm in just one day! Great views and fantastic cantering tracks are found along the way through forests and open grasslands! (Approx riding time: 7 hours).
Hotel Pepe Alvarez, Trevelez
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| Day 7 Views views and more views |
| Breakfast at 9am. We explore the higher reaches above the farm, climbing up to 2112m before descending into the Rio Bermejo Gorge! Possibly the most beautiful scenery of all our days in the saddle! (Approximate riding time 5,5 hours)
Hotel Pepe Alvarez, Trevelez
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| Day 8 Adios Amigos |
| Transfer to Malaga airport (arrival 11am). Taxis and buses are available at the airport to all local towns and resorts. |
| Dates |
| 23-30 May, 20-27 June, 22-29 August, 5-12 September |
| Prices |
| £955 per person based on twin share. £112 single room supplement |
| And More info |
| Luggage
Most days we ride to a different hotel. Your bags are transported for you. We ask that you have your bags packed and in reception at breakfast. There are saddlebags on all the horses with room to put a few things that may be needed on the trail such as cameras, waterproofs, etc. Full water bottles are provided in the saddlebags on the first day and can be filled from the numerous springs on the route.
Please limit your luggage to one medium sized bag per person of around 10 kilos and always less than 15 kilos.
Meals
All meals are included. Generally, the choices are arranged previously with the hotel to ensure availability. Lunch is either a picnic or in a local bar. Dinner is always in a local restaurant. A certain amount of wine is included with dinner (no limit on our picnics of course!). What is on the table at the beginning of the night is on my bill- the rest is on yours! If you require further drinks or something other than arranged, feel free to order, but please remember to pay your bill.
Tacking Up
Generally speaking, your horse will be tacked up for you by the grooms. However, feel free to get as involved as you like.
What to Bring
Summer (May –September):
T-shirts
Cotton shirts (excellent for sun and thorn protection)
Cotton trousers (with no inside seams) or Jodhpurs
Swimming gear (some of the hotels have swimming pools)
Fleece or jumper for the evenings
Very good sun-hat
Sun protection lotion
Sunglasses
Half chaps
Boots with grips on the sole and ankle support (i.e. lightweight walking boots or jodphur boots with tread). Traditional long riding boots and smooth-soled jodphur boots are not recommended.
Waterproof jacket
Riding hat (not provided) plus neckerchief to shade the back of your neck
A combination of light trousers, light boots and half chaps for calf protection can be ideal.
Please limit your luggage to one medium sized bag per person of around 10 kilos and always less than 15 kilos
Spring and Autumn (March, April, October and November)
Full range of clothes including t-shirts, a good jumper and a jacket – it can get very chilly at night and first thing in the morning while very hot during the day. Always bring rain protection for the odd shower.
Money
The basic holiday is fully inclusive so you should not need much extra money except for postcards, stamps, souvenirs, telephone calls and so on. You will need some euros for additional drinks, we would suggest around £30 or 50 Euros. Our advice is to get all the change you need before the ride starts by ordering from your bank as there are few banks along the route and few places accept credit cards or traveler’s cheques.
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 the odd rainy day. From mid-May to July and September it ranges between 18 and 30 degrees C .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 10 and 25 degrees C and there is the chance of rain. Early mornings and evenings can be cool even in the summer.
Tipping
Tipping is becoming increasingly widespread in Andalucia and can often be confusing. Not to worry though as we will take care of all the hotels and waiters etc, so leave it to us. However, if you feel like tipping the grooms at the end of the week I can guarantee they won´t be offended.
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| Accommodation |
| Rural Hotels |
| Additional Information |
| Flights not included. Arrival at Malaga airport. Transfers included at set times from Malaga. |
| Riding Information |
| This is a “riding” holiday (rather than a “sitting on a horse” holiday). The horses are all young and all are different and all need riding. It is not possible to chuck the reins up the horse´s neck and forget about him. This holiday is all about trail riding rather than pony trekking and we have chosen our horses accordingly.
All the horses respond more than usually well to the voice. Downward transitions are normally accompanied with a whistle. Upward transitions with a double click.
Horses tend to get hot and sweaty. When this happens they want to roll to relieve the itchiness. The signs are pawing and sniffing the ground. Do not let them roll with their tack on or in situations that are likely to endanger the horse. Be as firm with them as you need to be to ensure this.
We like to keep people with the same horses. However, in the event of lameness or other unplanned events, it may be necessary to shift around. If this should occur, we would appreciate your flexibility.
Do not let your horse drink unless my horse is drinking too.
The horses may eat grass when we stop for breaks, lunch, etc., but please don’t allow the horses to eat grass while we are mounted.
At the end of each day, please stay with your horse until he is safely in the stable or paddock. Please do NOT tie him to a fence post and wander off to the bar!
Safety while Riding
We have an unbeatable safety record. We achieve this by having well-trained horses and keeping our group sizes small. However, the minimum riding ability for these rides is ‘intermediate’, meaning comfortable at all paces in open country. Riding hats are not provided and we strongly recommend that you bring your own. It is a condition of booking that you have full holiday insurance that covers horse-riding and emergency medical insuran
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