On this ride, you will explore the magnificent coastal landscape of the Costa Brava, which is characterized by wide plains and green hills in front of the Pyrenees. Not only is the contrasting landscape impressive, but the history and artistic heritage of Catalonia is also of great importance. Beaches, rivers, blossoming fields, olive and fruit groves, pine and oak forests, castles and churches as well as idyllic villages lie on your way - rounded off by the exciting experience of a beach gallop!
Particularly worth mentioning are the stylish country hotels that have been created from the typical "masias" (country estates). Here you can spend the night and dine excellently!

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to a charming country estate on the edge of a small village at the foot of the Pyrenees. After a typical local dinner, you will discuss the week's program and the allocation of horses.

Day 2: After breakfast, your riding adventure begins. You leave Vilafreser and ride through an oak forest, accompanied by the scents of thyme and rosemary. Today's destination is Vilafreser, a medieval village with a city wall. You will cover many kilometers in the wild Garrotxa region through fields, open meadows, and forests. Your accommodation is a rural country house hotel, Masia La Palma. A refreshing pool awaits you until dinner is served.

Day 3: In the morning, you will ride into the forest and over the rolling hills of the surrounding area. The trail leads through a typical Mediterranean scrub forest with dense bushes and calcareous soil. It is a rocky area with old buildings of traditional rural architecture, such as shepherds' huts and small stone walls. Until you reach the Fluviá, from the rolling hills out onto the plain, you will gallop through olive groves and along wheat fields. Your destination is the Catalan country house.

Day 4: After an excellent breakfast, you will saddle up and ride westward, back to Vilafreser. Although the Empordá region is a prosperous area, it has retained its traditional rural and village way of life. The paths and trails are neither paved nor fenced, so there is an unlimited combination of trails and riding paths to discover.

Day 5: After an early start, you trot down to the beach on horseback. The long bay of Rosas stretches out before you with miles of golden sand. Here you can enjoy a wonderful gallop on the beach, then head back inland along the Fluviá River, past a bird sanctuary where you can watch flocks of migratory birds. The terrain is flat with many rice fields and peach, pear, and apple orchards. Today's pace is lively! After your daily picnic in an evergreen oak forest, you continue your journey to the Can Sort riding stable.

Day 6: After breakfast, you head south through the Mediterranean Catalan countryside, passing through the small villages of Galliner and Vilamarí. You enjoy spectacular views of the coastal plains and the foothills of the Empordà. You will ride through pine and oak forests and stop for a picnic. Spend the last part of the day on a leisurely ride before returning to the estate, where you can shower the horses and enjoy a delicious dinner.

Day 7: Breakfast and departure.

(Subject to change)

Accomodation
You will spend three nights at Riding centre. The charming country estate offers double and triple rooms with bathrooms, all lovingly furnished, cozy lounges with a fireplace, a terrace and outdoor seating areas. There is also a small pool. The landlady will spoil you with all kinds of Spanish and French dishes. Great importance placed on regional organic produce.
You will also stay in two other award-winning 4-star country hotels, also former country estates that have been lovingly renovated. Both offer excellent regional cuisine with the best wines.
One overnight stay is in a simple middle-class hotel near the beach. Here, too, you will have your own shower/toilet.
Meals include a breakfast buffet and a 3-course dinner in the accommodation as well as a lunch picnic, which is either delivered by the support vehicle or carried in saddlebags. Drinks with meals are included, including beer and wine.

Saddle & Tack: Trail riding saddles & English saddles. Western saddles upon request. Saddlebags for personal belongings and the lunch picnic are provided.

Experience: Confidence in all gaits and confident on unfamiliar horses on trails. The terrain is easy, the pace on the plains quite fast. Riding time approx. 4.5-6 hours daily. Costa Brava Trail: total distance approx. 160 km.

Horses: Andalusian mix and Anglo-Arabian, well trained for the trails. Height between 1.50m and 1.65m.