Silver Route Trail
8 Days
Mexico ( Best airport: Leon)
Travel between two UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the ancient silver route in Mexico. Encounter an unseen, forgotten Mexico; colonial cities, majestic shrines, and traditional rural communities, all while following the old Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a 2.500 long trade route used to transport silver. Take in the beautiful natural landscapes of oak forests, mountains passes and wildlife-filled floodplains and discover 500 years of history, through cobbled streets little changed in centuries and an indigienous culture rarely glimpsed by outsiders.
Level of Riding and Fitness
You’ll need to be a confident rider secure in walk, trot and canter, and with a reasonable level of fitness to enable you to spend most of the day in the saddle. There are some narrow, steep paths to navigate so you should be comfortable with this. The minimum age for this ride is 14 years old, riders aged 14-18 must be accompanied by an adult and a signed letter of consent from the parent/guardian needs to be provided before they can take part in the ride. Th weight limit is 110kg.
Guides and Group Size
You’ll be guided by Angel, a highly experienced tour operator and guide who has created this trail with a focus on creating authentic, equestrian and cultural experiences. Angel has built a network of friends and contacts across the trail route so you will receive a warm welcome when passing through the remote villages and hamlets dotted along the trail.
The group size is 4-12.
Accommodation and Dining
Your first night’s accommodation is at a typical Mexican working ranch, located about 30 minutes from the airport and surrounded by farms, working fields, and mesquite trees. There is a spacious terrace with bbq, garden with sun loungers and plenty of space to relax after your journey. The ranch features simple and rustic décor with wooden furniture and warm colors. Your accommodation is in luxury tents. Once out on the trail five nights are spent in 4 and 5 star hotels and one night in a mountain retreat. Hotels have en suite bathrooms, Wifi available and some have swimming pools and spa facilities. The mountain retreat is set among the majestic forests and mountains of this region. The retreat has original and simple decoration, with 7 comfortable rooms, with 3 shared bathrooms. The terrace features a fireplace and a BBQ and incredible views across the mountains and valleys.
Meals are based on regional Mexican food and include: beef, pork, chicken, eggs, fruit, vegetables, cereals, rice, milk, coffee, natural fruit juices and purified bottled water. During the trail most of the food is prepared by the rural communities you visit, and in many cases traditional, prehispanic, ancestral recipes are used so the flavors and textures are unique and can be very different from what many may think of as classic Mexican food. Lunch is eaten at picturesque spots on the trail and set up with tables, chairs and a canopy. The food could be a tasty hot stew, peppers stuffed with cheese and quesadillas alongside a generous helping of beer and wine. After these meals you’ll usually take a siesta on the grass, where you can doze in the sun before continuing in the afternoon. Dinners are generally taken either in local restaurants or at the hotels where you stay overnight.
Get a free Silver Route Trail mini-brochure in PDF format.
Itinerary
Silver Route Trail
8 days / 7 nights / 6 days riding
Single supplement £412
Small group supplement* (for 2 riders) £489
Small group supplement* (for 3 riders) £365
*Supplements are refunded once the group gets bigger
Flights & Airport transfers
Do not book flights until you have received the Booking confirmation email from saddletravel.com.
We strongly recommend arriving in Mexico 24 hours prior to the start of the ride to allow for any flight delays. Meet your hosts at the meeting point (Guanajuato city) at 5pm on Day 1 of the trail. Please arrange departure flights for after 2pm on the last day of the trail.
Airport Transfers
Private transfers from Leon Airport to Guanajuato city are approximately $85 each way per group (1-4). Alternatively you can take a taxi from the airport which costs between $50-60.
- Six days of riding (5-7 hours per day)
- 7 nights accommodation based on two sharing
- Breakfasts
- Lunches
- Dinners
- Soft drinks and water
- Welcome and farewell cocktail
- Saddlebags for personal equipment
- Luggage transfers
- Airport transfers
- Museum or any additional attractions entrances fees
- Alcoholic drinks
- International flights
- Tips