Transhumance Trail

9 Days | From £2049pp

Spain ( Best airport: Madrid)

Travel on horseback from Extremadura to the Gredos Mountains following the ‘Cañadas Reales’, a thousand year old route used by cattlemen who still practice transhumance to this day.

The Riding

Ride 200km over 7 days through three different Spanish regions; like cattlemen of the past the route takes you north from Extremadura to the Gredos Mountains in the spring, and in the autumn the trail is ridden in reverse.

The pace of this ride is moderated, with trots and long canters where the terrain allows. The distance covered is approximately 25-35 km per day.

Level of Riding and Fitness

Intermediate to experienced riders, means that you should be comfortable to walk, trot and canter in a group and in open spaces and your seat should be independent from your hands. You will be riding for between four to seven hours a day so it is important to be as riding fit as possible.

Guides and Group Size

You will be guided by Emilio, an English-speaking guide who, with 30 years of riding experience knows each stone of every path. Emilio knows the Cañadas reales very well; keeping up his family tradition of practicing transhumance with cattle.

There will be a maximum of 10 riders in a group.

Any questions?

The Horses

You will be expertly matched by Emilio to one of his excellent Hispano-Arab horses. Born at home, very much loved and extremely well looked after, these horses love their job and make for very easy, relaxed riding.

Tack and Riding Equipment

All horses are fitted with English tack, with a silicon seat saver and saddle bags supplied for small personal items. A support vehicle will transport your luggage and will be available at your lunch breaks.

Accommodation and Dining

The accommodation varies from charming rural Inns to a delightful 4* hotel in Trujillo town. All rooms have private bathrooms and are very clean and comfortable.

Single rooms are possible on request for a single supplement.

The food is another highlight of this trip; your hosts will delight you with tapas-breaks during the trail with serrano ham, manchego cheese, olives, nuts, etc. Lunchtime is a relaxing and social affair with delicious home cooked Spanish dishes such as paella, tortilla española, iberian pork bbq, salads, and soft cheese very typical of the Extremadura region.

After your day of riding, your dinner will be served at your guesthouse and you will have a choice of different dishes and courses from local Spanish recipes.

Dietary requirements can be catered for with advance notice.

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Gallery

Itinerary

Day 1 Meet at Madrid airport at 3pm and transfer to Trujillo, a 2.5 hour drive. There will be time to visit the spectacular town before a welcome dinner at the hotel with your hosts, where you will learn about the route and region on the map.

Day 2 After breakfast, a 5 minute transfer from the hotel to meet the horses. After becoming acquainted with your mount you will head off on the “Cañada Real”. Lunch in the countryside with excellent paella cooked by your hosts. In the afternoon you will enjoy beautiful riding, crossing the Almonte river with its impressive medieval bridge to Jaraicejo. Night and dinner in a very nice rural Inn. Total length: 5 hours riding.

Days 3 Departure after breakfast. The morning will see you trotting and cantering in the open countryside through dehesas and beautiful landscape. After lunch there will be a short afternoon ride to Casas de Miravete, a small village in a spectacular enclave in the Monfrague National Park. Dinner at a local bar with good local food and overnight accommodation at a rural Inn. Total length: 6 hours riding.

Day 4 Riding in the morning along the “Cañada Real”, with impressive views of Sierra de Gredos in front of you. You will cross the 16th century Albalat Bridge over the Tagus River, one of the important public works built during the reign of His Catholic Majesty Charles I of Spain and V of Germany. Picnic lunch by the Tagus river reservoir. Riding in the afternoon to Navalmoral de la Mata, where you will have dinner and overnight accommodation at a small hotel. Total length: 7 hours riding.

Day 5 Departure after breakfast following the Cañada Real over flatter terrain, allowing for good trots and canters. The horses will spend the night at Las Ventas de San Julian; riders will be transferred for dinner and overnight accommodation at the amazing “Parador de Oropesa”; a medieval castle restored and converted into a luxury and magical 4* hotel (dinner “a la carte”, drinks not included). Total length: 6 hours riding.

Day 6 Departure after breakfast, continuing along the Cañada Real where the landscape now changes; riding along the reservoir close to Navalcan with beautiful views of the Gredos Mountains. Dinner and overnight at a lovely rural Inn in Navalcán. Total length: 6 hours riding.

Day 7 Today is a beautiful day from Navalcán to Mombeltrán; the route changes from the Cañada Real another Cañada, taking you into the Gredos Mountains. Here you will experience the beautiful views, with Toledo province on your left as you cross to Avila province in Castilla y Leon. Dinner and overnight at a hotel in Mombeltrán.

Day 8 After breakfast you will start to climb the Roman Road which is more than two thousand years old and very well preserved. It was used for the Roman armies and the transport of metals crossing the Sierra de Gredos through the abrupt mountain pass to Puerto del Pico. Later on, it worked as a cattle drove in medieval times, and despite the passage of centuries, is still in good condition. You will follow the Roman road up into the mountains with it’s amazing views, crossing the picturesque mountain village Cuevas del Valle, to Puerto del Pico. Lunch will be at a local restaurant, surrounded by beautiful mountainous landscape. After lunch the trail will take you through green mountain pastures with stone walls and the highest peaks of Gredos in front of you. The perfect way to finish an amazing horse riding trip.

Day 9 Breakfast at your hotel before departure from Navarredonda de Gredos at 10 am, to arrive at Madrid Airport for approximately 12.30 pm.