Explorer and Blue Coast Trail
10 Days | From £1999pp
Wales, Turkey ( Best airport: Bristol/Birmingham and Dalaman)
Saddle Travel invites you to join us for two fantastic adventures; the Explorer Trail in Wales and the Blue Coast Trail in Turkey. A weekend away will give the group a chance to get to know each other before heading to the Dalaman area for a week of exciting riding.
The Explorer Trail starts and ends at Freerein HQ on the Welsh/English border in the Wye Valley. It is a fantastic two-day-getaway covering 30 miles, exploring the stunning landscape we are lucky enough to have right on our doorstep. Enjoy the peace and quiet of the green, rolling hills and heather swept moorlands with unbeatable views of the Black Mountains and Radnor Hills.
Discover Turkey’s Mediterranean southern coast where you’ll ride on beaches, through forests and across rivers on endurance-trained Arabs. As well as thrilling fast-paced riding there are boat trips across stunning lagoons, a visit to a turtle sanctuary and opportunities for swimming every day.
Level of Riding and Fitness
You must be happy and confident cantering in open spaces to join this ride.
You will be riding around 6 hours each day, so you must have a good level of current riding fitness. You must be physically fit enough to enjoy long trots and long days in the saddle. You will also need to be comfortable spending short periods of time hiking on steep mountain paths and leading your horse.
Guides and Group Size
You will be joined by a Saddle Travel representative and guided in Wales by one of Free Rein’s excellent guides, who has extensive knowledge of the horses and area.
Your second guide will be French-born Nicolas who has lived and organised horse riding tours in Turkey for over 15 years. He is very knowledgeable about the local history and culture as well as being passionate about his horses and always having their well-being at heart.

Accommodation and Dining
All individuals are automatically booked a room for single occupancy.
Accommodation in Wales is at a basic, quirky, characterful, family run establishment that offers a warm welcome to trail riders.
Expect to be fed well on this trip; food is all homemade using locally sourced ingredients where possible. All accommodation places can cater for any dietary requirements.
In Turkey you’ll spend 4 nights camping and 3 nights in guesthouse accommodation. The campsites used are dotted along the coast or in the forest and include a large dining tent for meals. Riders will then sleep in double tipi-style tents with single camping mattresses. Campsites are equipped with toilets, a shower tent and a gas stove although lots of the evening meals will be cooked over the campfire. This is a participatory trail where guests help with packing and unpacking their luggage from the support vehicle and help with the horses, tacking up and untacking.
The 3 nights in guesthouses include accommodation in double or twin rooms. Single rooms are subject to availability and a single supplement. Most of the guesthouses used are run by families and are located in pretty towns and villages. Guesthouses are equipped with Wifi and offer a laundry service if required. Your luggage will be transported between overnight stops by the logistics vehicle.
Dinner and breakfast are served at the guesthouses or campsite. You can expect Turkish cuisine for dinner consisting of a starter, one or two courses and a dessert when staying in a guesthouse. When camping, the dinners are cooked on the open fire, and served with various salads. Tea, coffee and mineral water are included. Local wine, other alcoholic drinks, beer and soft drinks are available for an additional cost. Lunch is either served in a restaurant or is a picnic lunch out on trail. Allergies and special dietary requirements can be catered for with advance notice.
Get a free Explorer and Blue Coast Trail mini-brochure in PDF format.
Itinerary
Explorer and Blue Coast Trail
10 days / 8 nights / 8 riding days
£1999pp
Single occupancy £245
Please arrive at Free Rein HQ by 9am on day 1. You can expect to be back on day 2 by 4.30pm.
For days 3-10 please plan your flight to arrive at Dalaman between 8am and 7pm on the first day of your holiday. Airport transfers are included in your holiday for flights arriving and departing between the set times. Airport transfers outside of these times are at additional cost.
- Dalaman Airport transfers
- 8 full days of riding
- Trail riding horse, tack and saddlebags
- 8 nights of shared accommodation (3 nights camping)
- Breakfasts
- Lunches
- Evening meals
- Tea, coffee and mineral water
- Luggage transportation
- Flights
- Drinks at the bar
- Tips