Price for this package is £915 per person in a shared twin room.
Day One
Arrive Seville airport in the evening, transfer to Epona Equestrian Centre.
It is a twenty minute drive to this unique 16th century Hacienda. You will be shown to your comfortable room where you will find tea and coffee making facilities, towels, hair dryer, air conditioning and a fan. There is also a large lounge where you will be provided with free wine and sherry and a smaller sitting room with T.V, video and internet connection. The Hacienda also has an outdoor swimming pool and plenty of garden areas, which you will of course, have time to enjoy in the days to come. Dinner in the nearby town of Carmona, one of the famous white villages of Andalusia.
Day Two
Breakfast and short orientation tour of Epona Equestrian Centre. Fernando and Jane Garcia (your hosts) chose this name for their beautiful 400 year old Hacienda as EPONA was a goddess protector of horses. It would seem that she is very much in evidence in this unique equestrian paradise where all the horses are so beautiful and loving.
Riding begins today, in the morning you will be able to relax and get to know the horses as you mount up for The Old Hacienda Ride, a wonderful hack around the immediate countryside, through olive groves and eucalyptus trees. Lunch is included today (Fernando’s wife Jane is a wonderful cook). Equitation lessons will take place in the late afternoon. This is a great opportunity to improve your school work on expertly trained horses. Dinner at the hotel.
Day Three
Breakfast. This morning visit to The Royal Riding School in Jerez. renowned throughout the world for their breath taking exhibition ‘How the Andalusian horses dance’. Their painstaking training methods make this show a real delight as the horses perform intricate and demanding movements with effortless grace and control. A late lunch in included at Epona today at around 3pm. Riding lessons in the cool of the late afternoon back at The Hacienda. Dinner and time to relax and reflect with friends on the experiences of the day.
Day Four
Breakfast. Another wonderful trail ride this morning to the Roman Bridge. Depending on the time of year you could be riding through fields of sunflowers, wheat, cotton, oranges or peaches, through olive groves with ancient trees still carefully tended and nurtured. Lunch at The Hacienda followed by time for a siesta. Equitation lessons later this afternoon. Dinner at Epona.
Day Five
Set off early to the seaside village of Matalascanas, where beautiful Spanish horses will be waiting to take you on the Beach Ride. This ride takes you on an unforgettable route through the Donana Natural Park, one of Europe’s true last wilderness regions and one of the largest wildlife reservations in Spain. The ride will take you over the golden dunes, brushing through fragrant wild lavender, rosemary and thyme. The park is home to deer, boar, fox, lynx, imperial eagles, kites, vultures, storks, flamingos and herons. Then it’s back to Epona for a siesta by the pool. Rest and enjoy a drink before your early evening equitation lesson. Dinner this evening is a traditional ‘paella campestre’ under the stars, washed down with home-made sangria….bliss!
Day Six
Breakfast. We set off across open country once more this morning for our last hack of the week, through olive and orange groves, past farmers working the land until we arrive at the fields of a top class Andalusian stud farm. Return to Epona for lunch. Later today you will be visiting the wonderful and historic city of Seville.
‘Sevilla’ lies on the banks of the Guadalquivir and is one of the largest historical centres in Europe. It has the minaret of La Giralda, the cathedral (one of the largest in Christendom), and the Alcázar Palace. Part of its treasure include Casa de Pilatos, Torre del Oro, the Town Hall, Archive of the Indies (where the historical records of the American continent are kept), the Fine Arts Museum (the second largest picture gallery in Spain).
We will be meeting up in the early evening in Seville to visit a traditional Andalusian tack shop before our dinner this evening which will incude a fabulous Flamenco Show. You really can’t visit Andalucia without witnessing at firsthand the passion of The Flamenco Dance! The origin of this dance is still unknown, although it is generally believed to be a mixture of gypsy and Arabic dance. What is not in debate though, is the passion and fervour of the performers as they combine acoustic guitar with singing, dancing and staccato hand clapping. A night to remember!
Day Seven
Time to relax this morning and enjoy one last swim before packing up your things and heading back to Seville airport for the flight home.
Included
- 6 nights accommodation in shared twin rooms
- 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners at Epona
- Transport to Jerez for Royal Riding School display
- 3 trail rides (approx. 3hrs each)
- 1 beach ride (approx 3 hours)
- 5 one hour equitation lessons
- Airport transfers from Seville
- Trip to Seville for sight seeing & Flamenco Dinner
Not included:
- Entry fee to Royal Riding School Show (25 Euros)
- Flamenco Show and Dinner (65 Euros)
Note
This holiday can be run as a 5 night stay from Sunday to Friday but we do need a minimum of 4 riders choosing this option.
There are many flights to this region of Spain and we keep a close track on which ones offer the best service and the best value for money. Please contact us and we will gladly advice you on the best flight for you.
Click here to download a booking form.