Day 1
Arrive into Malaga airport. We can either collect you from here (€95 return) or you can catch the train to the nearby village of Antequera and we'll pick you up from the station (€40 return). See below transfer details. You will be staying in a 200 year old recently restored luxury Cortijo with facilities including an infinity pool, private gardens, chapel lounge, wifi, air conditioning and shady gazebos overlooking the valley and acres of olive groves and pine forests. All rooms are en-suite and have been restored in typical Andalucian style with bamboo ceilings and rustic tiles. Once arrived and settled in, the daily activites ahead will be discussed and if time permits you will start with an afternoon dressage lesson. The aim of this break is to improve your equestrian skills with a mixture of lessons and trail rides under the careful guidance of our excellent instructors.
Day 2
Today, depending on your riding ability and preference you will have a lesson and a ride out in the countryside or a day trek. Each day you should expect to receive approximately 4hrs riding. The hacks/treks follow different routes. One of the 4hr hacks takes you through the olive groves and vines arriving eventually at La Posada el Tempranillo, here you will stop for refreshments. You will then ride onto Alameda through the olive groves, taking in the spectacular views across the valley to Palenciana and Badolatosa. We then reach our destination which is a beautiful Cortijo, nestled in the side of the hill. Here if the river is low enough you'll ford the river we then stop for a picnic.
Afterwards we make our way back to the Cortijo via a different route. Other routes stop off at local bars, and pass through La Camorra a local national park full of pine trees. Early morning or night rides are a must in July/August.
This evening you will be dining with your fellow guests and hosts (en-famille) in the chapel lounge. All meals are prepared from fresh local produce or from the Cortijo's own gardens.
Day 3
This morning after breakfast, you will continue with your riding plan and you can choose again either another lesson and after that another ride out or a day trek giving the more experienced riders a chance to enjoy a canter or gallop. In the area of Antequera, the former capital of Andalucia, there are many majestic lakes. Today's route will take you to one of the most famous lakes, Fuente de Piedra (fountain of the stones). This is home to thousands of Flamingos which migrate to this area to breed. They come because of the minerals present in the water that comes up through the layers of stone. This lake is the only one in Europe that is home to Flamingos.
You will ride all around the lake taking in the natural beauty, and then back to the Cortijo, mid way stopping for refreshments.
Day 4
After enjoying a leisurly breakfast you will choose again either another lesson followed by a countryside ride or a longer trek. Andalucia is fortunate enough to be punctuated by dominating mountains and mystical valleys, so today you will get the opportunity to explore this unspoilt masterpiece of nature and take in the sights and sounds of the wildlife, rivers, lakes and if you're lucky enough, maybe even a local or two!
You will finish the ride back at the Cortijo where you will be free to unwind in the evening and prepare for the day ahead.
Day 5 & 6
Yet again you will have the opportunity to hone your equestrian skills during another lesson in the morning after breakfast. Our Spanish riding experts will help you to improve your seat, posture and the bond between you and your horse.
By now you should be used to the climate and have learnt a thing or two from our instructors, so why not challenge yourself to one of our more demanding treks? You can enjoy an exhiliarting canter through the countryside, allowing the Spanish breeze to alight the passions of your soul, or if that doesn't sound like your idea of a holiday, why not enjoy one of our more relaxed rides out.
Day 7
Today is your final day of riding so savour every moment! After breakfast you will be enjoying your last day ride. By this point we are confident that you will have fallen in love with the region and all of the things that make it great: the culmination of natural wonders, the laid back Spanish attitude and the fact that it is bathed in sun for 8-9 months a year.
Day 8
Sadly today is your last day. After breakfast, if time allows, you have the option of an additional ride before you depart to Malaga for your flight home.
Prices
1 week breaks are available on special offer. The price for 6 or 7 nights half board accommodation staying in a double/twin en-suite bedroom plus 6 days riding (lessons and trail rides) is £675pp from October-March. £795pp April, May & September, £825pp June, July & August.
No single room supplement
Quality Spanish tuition is also offered.
The above prices included linen, towels and bedding, daily maid service, wifi access, satellite tv, hospitality toiletries pack and slippers.
Transfers
Airport transfers from Malaga are 95 Euros per car return
There is also the option to catch the train to Antequera where we can offer a pick up for just €40 return per car. This is incredibly easy. All you need to do is get the shuttle train from Malaga airport to Malaga central (10mins), then the train out to Antequera (35 mins). Trains run regularly throughout the day
*Please note the outdoor pool is closed from the 1st November - 1st April*