Sunday
Arrive into Seville airport or Seville train station (Santa Justa) this afternoon, the free transfer to the equestrian centre is at 16.30 from the station. If you require an airport transfer this can be arranged to suit your flight times and is to be paid for directly (€50 each way).
Following collection you will be taken straight to your beautiful four star hotel in the nearby town of Carmona, one of the famous white villages of Andalusia. This evening there is a welcome dinner when you will be able to meet your fellow travellers on this spectacular horse riding holiday.
Your hotel in Carmona, is the Hotel Alcazar de la Reina. It is located in the heart of the old town and is surrounded by churches, convents and palaces. The standard of accommodation is very high and their reviews are excellent. There is nothing nicer on a warm Spanish evening than enjoying a drink and some tapas in the village square.
Monday
This morning you will be collected from the hotel after breakfast at 9.00 am for the short drive to the centre, upon arrival there will be a short orientation tour. Riding begins this morning, 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 the main meal in Spain and this is included (the owner’s wife is a wonderful cook). Equitation and /or dressage lessons will take place in the late afternoon. This is a great opportunity to improve your school work on expertly trained horses. The Hacienda has an outdoor swimming pool and plenty of garden areas where you can relax at any time, you will be taken back to the hotel in the early evening - you will probably still be full from lunch but in true Spanish tradition you may like to enjoy some light tapas later this evening in the village square (not included - only costs a few Euros)
Tuesday
Following breakfast you will be collected from the hotel for the 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 today at around 3pm back at the centre prior to the riding classes which take place in the cool of the late afternoon. After afternoon classes you will taken back to the hotel.
Wednesday
After breakfast you will be enjoying 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.
Thursday
Set off today at 9.00 am and head 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 the hacienda for a siesta by the pool. Rest and enjoy a drink before your early evening equitation lesson.
Friday
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 Andalucian mule stud farm. Return to the centre 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). You will have time to change at the hotel before being collected in the early evening for dinner and 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!
Saturday
Hopefully this morning you will have some time to relax and pack up your things before the journey home. Transfers to the airport or railway station can be arranged between 08.00 and 11.00am.
Included in trail and train riding holiday:
- 6 nights accommodation in shared twin rooms
- 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 1 dinner
- Transport to Jerez for Royal Riding School display
- 3 trail rides (approx. 3hrs each)
- 1 beach ride (approx 3 hours)
- 4 one hour equitation/dressage lessons
- Train station transfers
- Trip to Seville for sight seeing & Flamenco Dinner
Not included:
- Entry fee to Royal Riding School Show (32 Euros)
- Flamenco Show (35 Euros)
- Single supplement of £325 for 6 nights
- Airport transfers
More Choice
- As well as offering this programme, we also offer a more intensive programme. The more intensive riding holiday includes 9 equitation lessons and is perfect for people wanting to learn to ride and also advanced riders who want to improve their riding on beautifully trained Andalucian horses. The price for this is £1895pp
- You can opt for a 4 night stay from Sun - Thurs or Tues - Sat too and the price for this is £1195pp. This version does not include the beach ride or visits to Jerez and Seville. Single supplement £225
2024 Trail and Train price = £1,695pp, intensive = £1,895pp. Single room supp £325
Important Information
The centre will take children from the age of 10 as long as they are competent riders.
Non Rider with everything included as above apart from riding: eg lunches, visits, transfers & use of facilities £995
Optional activities available on our horse riding holiday Spain package include Spanish language lessons, hiring mountain bikes for hours of fun in the open countryside, booking a massage to ease your muscles after a days riding, carriage driving, tennis at the local tennis club, flamenco lessons and not forgetting sightseeing as the centre is located close to the beautiful cities of Seville.
Choosing a riding holiday without personal experience of the centre you are thinking of visiting can be a very difficult task. Here are a few questions that it is wise to ask any centre before you make up your mind:
Many centres will advertise that their horses are excellent for beginners, intermediate and advanced riders and can carry every weight from a child to a 14 stone adult. However, if you ask how many horses they actually have and how many are actually in work at the time, you discover they only have 8 or 10.
Here you will find more than 30 horses and ponies, all well mannered, well schooled and fit for their purpose. With that number they really can cope with beginners, advanced riders and everything in between. It really is possible to match the temperament of the horse to rider and it is possible to change horses if the horse and rider are not getting along. Most of the horses are Andalusians or Andalusian cross breeds but there are also lots of others breeds such as Warmbloods, Anglo-Arabs and Thoroughbreds.
At the centre every instructor is fully qualified by the BHS and/or ABRS and the Spanish Equestrian Federation. All ride leaders and assistant ride leaders hold diplomas from British Equestrian Tourism and the Federation of International Equestrian Tourism (FITE). You will only be taught or led by bi-lingual staff (some multi-lingual) and all ride leaders carry mobile phones to summon rapid help in the unlikely event that this is necessary.
Customer Feedback:
"This holiday was absolutely brilliant. The balance is just right with the mix of trails and dressage plus it is a bonus to be able to go to the beach where no one else can ride. The non-riding elements which are also planned during the week are brilliant as well."
To read Equestrian Escapes reviews click on the link
The centre also holds a British Horse Society Award!
Equestrian Escapes specialises in horse riding holidays in Andalucia, Spain. Our horse riding holiday packages are suitable for all ages and cater for all different riding experiences.
If you are interested in riding in Spain you may like to look at some other holidays that we offer and these can be found in our horse riding holidays Spain range.
Beach Riding Holiday Spain
Andalucia Short Stay
Horse Riding Holidays Spain
We inspect all the horses in our horse riding holidays to ensure the best quality holiday for you.
For tips regarding your holiday such as what to wear and riding ability, please visit the Travel Tips page.
We work hard to ensure that each customer has a great time on their holiday. Please see some riding holiday reviews here.
We have a large range of holidays to suit a range of riding abilities. Please see here for more information.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.