Spain, Almeria - Cabo de Gata Star Ride
This is the programme for riders looking to explore the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata-Nijar with a knowledgeable guide and excellent horses. The park features virgin beaches, valleys and small fishing villages - all of which you can experience whilst staying in the same comfortable accommodation each night in San Jose. 5 half days riding (ca 3 hours/day).
If you are a total beginner or have little experience and would like to have more confidence in the saddle you can instead learn to ride. By the end of the programme you should be happily walking and trotting in open countryside, having learnt good riding techniques from Manolo. He has great horses for beginners and years of experience in giving riders confidence.
The Beginners Programme combines riding lessons with trails in the beautiful Spanish countryside and can be done at your own pace
6 nights B&B, 5 half days riding (ca 3 hours/day)
Program
PRELIMINARY DAY-BY-DAY PROGRAM
Below is an example of day program. If you are a beginner you will get lessons instead and in the end of the week you should be happily walking and trotting in open countryside
DAY 1. ARRIVAL.
Arrival at accommodation, short briefing with the team at 8pm
DAY 2. GENOVESES BEACH
After a short explanation about our tack and security, we saddle up our horses and are ready to ride to the famous Genoveses beach. The white sand dunes, used in many movies, can be identified by the mere sight of the beach: Indiana Jones, Lawrence of Arabia… This is undoubtedly one of the last unspoiled beaches in the Mediterranean.
DAY 3. THE CLIFFS OF LOS ESCULLOS: THE PIRATE TRAIL
Traveling on horseback along the cliffs of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park offers us the most spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea in its best-preserved area. The trail passes through an ancient itinerary that served as a connection between the castles and watch towers. Indeed, during the 18th century, there were coast guards to prevent and protect in the event of a pirate invasion.
DAY 4. THE VOLCANOES VALLEY
To the north of the park, the Sierra de Gata mountains have preserved the boilers of ancient volcanoes, creating a lunar-like landscape. They were active 15 to 16 million years ago. We can observe the remains of fodder plantations and some rain crops. Cabo de Gata is an arid area, and its people went a step ahead by using this huge volcanic cone to collect the rainwater, which satisfied the crops located at the bottom.
We will ride our horses on the hills of the volcanoes, and we will gallop along the paths that lead to the water of the rare rains from the summit to the sea.
DAY 5. THE ANDALUSIAN “CORTIJOS”
As we make our way into the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, we pass some typical Andalusian constructions: the famous “cortijos “, some of Arabian origin.
These are isolated houses where the families who worked in the fields lived, some of which became “small white”, self-sufficient towns with rainwater harvesting systems (“aljibes”), rudimentary installations for the cultivation of cereals (“eras”) and windmills to make flour.
We will take a tour of some of them to learn more about the history of Andalusia.
DAY 6. MONSÚL BEACH
Mónsul is a 400 metre long beach surrounded by rock formations of volcanic origin on its sides and a huge dune of fine sand at the back. There is a large rock in the middle of the beach that has become the emblem of the beach and the natural park: “La Peineta de Mónsul”. La Peineta is shaped like a giant wave that seems to want to return to the sea.
Steven Spielberg decided to use this beach and other locations in Almeria to film Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, starring Harrison Ford and Sean Connery.
DAY 7. DEPARTURE
After breakfast, you will be transferred back to the airport, bus terminal or train station in Almeria.