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Spain, Catalonia - New Year Trail

From 28th December to 4th January, enjoy six days on the saddle with a delicious dinner and friendly party on night 31th December in the Empordà health.

8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS - 4/6 HORAS X 6 DAYS RIDING
Vilaür - La Gola - Sant Martí d’Empúries - Vilaür – Vilanant - Besalú - Vilaür

Single rooms for the nights at the riding centre: If you like to book single room, please note that the guest will have accommodation at a small hotel near the riding centre (breakfast and dinner with the group at the riding centre).

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Program

THE PROGRAM IS PRELIMINARY AND MAY BE ALTERED

DAY 1     WELCOME
You will arrive to the farm, a guesthouse located on the Pyrenees’ feet, facing the natural and wild reserve of the Medes Islands, and with thirty years’ experience riding holidays: the ideal place for a horse-riding start and an original way of discovering the region. On arrival day, you can enjoy a fantastic home cooked dinner and you will be told about the special characteristics of our Andalusian, Thoroughbred and Arabian crossed trail horses. You will be given an introduction to the week´s program with an opportunity for a one-to-one conversation with Ramon, designed to find every rider their perfect horse. 

DAY 2     THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Today, after breakfast, short briefing with your guide and saddling the horses, we are ready to leave. The horses are fresh, and we enjoy long canters through the Alt Empordà pine forests. Every hour we pass another beautiful village, castle, churches, arches, tunnel, old wooden doors with wrought iron knockers, the beauty of the stonework of the past. As the afternoon draws on, you can sense the proximity to the coast and at last we arrive at the Mediterranean large gulf of Roses. The assistance team is waiting for us and has prepare everything for the rest of our horses. 

DAY 3    ¡¡¡VAMOS A LA PLAYA!!!
After an earliest start, we trot our horses 1 km down to the beach. The long curve of the bay of Rosas stretches before us, kilometers of golden sand. Here we enjoy some excellent canters and gallops on the beach. After the beach ride, we head inland again following the river Fluviá, past a bird sanctuary where we can see flocks of migrating birds. The terrain is flat with lots of rice fields and peach, pears, and apple orchards. The pace today is lively! We continue our journey back to the equestrian farmhouse of Can Sort after our daily picnic in an evergreen oak forest. Accommodation back at the at the guest house.

DAY 4    31st December: THROUGH THE EMPORDÁ REGION
After an excellent breakfast, we saddle up again and we will start going in West direction, back to Vilafreser. Despite being a prosperous area, the Empordá region still conserves the traditional rural and village way of life. The paths and tracks have not been asphalted nor has the countryside been fenced off so there is an unlimited combination of paths and bridleways to explore. After the ride, we will arrive again at the guest house to enjoy an incredibly special dinner to celebrate the last day of the year. We will continue with a lively party, music in live and free bar during this emotional night!

DAY 5     1st JANUARY: STARTING THE YEAR IN THE SADDLE!
Maybe one of the best ways to start a new year! After breakfast, a little bit later today, we will join our horses and tack up again for the ride. We leave Vilafreser crossing oak forest, accompanied by scents of thyme and rosemary. Our destination for today is Besalú, a medieval walled village. This ancient capital is a jewel of Romanesque architecture set between two rivers. We cover many miles in the wildness Garrotxa through fields, open meadows and forest. Our hotel is in front of the spectacular medieval bridge and you have some time to wander around and absorb the unique atmosphere of this special village.

DAY 6     FROM BESALÚ TO EMPORDA HEALTH
In the morning we leave from Besalú into the forest and over the rolling hills around. We ride through typical Mediterranean brush wood forest, thick with bushes and calcareous soil. This is a rocky area with old buildings of traditional rural architecture like shelters for herders and small stone walls. Up to the Fluviá, out of the rolling hills onto the plains, we canter and gallop through olive groves and along wheat fields. Our destination is a charming small hotel, a past Catalan country farmhouse restored. We will spend night at back at the guest house where we will enjoy a delicious home cooked dinner. 

DAY 7     HOMEWARD BOUND 
After breakfast, we tack up and leave the hotel South direction through Mediterranean Catalan scenery, crossing the small villages of Galliner and Vilamarí. We enjoy spectacular views over the coast plains and the foothills of the Empordà region. Crossing pine and oak forest, we stop for a rest and to have our daily picnic. For the last part of today, a gentle ride to finally join again the guest house, where we can shower our horses and enjoy a delicious dinner.

DAY 8 ADIÓS AMIGOS
Breakfast and departure…. Friends forever!! See you next year!

Dates and prices

"Book on request" means that we cannot confirm your booking immediately, but we will get back to you as soon as possible with a booking confirmation, normally within 24 hours on weekdays.

DateDaysName of tripPrice from
28/12/20248Spain, Catalonia - New Year TrailEUR 1,896Book on request
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183 68 TÄBY
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