RIDE WORLD WIDE SPAIN - Seville: Andalusia Riding trip information sheet 2019 These rides in Andalucia are one of the special Portfolio of Spanish rides developed by our long term partner in Spain, Maria Elena Dendaluce, in conjunction with carefully selected local guides. The rides, which are in different regions of Spain, have been chosen primarily for the quality of horses and riding experience they offer - but also for their dedicated owner-operating guides, who are passionate about their horses, their local area, its history and customs. We believe that on a small group holiday, your guides are all-important. Those who have ridden with Maria Elena before will know she is a terrific travel companion. Like her, the local Spanish guides are experienced, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. They will show you what is unique about the region you are visiting and together with Maria Elena will do their utmost to ensure a fantastic riding holiday experience - there s no better way to see Spain. Sevilla is the capital of Andalusia and the province of Seville. Situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir it is, without doubt, one of Spain s most beautiful cities. The Sevillanos are an extremely proud and passionate people. To many, Sevilla is not just a place, it is a way of life. The Guadalquivir, Semana Santa, the April Feria, Velazquez, Don Juan Tenorio, orange blossom, the dancing of Sevillanas Sevilla is bright, beautiful and a city that must be seen and experienced. These rides start from a Cortijo, or Andalucian country house, to the southwest of Seville. They follow routes used by mounted pilgrims on their way to El Rocío, Spain s International village of the horse and in May each year site of a fantastic mounted pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin Mary. In autumn 2015 permission was obtained to ride through the western part of the Donana Reserve to the Andalucian coast and the longer rides now explore this little visited area ending with a couple of nights - and some wonderfully exhilarating canters - at a gloriously secluded beach. All in all they are a unique opportunity to see the area - to visit some of the regions traditional country houses, learn the customs of Andalucia and to ride through the environs of the Doñana National Park, a floodplain where forests of pine, savin, eucalyptus and cork oak, sand dunes and marshland provide winter home to a huge array of migratory birds. A wonderful way to enjoy the kingdom of the Andalucian horse.
[2] Riding 7 night rides include 6 days riding, with between 4 and (on one day) 6 hours in the saddle each day. The shorter 4 night rides include 3 days riding. Rides are led by a local Spanish guide, Alfonso Gonzalo de Bustos, an expert horseman who is knowledgeable and passionate about the horses, traditions and countryside of Andalucia and usually accompanied by Maria Elena, as translator and co-host. (Maria Elena does not generally accompany the shorter 4 night rides but there will be a another translator). Maria Elena s experience organising rides in various regions of Spain together with Alfonso s horses, expert knowledge and enthusiasm for Andalucia, ensure a wonderful, memorable week. Set date rides are run for groups of a minimum of 6 and maximum of 12 riding guests. Horses are prepared and looked after by grooms (although you are welcome to help if you wish) and luggage is moved on ahead of the group by back up vehicle. There is a rider weight limit of 90kgs (14 stone) in riding clothes - if you are close to this please contact us before booking to ensure a suitable horse is available. Horses The horses used are Hispano-Arab, Anglo-Hispano, Arab and Andalucian crosses ranging from about 15 to 16hh and selected for their good nature and endurance. Many have been bred by Alfonso and all have been well schooled by him, with several competing in dressage, TREC endurance and eventing competitions. Typically they are spirited but sensitive, responsive but calm and well mannered. They are also energetic, fit and a real delight to ride. Tack is good quality English style, with leather general-purpose saddles, seat savers and saddle-bags provided. Back up is excellent and a support vehicle is on hand throughout the trip, meeting the group for aperitifs, meals and at night. Pace The pace of the ride is moderate overall with good opportunities for energetic trots and canters on the many wide sandy tracks. Riding Experience These rides are aimed at reasonably experienced riders and to participate you should be a reasonably competent rider who is comfortable, well balanced, secure in the saddle and able to control a well-schooled horse in open country at all paces. Although you don't need to be an expert rider, you must be used to riding in open country, at a varied pace (including long energetic canters) and with a group of horses. You also need a reasonable level of riding fitness to cope with fairly long riding hours on consecutive days. Terrain The area you ride through is typically quite flat - mostly floodplain and you will see no mountains but woods of pine, oak and holm oak, cut by sand tracks. Close to La Corbera, where the horses are based, there is farmland, almond and orange orchards, vineyards, olive groves and grassy pasture. Then as you reach the Donana Reserve, there are patches of marsh and open water-meadow. On the last day you ride through sand dunes and on a several km long, usually deserted, beach at Mazagon. Overall the going underfoot is excellent for horses and the route followed is predominantly on soft sand tracks through pine forest, with some stretches of dehesas (oak land and pasture) on privately owned estates. In places you will ride on tar or gravel roads. Accommodation Accommodation is at comfortable Andalusian Cortijos and hotels. Cortijo de La Corbera, Alfonso s home, where the first two nights are spent, has 7 twin / double guest rooms, each with en-suite bathroom and separate entrance porch, in a building in the gardens of the finca. They are furnished and decorated in typical Andalucian style, with wood or wrought iron furniture and fittings, geranium covered brick patios and terracotta tiled floors. cont. over
[3] Accommodation cont. Cortijo Ardea Purpurea ( Purple Heron ) where one night is spent (3* standard) is within the boundaries of the Doñana Nature Reserve and built in the traditional country style with white washed walls, thatched roofs and exposed wood beams. There are about 14 guest rooms here all with separate entrance / terrace (some in individual bungalows), set in large grounds, with swimming pool and views of the lagoon. On 7 night rides you usually stay for two nights at Casa Rural El Lince in the center of the village of El Rocio, and the last two nights are spent at the 4* Parador of Mazagon set amongst pine forest of the Donana National Park with views out to the sea and Mazagon beach. Accommodation throughout is well chosen and rooms on all nights are double or twin bedded with private en-suite bathroom (shower and loo). Single rooms can usually be arranged on request at an additional charge although where the number of rooms is limited, singles are on a first come/ first served basis. All hotels have WiFi but speed varies. Meals Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day on the ride is included (dinner Day 1 to breakfast Day 5 / Day 8) as well as a mid-morning aperitif. Breakfast is at your hotel and is generally simple in Spanish style - bread, cake or croissant, perhaps yoghurt, fruit and tea or coffee. Light tapas and a selection of drinks including the delicious fino - "manzanilla - are served mid-morning at an 'aperitif' stop and lunch is a substantial picnic, eaten at a long table set up in the countryside. It might be a delicious gazpacho soup followed by a paella, freshly cooked on the spot, or dishes prepared by a local restaurant, served with a selection of salads, bread and cheeses. Dinner is three courses usually eaten at your hotel. Menus are carefully selected to allow you to sample regional specialities. Meal times are generally a little later than in England - breakfast is usually around 8.30am, aperitif at 12.30-1.00pm, lunch at around 2 to 2.30pm and dinner served at about 9pm. Vegetarians and those with other particular diets can be catered for with advance notice - please tell us of any special diet requests when you book. A selection of soft drinks, beer, good local wines and tea and coffee are all included with lunch and dinner. Weather The climate in this part of Spain is nearly tropical and winter months are best for riding with gentle temperatures that range, on average, from a daytime maximum of 18 to 22ºC and a minimum at night of around 8 to 10ºC. In February, March and November the average number of days with rain is about 5 a month. What to bring We will send you a list of things to bring when your booking is confirmed.
[4] Example Itinerary The daily routine is generally to set off at about 10am riding for a couple of hours before stopping for a rest and aperitif to keep you going until lunch. You then ride on for about 2 hours before lunch. After lunch and a siesta until about 4pm, you will ride until early evening, stopping at about 6 or 7 pm or sometimes a little later. An example of the 7 night Trails of Andalucia itinerary planned is set out below but please note that this is only an example and your guide may change the day-by-day route if the weather or other local conditions require. Please contact us for the 4 night Taste of Seville itinerary. Day 1 Met at Seville central Santa Justa train station, usually at around 16.30 to 17.00, and driven 20 to 30 minutes to La Corbera, 17 kms south of Sevilla near Utrera, a beautiful cortijo where the horses are based. Time to settle in and meet the horses, perhaps time for a short ride, then a welcome drink, dinner and the night at La Corbera (D) Day 2 Breakfast and try the horses in the sand school before heading out on an introductory ride to get used to them and for a first view of the area. Ride across farmland and through almond plantations and pinewoods, stopping for an aperitif mid-morning in the shade of a beautiful oak tree. Then continue, perhaps riding past the beautiful Hacienda La Indiana, before stopping for a picnic lunch in the pine woods. After lunch and a siesta, ride back to La Corbera by a different route. Dinner and night La Corbera (B,L,D) Day 3 A short transfer to the 16th C Hacienda Torrequemada where the ride proper starts. After visiting the hacienda, a traditional stopping point for pilgrims following the Camino de Triana to El Rocio, set out riding through olive groves and farmland before reaching a pine forest where there is a rest for an aperitif. Mount up again to head on along the Camino de Triana, breaking the journey for lunch at the Dehesa de Torneros. In the afternoon cross the river Quema, where pilgrims heading towards El Rocío are traditionally baptised! Continue riding to Villamanrique de la Condesa and to your hotel for the night, cortijo Ardea Purpurea which is within the boundaries of the Doñana National Park and has been named, because of its great location for birding, after the Purple Heron. Dinner and night Ardea Purpurea (B,L,D) Day 4 After breakfast set off again following sandy tracks through pine woods and the Dehesa de Boyal, a forest of holm and cork oak. Follow the Camino de Pilas through farmland, stopping along the way for an aperitif in the pine woods. Then join the Raya Reall, an impressive wide sand avenue surrounded by forests of pine, cork oak and eucalyptus, where many tracks join and hundreds of mounted pilgrims congregate for the final part of their journey on the pilgrimage to El Rocio. A picnic lunch close to the Palacio del Rey, a royal hunting lodge built for Alfonso XIII. In the afternoon reach El Rocío, Spain s International village of the horse, with its imposing church, Ermita de la Virgen del Rocío built to honour the Virgin Mary. El Rocio is a unique village; all the houses have a courtyard and stables behind, many have traditional wooden hitching rails to the front and all the streets are sand. At the time of the pilgrimage the village hosts a million people and thousands of horses. The night at the comfortable Casa Rural El Lince, a traditional house now converted to a hotel, in the centre of El Rocío. Dinner at a local restaurant and the night at Casa Rural El Lince. (B,L,D)
[5] Day 5 Today a half-day ride around El Rocío and time to visit the church Ermita de la Virgen del Rocio. Aperitif near the River Ajolí and lunch at a restaurant in the village centre. The afternoon is to relax, enjoy a siesta and to explore on foot before dinner. Second night Casa Rural El Lince. (B,L,D) Day 6 A full day ride today following the Camino de Moguer alongside the stream of La Rocina, also known as La Madre, which runs for about 40km and is the water-source for the marisma - the marshlands which are the heart of Doñana. Along the banks one can often see many different species of bird and perhaps also deer and the wild black pigs of the Donana, as well as a variety of plants. Mid-morning aperitif today is in the countryside surrounded by pine trees where the Hermandades de Huelva (pilgrims from Huelva) rest when making their pilgrimage to El Rocío. Ride to the lagoon of Rivatehilos through a forest of native mastic trees and shrubs stopping for lunch near the lagoon. Then, in the afternoon, head to the abandoned village of Cabezudos, where the horses spend the night. Transfer by vehicle a short way to the comfortable 4* Parador of Mazagón in a lovely secluded position on the coast, looking out over Mazagon beach and the Atlantic beyond. Dinner and night here. (B,L,D) Day 7 Breakfast before meeting up with the horses and mounting up to ride into the most western part of Doñana, a little known area that combines seasonal lagoons and pine forests with a variety of wild shrubs - rockrose, mastic, rosemary, thyme and some spectacular wild flowers in early spring. Aperitif by the Laguna de la Piedras, then, leaving the forest behind, ride to the dunes, which in this part of the Doñana are fossilized. Picnic lunch at the top of the dunes and first views of the Atlantic Ocean as you ride through the dunes down towards the beach. Riding along the coast for more than 7 kms, the ride usually ends with some wonderfully exhilarating canters on the beach and then a farewell dinner and final night at the Parador of Mazagón. (B,L,D) Day 8 After breakfast, you will be transferred about 1 ½ hours (approx. 120 kms) back to Seville airport or train station for your onward journey. (B)
[6] Dates & Rates 2019 Please note that due to constantly fluctuating exchange rates, ride rates are quoted in Euros. The sterling price will be the equivalent sterling rate using the euro/sterling exchange rate in force when you book/pay. 2019 Dates Trails of Andalucia (7 nights) 3rd to 10th March 31st March to 7th April 3rd to 10th November 17th to 24th March 20th to 27th October 17th to 24th November Price - 2950 Euros per person sharing Single supplement - 250 Euros per person (payable in Spain) A Taste of Andalucia (4 nights) On request for groups of 6 to 12 riders. Prices TBC Rate INCLUDES 7 (or 4) nights twin / double accommodation (single room if paying supplement), all riding, guiding (including English speaking guide) and equipment, meals (dinner Day 1 to breakfast Day 8 / Day 5) and aperitif each day, wine, beer and soft drinks with meals, support vehicle and back up throughout and transfers to and from Seville on the first and last days with the group at set times. Rate EXCLUDES International flights / travel to Seville and taxes, transfers from / to Seville airport / train station on the first / last day at times other than scheduled, any visa fees, additional drinks (at bars, hotels or outside mealtimes), personal medical / travel insurance (which you must have with cover to ride), any gratuities you wish to leave and personal items such as shopping, telephone calls etc. On some rides a day trip to the Royal School of Equestrian Art in Jerez can be offered as a group extra at an additional charge (usually 200 Euros per person including transfers, preference tickets, a private visit to the stables, aperitif and lunch at the Tio Pepe bodegas). This visit is on a group basis (all or none) so is usually for private rides only. The ride rate is based on a minimum of 6 ride participants; if there are less the ride will still go ahead but the itinerary may be varied. If less than 4 riders there may be a supplement for transfers. Single supplements - The rate assumes twin bedded rooms in hotels and the single supplement is payable if you are travelling alone or wish to book a single room. If you are travelling alone and are prepared to share with another (same sex) guest on the ride to save paying the supplement, we can sometimes arrange this - let us know and we will see if we can find someone to share with you - if there is no sharer, the supplement will be charged. Rides can be run exclusively for private groups. To block set dates for 7 night itineraries a group of at least 10 riders is required but other dates, in addition to the above, can also sometimes be arranged for private groups on request. For the above rates to apply, a group of 6 to 12 riders is usually required, but rides can be run for smaller groups at a supplement. Please call for details.
[7] Transfers and Flight times The ride meeting point is Seville s Santa Justa train station, usually at about 16.00 on day 1. It takes approximately 15 minutes to travel by taxi from Seville International Airport to the Santa Justa train station so you should plan to arrive in good time for this (NOTE if you are staying in Seville before the ride, you will need to make your way to the train station for the meeting - vehicles cannot (and time does not allow them to) access all streets in Seville). Please note when organising flights there is ONE set transfer for the group on the first / last day of the ride. The pick-up time in Seville is organised as far as possible to suit the group and is normally mid to late afternoon on the first day. The return transfer is in the morning on the last day, usually arriving back in Seville at about mid-day. If you cannot get to Seville in time for the pick up, or need to get back to Seville earlier than the drop off time on the last day, you will probably have to pay extra for a private transfer / taxi (we can help arrange this). You can fly to Seville from London via Madrid (or other major Spanish cities) and can also take the high speed AVE train from Madrid to Seville (approx. 2 hours). British Airways and Easy Jet have direct flights from London Gatwick to Seville but not every day; Ryanair have direct flights from London Stansted but only on certain days. Fares to Seville vary but expect to pay from around 150 to 250 per person economy return. If you would like help booking flights or a fare quote please contact us - we can book British Airways scheduled flights for you. Our ATOL number for flight bookings is 6213. You may like to plan an extra night or two in Seville which is highly recommended and means you can be more flexible with flight arrival / departure times etc. We can suggest / help book accommodation if required. General visa and health information (NB brief outline only - further information will be sent if you make a confirmed booking.) Visas Holders of a full British passport do not need a visa for visits to Spain whatever the length of stay, although for visits of over 90 days residence permits are required. Please check up to date requirements with the Spanish consulate before travel. Health No vaccinations are needed by EEC residents to enter Spain (according to the Spanish and World Health Organisations). If you have a particular condition requiring special medical treatment, in case of emergencies you should carry a letter from your own doctor translated into Spanish describing your condition and the medicine / treatment required. DRAFT 24/11/2018