“Enjoy the best of Italy on horseback”
8 Day Monte Capraro Horse Riding Trails in Molise, Italy
Altaviahorses, Coll' Arso, Carovilli, Province of Isernia, Molise, Italy
Amazing Horse Riding Tour Italy
Altavia Horses invites you to this amazing horse riding tour in Monte Capraro, Italy. The atmosphere will be informal and cozy so you will feel at home instantly.
Key information
- Rider Weight Limit: 90 kilograms / 198 pounds
- Tack Type: Western tack
Meet the instructors
Carmine
Read more
Read more
Highlights
- 5.5 days of horse riding
- Approximate daily riding time: 5 - 6 hours
- Experienced English and German-speaking guides and staff
- 7 nights accommodation
- Isernia train station pick-up and drop-off
- Daily meals
Skill level
- Intermediate
Styles
7 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian
Group size: 5-8 participants
Accommodation
You will be staying for three nights at the Altavia farmhouse, three nights at a hotel, and one night at an agriturismo.
Altavia
The house, dating from 1885, is situated at almost 3,000 feet above sea level. It is the only inhabited farmhouse in this little nature conservation area. The nearest neighbors live in Carovilli, a little village four miles away. The front of the house faces a large oak forest whereas the rear offers a splendid view of the mountains and a valley. The house is not very big but quite comfortable.
It was completely renovated in 2003. The living room has a nice fireplace, a piano, and a modest library. There are three guest rooms (two double and one accommodating six) and two bathrooms with all modern conveniences. Meals are served on the terrace or in the kitchen diner.
Program
On the back of the amazing and intelligent horse, you will immerse yourself in the riding experience through scenic valleys and beautiful forests and enjoy delicious meals in comfortable accommodations. This is the right place to relax away from your busy life and enjoy the "dolce vita".
Daily itinerary
Day 1 - Saturday: Arrival
You are expected to arrive on Saturday evening at the farmhouse. After a welcome drink, there will be dinner with your hosts or guides. A three-course Italian dinner will be served every night, accompanied by local wines.
Day 2 - Sunday: Briefing and test ride
The morning will be yours. You may sleep in, take your time over breakfast, and do whatever you like. Before lunch, there will be a safety briefing. Then, you will groom and saddle up the horses, followed by a short demonstration of western riding. After lunch, you will do a test ride (three hours) to enable you to get acquainted with the horse you are going to ride on the trek.
Day 3 - Monday: Capracotta
At about 10:00 a.m., you will leave the house. Today's destination will be Capracotta. This little village (965 inhabitants) is situated at 5,200 feet, which makes it one of the highest municipalities in Italy. Curiously, the name literally means “cooked goat”. Before lunch, you will ride through endless fields. After two and a half hours, it will be time for a delicious picnic. After this, you will make a lengthy canter through a long valley. In the end, Capracotta dooms up but it will take about two hours of riding to get there. You will be staying in a hotel and dinner will be at a restaurant.
Day 4 - Tuesday: Il Monte Campo
Today, you will make a day ride and climb “Il Monte Campo”. The highest point is at 5,235 feet. From there, you will get a gorgeous view of “Alto Molise” and the Abruzzo. You follow small paths along the slope from the mountain until you reach the picnic place. After this, you will follow cross-country skiing slopes which lead through a wood of silver firs.
The picnic will be at the Rio Verde (green river). A little later, you will arrive at Prato Gentile, which literally means “kind meadow”. In the afternoon, you will descend to Capracotta and ride through an open landscape with many meadows. The night will be spent at the same hotel but dinner will be at a different restaurant.
Day 5 - Wednesday: San Pietro Avellana
After a few canters, you will follow a gravel road that gradually goes upwards. The horses will enjoy their breathing space while riders enjoy the view of four different mountain ranges, namely the Colle dell Orso, the Matese, the Mainarde, and the National Park of Abruzzo. After the picnic, the trail will lead you in the direction of the little village of San Pietro Avellana. You spend the night in a bed and breakfast in the town. Outside the village, you leave the horses in a field where you have to make a paddock with electric wire.
Day 6 - Thursday: Littorio’s Agriturismo
After a short ride, you will pass Montedimezzo which used to belong to the royal family of the Bourbons. The hunting lodge nowadays is a museum. The forest is protected by UNESCO. Worldwide, this organization protects 256 forests. Four of them are located in Italy, two of which are in Molise.
You pass this forest and later, you reach a tratturo (Celano-Foggia) which you follow for a while. Mario is a friend of your guide. You will stop at his place for the picnic. After this, it will take two hours at the most before you arrive at Littorio’s agriturismo. Up till quite recently, he used to keep horses so the paddocks next to his house will be for you to use.
Day 7 - Friday: Tratturo
After breakfast, you will follow part of the Tratturo Castel di Sangro-Lucera. A tratturo is a 2,000-year-old track that is still used to move cattle from the far south where the grass is scarce in summer. Around midday, you will reach Pescolanciano. There, you will stop for lunch, which will be served at a little restaurant.
In the afternoon, you will climb the hills that border the forest of Collemelucio. This is the other forest protected by UNESCO. The project is called "Man and Biosphere (MAB)". The last few miles on horseback will take you over open heathland and dense oak woods. About 5:00 p.m., you will be back at the farmhouse, unsaddle the horses for the last time, and enjoy the farewell dinner.
Day 8 - Saturday: Departure
You will depart after breakfast.
The horses
The horses have been selected for their character, looks, and intelligence. They were all born in the mountains so they are very reliable in this mountainous area. All year long, they live in a herd which makes them a close group. Besides, most of them are related in some way or the other. The horses are willing and easy-going. The tack is western. On Sunday morning, you get a safety briefing, followed by a short demonstration in western riding. After lunch, it is time for a three-hour ride so that all riders get acquainted with their horses and the terrain.
Other information
Due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, the program may have to be adapted. The minimum age is 16 (12 if accompanied by an adult). For the treks, you need to be in good shape and in control of all the gaits. There are two weight limits, 90 kilograms and a BMI (body mass index) of 28.50. In case your personal data are inaccurate, Altavia Horses has the right to adjust the program or exclude your participation without reimbursing your payment.
Instructors
Carmine Di Perna
1 Certificate
Show
Carmine is a native of Molise. In his early years, he ran his own highly successful bar / restaurant in Isernia. Besides being an excellent cook, he became a horseman at heart. Carmine organizes four different treks plus a home-based ride at Altavia Horses. He speaks English and Italian and he is a certified guide of FISE (Federazione Italiana Sport Equestre).
Location
The tour will take place in Isernia, Molise, Italy. Molise is situated southeast of the Lazio region (Rome) in the north of Campania (Naples). Nature is still so unspoiled that UNESCO protects two primeval forests. Wildflowers abound, some species of which are very rare or even becoming extinct. The landscape is sloping to mountainous and varied. Vast fields alternate with large forests of beech and oak.
Food
You will have meals on a full board basis with wine, beer, and soft drinks at lunches and dinners, starting with dinner on the first day up to breakfast on the day of departure included in the price.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Soda
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- Horse riding
- 7 nights accommodation
- All meals
- Wine, beer, and soft drinks at lunches and dinners
- English and German speaking guide(s) and staff
- Transfers from and to Isernia railway station
- Luggage transport by car during the treks
What's not included
- Airfare
- Airport transfers
- Supplement fee for single rooms at the hotels or agriturismos (30 EUR per night to be paid in cash)
- Mutual funds (for drinks or snacks other than at meals, like at bars and happy hour - 35 to 45 EUR)
How to get there
Recommended Airports
FCO
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
172 km
Transfer not provided
Driving directions from Rome
- Follow the motorway (A1) in the direction of Naples as far as the exit S. Vittore.
- Drive towards Isernia.
- Past Isernia and drive onto the SS 650 (keep to the right) direction of San Salvo.
- Take the exit to Pescolanciano / Capracotta, having driven through three tunnels.
- Follow SS 651 and drive past Pescolanciano (on your left).
- Drive past both exits for Carovilli.
- After the second exit, the road bends to the right.
- Slow down after this bend. There is a road sign indicating a crossroads.
- You turn off the road to the right onto a B-road just after the sign. There is a yellow sign saying “C.da Castiglione - ColleArso”.
- Follow this narrow forest road for about 1 mile and there is Carmine and Astrid’s house at your right.
Driving directions from Naples
- Follow the motorway (A1) in the direction of Rome as far as the exit Caianello.
- Drive towards Isernia (SS 85).
- Past Isernia and drive onto the SS 650 (keep to the right) direction of San Salvo.
- Take the exit to Pescolanciano / Capracotta, having driven through three tunnels.
- Follow SS 651 and drive past Pescolanciano (on your left).
- Drive past both exits for Carovilli.
- After the second exit, the road bends to the right.
- Slow down after this bend. There is a road sign indicating a crossroads.
- You turn off the road to the right onto a B-road just after the sign. There is a yellow sign saying “C.da Castiglione - ColleArso”.
- Follow this narrow forest road for about 1 mile and there is Carmine and Astrid’s house at your right.
Driving directions along the Adriatic coast
- Follow the motorway (A4), Bologna, to Bari as far as the exit of Montenero di Bisaccia / Vasto Sud.
- Drive towards Isernia.
- Take the exit Pescolanciano, which is immediately after a short tunnel.
- Drive past Pescolanciano and Carovilli.
- After the second exit, the road bends to the right.
- Slow down after this bend. There is a road sign indicating a crossroads.
- You turn off the road to the right onto a B-road just after the sign. There is a yellow sign saying “C.da Castiglione - ColleArso”.
- Follow this narrow forest road for about 1 mile and there is Carmine and Astrid’s house at your right.
Arrival by bus
There are busses to the Central Station. You can buy a ticket with the driver. A one-way ticket costs approximately 3 EUR. The journey lasts about half an hour. A one-way train ticket to Isernia costs approximately 6 EUR. The train's destination is Campobasso. Please note that in Italy, train tickets are only valid when stamped in one of the machines which you find on the platforms.
Arrival by train
The transfer from and to the railway station in Isernia is included in the price. On the day of arrival, the transfer is at 7:45 p.m. and on departure day is at 08:50 a.m.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 16.94% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 21 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. All major credit cards supported.
44351
Similar Horse Riding Holidays you might like
Why choose BookHorseRidingHolidays.com
Largest Selection
Friendly Customer Service
Offers for every budget
Best Price