“Enjoy an intense horse riding experience”
8 Day Atlantic Coast Trail Horseback Riding Holiday in Mimizan, Landes
Gite Equestre de Baleste, 55 route de Baleste, Mimizan, Côte d'Argent, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
France Horse Riding Holiday
Have you ever dreamed of a paradise on earth? A blend of cool flavorsome breezes from the Atlantic Ocean, endless sunny sandy beaches, lush forests composed of maritime pines, pearly lakes, cliffs, dunes, immaculate gastronomy based on seafood but not only, wine to satisfy the most demanding taste? Centre Équestre le Marina has a pick for you! This is “les Landes”, the land where the living is easy. This is an 8 day/7night trek with 6 days on horseback, 3 of which with galloping along the beach. Take advantage of the end of the day to experience moments of well-being and relaxation: yoga, massage, and sauna are at your disposal.
Key information
- Rider weight limit: 209 pounds / 95 kilograms
- Tack type: English Tack
- Horse breed: Anglo-Arabian, Thoroughbred, Standard Trotters
Meet the instructors
Michel
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Highlights
- 2 half-day horse rides
- 4 full horse riding days
- Approximate daily riding time: 5 hours
- Amazing wild landscape and beautiful surroundings
- Daily breakfast and dinner, lunch provide on the way
- Guidance by professional riding instructors
- 7 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Styles
6 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: French, German, Russian, Spanish
Group size: 4-12 participants
Airport transfer available:
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (US$ 55 per person)
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (US$ 55 per person)
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
18:30
Check-out Time:
10:00
Equestrian center’s guest house with “Chambres d’Hôtes***”, swimming pool and sauna
Situated at 2 minutes by foot from the equestrian center and 8 minutes by car from the beach, the guest house offers:
- 1 guest house with 4 “Chambre d’hôtes “ in front of the swimming pool offering single, double, twin, family suite with 2 bedrooms
- 1 wooden cottage dormitory with 2 bathrooms for 6 people beside the swimming pool
- 1 annexe with 3 “ Chambres d’hôtes for 1 to 4 people + 1 sauna + 1 massage room
- Each single bedroom has one private bathroom.
- 1 independent house situated at the equestrian center with 3 bedrooms for 1 to 5 people, 1 bathroom, a huge kitchen + living room, a private terrace, and a closed garden
Program
Day 1 - Sunday: Arrival day
- Transfer by minibus organized by the equestrian center for guests.
- 16:00 Pick up time at Bordeaux airport
- 19:00 Arrival to Mimizan for all riders coming with or without the transfer.
- 20:30 Dinner
Day 2 - Monday: Mimizan - Bias (20 kilometers / 3 hours on a horse)
Briefing about the week and the horse ride, visit of Mimizan Beach for shopping, free lunch in the city, meeting with the horses, and the first day ride on departure for the six-day trail without coming back to the base with the horses.
- 09:00 Breakfast
- 09:30 Meeting with all riders after the breakfast and briefing time with the guide about the week's program.
- 10:30 The clients are dropped to Mimizan Beach to visit and walk through the village and on the beach for some shopping before the trail and take the lunch in the restaurant of their choice (not included in the price).
- 13:30 Pick up time in front of the tourism office and way back to the guesthouse.
- 14:00 Meeting at the stable for a briefing about the horses, the equipment, and the itinerary.
- 16:00 The ride starts in the arena for 30 minutes, this enables the riders to get used to their horses and discover the French way to ride them. It also gives the opportunity to control different levels and expectations of each rider, putting them on the horses that suit them best over the six following days. Then it’s time to discover carefully the different paces, walking and trotting, one by one with hacking out. Centre Équestre le Marina is not riding nose to tail during that week, giving the opportunity for each rider to keep control of his own horse at different paces. This way of hacking out offers every rider to avoid the dust made by the riders in front, to choose the speed of the pace each rider wants to have, from slow to a quick trot and from canter to quick gallop! Centre Équestre le Marina's horses used to be independent of the others and may stay walking when other horses are starting to trot or galloping in front of them! They stay under the control of the riders and not under the group of horses. It avoids having horses trotting all the time if some walk slow when some are walking quickly! Centre Équestre le Marina's short surroundings are very beautiful and the very wild landscape offers, from the top of natural dunes, some nice views above the ocean.
- 19:00 Transfer back to the guesthouse and its swimming pool by minibus (8 minutes)
- 19:30 Relaxing time
- 20:30 Dinner at the guest house
Day 3 - Tuesday: Bias - Contis - St. Julien (30 kilometers / 5 hours on a horse)
Five hours to discover an original forest, coast landscape with high sandy dune (up to 150 meters over the sea level), and first beach ride either in the morning or in the evening, according to the tide of the ocean.
- 08:00 Breakfast
- 09:00 Transfer to the horse’s field of the night
- 10:00 Start of the trail ride
- 13:30 Lunch time and resting time
- 16:00 Start of the ride
- 19:00 Transfer back to the guesthouse and its swimming pool by minibus (8 minutes)
- 19:30 Relaxing time
- 20:30 Dinner at the guest house
Day 4 - Wednesday: St. Julien - Mezos - Levignacq - Lesperon (35 kilometers / 5 hours on a horse)
The landscape and the nature are changing every day, offering all the various views of “The Landes”. Wild nature and wonderful ground for galloping. During the 2 next days, you'll spend as much time with walking than with trotting, cantering or galloping. Visit of the most beautiful village of Landes “Lévignac“ and its church with magnificent paintings worthy of Michelangelo Buonarroti. Afternoon adventure trip in the wild along a clear and fresh river. Arrival at “Moulin de Caremonge”, wonderful and unexpected place, where we’ll leave the horses in their field beside a lake for the night.
- 08:00 Breakfast
- 09:00 Transfer to the horses' field of the night
- 10:00 Departure on a horse
- 13:30 Lunch at Lévignacq and resting time
- 15:30 Departure on a horse
- 18:30Transfer by minibus to the Guest house (25 min)
- 20:30 Dinner
Day 5 - Thursday: Lesperon - Mezos - Bias (30 kilometers / 4.5 hours on a horse)
Wild nature and wonderful ground for galloping. Discovery of traditional Landes architecture from the 18th century. Various landscapes and ride along the river in the original forest during the afternoon. Dinner at the Equestrian Guest House.
- 08:00 Breakfast
- 09:00 Departure to Caremonge, the horses’ field of the night (25 minutes)
- 10:00 Departure on horse
- 13:30 Lunch Time at Mezo and resting time
- 16:00 Departure on a horse for a 2 more hours ride
- 19:00 Transfer back by minibus (10 minutes) to the equestrian guest house and its swimming pool
- 19:30 Relaxing time at the guesthouse
- 20:30 Dinner at the guest house
Day 6 - Friday: Bias - Lespecier - Ocean (19 kilometers / half day ride - 4 hours on a horse)
Half-day rest and half-day ride in the morning or in the evening depending on the low tide. National littoral Forest crossing and access to the beach - 2 hours on the beach. This half-day trail gives riders the opportunity to enjoy the Atlantic Ocean and have some more exciting gallops along the beach. The other half-day gives riders time to relax beside the swimming pool at the Guest House.
If the weather is fine, from June to the end of September, riders have the opportunity to play and swim in the ocean with or without their horses.
- 08:00 or 10:00 Breakfast
- 20:00 or 21:00 Dinner at the guest house
Day 7 - Saturday: Mimizan Village - Aureilhan Lake - Mimizan Beach (30 kilometers / 5 hours on a horse)
Full day ride, ride in the forest and along Aureilhan Lake (a protected area). Ride along the river to Mimizan Beach, forest and beach ride with the sunset. According to the tide schedules, this program can be reversed.
- 08:00 Breakfast.
- 09:00 Departure to the horses' place
- 10:00 Departure on horse
- 13:00 Lunch along the river
- 15:30 Departure on horse
- 19:00 Arrival at the guesthouse
- 20:30 Dinner at the guest house
Day 8 - Sunday: Departure after breakfast
A transfer is organized for guests from Mimizan to Bordeaux airport or Bordeaux railway station. Departure from the guest house will be according to the flight or train schedule of the first client.
Route and times are indicative and subject to change depending on the general level of the group, weather conditions, and tide times!
Trail
This is a sporting trail for experimented to advanced riders in good physical condition! This trail requires good and fit riders, confident at all paces and able to ride several hours over varied and sometimes challenging terrain. For security reasons and for everyone's comfort, Centre Équestre le Marina asks riders to be confident enough to walk or trot independently through the forest, to canter or gallop alone on the sandy ways in the forest, in order to avoid the dust made by front riders. On the beach, riders must be able to gallop alone or by groups of two or three riders and to leave and come back to the group under good control.
Riding pace
Moderate with lots of fast sections.
Instructors
Michel Girard Mille
With 30 years of experience in teaching horse riding in harmony between horse and rider, Michel provides a huge experience of instructing the quality of the communication between horse and rider in dressage and show jumping. Showing up with successful own competing until the age of 45, he followed up with giving classes to his students who provided various placements at the national level (French championships). In love with his horses and nature, he is a guide who established itineraries with exceptional views and picknick spots in the region of Aquitaine, Perigord, Basque Mountains.
Location
Distances
- Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (BOD), 70 miles - 2 hours
- Morcenx, 20 miles - 30 minutes
Food
All meals included from Sunday evening to Sunday morning, except on Monday for lunch to give clients the opportunity to visit Mimizan-beach and to find some nice restaurants according to their or to have lunch on the beach). Lunch and dinner is a planned menu for everybody. Centre Équestre le Marina offers special meals for vegetarians, gluten-free, but not vegan.
Dinners are organized at the guest house according to the program of the day where you will be provided with local specialties. ¼ wine or soda, coffee are provided for all meals during the week. Other drinks are considered extra drinks and have to be paid for directly.
The lunch provided on the way is a real meal, served with tables and chairs: French aperitif and appetizer, Bordeaux red wine, soup or salad according to the weather, chicken or meat and veggies, French cheese, dessert and coffee or tea.
A car follows the group for lunch and carries the luggage of the riders to the Manor house on Wednesday evening or for the bivouac.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soda
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Gluten Free
- 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
Things to do (optional)
Yoga, sauna, and massage
- Optional and payable on site
- Yoga and massage are available from April 11 to October 30
- A la carte during the day with participation fees
- To organize yoga sessions, please inform in advance if you have any interest
- Yoga - individual courses (1 hour): 55 EUR
- Yoga - collective courses (1 hour): 20 EUR
- Traditional sauna is available (20 minutes per session) - 20 EUR
- Relaxation massage (20 minutes: 25 EUR, 30 minutes: 30 EUR, 45 minutes: 45 EUR)
What's included
- 5 days with full horse riding activity (2 days passing by the beach)
- 1 day with half-day horse riding activity
- 7 nights accommodation
- All taxes
- Full board on all whole-day rides
- Half a day of test riding in order to find the best horse for the rider
What's not included
- Airfare
- Airport transfers
- Lunches on Monday
- Non-rider rate in a double room
- Federal license (37 EUR)
- Individual accident insurance (35 EUR)
How to get there
Recommended Airports
BOD
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport
82 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 55 per person
Arrival by airplane or by train
Please book your flight to arrive at Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (BOD). Transfers are organized from and to Bordeaux airport and railway station every Sunday for 2 to 12 riders. The Bordeaux-Morcenx train is always empty; if you are traveling alone, please wait at the last minute to buy this train ticket at the railway station, to give Centre Équestre le Marina time to find the opportunity to pick you up at Bordeaux, if it’s possible.
As people are arriving from various destinations in Europe, Centre Équestre le Marina picks up starting from 4 p.m., and the minibus leaves Bordeaux according to the timing of the last customer’s arrival. Centre Équestre le Marina drops people on Sunday morning, departure day, according to the departure time of the first client.
Centre Équestre le Marina kindly asks you to try to plan the arrival time in Bordeaux at 4 p.m. or before, as much as possible and to plan the flight departure time from Bordeaux from 12:30 p.m. and later. There are two hours of driving between Mimizan and Bordeaux, departure at Mimizan at 8:30 a.m. means arrival at the airport at 11:30 a.m. for a flight at 1 p.m. if check-in is 1.5 hours before.
The cost of the transfer is 45 EUR each way per person and 90 EUR for the roundtrip. It also includes all transfers during the trail week according to the program. Two minibusses are provided for transfers of more than eight persons for the same price.
Arrival from Morcenx Railway Station
A transfer can be organized from Morcenx railway station for one person at 20 EUR for one to two or more persons per trip. For night transfers from 9 p.m. the price is doubled.
- Arrival from Bordeaux Airport, 70 miles - 2 hours
- From Morcenx, 20 miles - 30 minutes
- Special pickup time: Bordeaux on Sunday at 4 p.m.
- Special dropping time: Bordeaux on Sunday at 11 a.m. or before
Arrival by shuttle
There is a shuttle from Bordeaux airport to the railway station: 15 EUR (45 minutes). Then, you have to find a train to Labouheyre: 21 EUR (50 minutes) then take the RDTL Bus from Labouheyre to Mimizan from 11:30 to 12:20 all year: 5 EUR (40 minutes).
Airport: Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport
Airport transfer available:
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (US$ 55 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% 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.
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