“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
This is a four-day trail with two extra days of evolution around the riding center on the first day and mainly on the beach, the last Saturday. You will join extraordinary fast and long-distance rides at the Atlantic coast and experience the fascinating landscape on supervised outdoor rides on forward going horses enjoying their freedom in harmony with the riders. Join Centre Équestre le Marina for this amazing trip to France!
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
- 5 full horse riding days
- Approximate daily riding time: 5 hours
- Amazing wild landscape and beautiful surroundings
- Professional riding instructors
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- 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$52 per person)
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (US$52 per person)
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
18:30
Check-out Time:
10:00
Guest House with Chambres d’Hôtes, swimming pool, and bed-and-breakfast
During this holiday, you will stay in a single, double, twin, or a shared room in a three-star level guest house with a huge private pool, bed, and breakfast. The equestrian center and guesthouse of high standing offer the view on the arena and some field with horses. The equestrian center is situated 150 meters (two minutes by foot) and the beach is at 10 minutes by car.
It is composed of three guesthouses with six Chambre d’hôtes for single, double, twin, and shared bedroom for three and four people, one family bedroom for four to six people with two bathrooms, one small kitchen, and one private terrace, as well as a guesthouse for families with three bedrooms, one bathroom, a huge kitchen, and living room situated 10 meters from the Equestrian Center
Hotel
In case there are not enough rooms for all guests, the accommodation will be in a hotel on the seafront of Mimizan-plage.
Manor House - Wednesday evening
Here, you will have dinner, as well as bed-and-breakfast and stay in 6 Chambres d'Hôtes for single, double, or twin accommodation.
Bivouac (July-August)
For five weeks in July and August, depending on climatic conditions, spend one night in a bivouac (May 5 - July 12, July 12 - 19, July 26 - August 02, August 9 - 16, August 16 - 23). The bivouac is organized in very nice surroundings, beside a wonderful river with very clear water where it is possible to swim. It is a wild campsite in the middle of nature, with the horses staying at the opposite side of the river.
Spend the evening around a campfire, eating barbecue accompanied by local-made Sangria. The riding center provides tents with comfortable mattresses, sheets to cover mattresses, and pillows. There is a shelter with tables and chairs for dinner and breakfast. If the weather is not good or if some riders prefer to stay at the guesthouse, Centre Équestre le Marina may cancel the campsite night and bring the riders back to the Equestrian Guesthouse.
The participation of the riders are welcome for the settlement. Centre Équestre le Marina recommends guests to bring their own sleeping bag. Centre Équestre le Marina provides sheets and blankets if some riders are missing them. All along the way of the trip, people can swim in the lake or rivers during lunchtime. Do not forget to keep swimming clothes with you on the way!
Program
Day 1 - Sunday: Arrival day
- Transfer by minibus organized by the equestrian center for guests.
- 16:00 Pick up time at Bordeaux airport
- 17:00 Pick up time at Bordeaux railway station
- 19:00 Arrival to Mimizan for all riders coming with or without the transfer.
- 20:30 Departure for the dinner at the restaurant
- 21:00 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
- 10:00 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 Departure for the dinner
- 21:00 Dinner at the restaurant
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 Lunchtime 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 Departure for the dinner
- 21:00 Dinner at the restaurant
Day 4 - Wednesday: St. Julien - Mezos - Levignacq - Lesperon (35 kilometers / 5 hours on a horse)
The landscape and nature are changing every day, offering all the various views of “The Landes”, wild nature and wonderful ground for galloping. During the next two days, you'll spend as much time walking than with trotting, cantering, or galloping. Visit of the most beautiful village of Landes “Lévignacq".
An afternoon adventure trip in the wild along a clear and fresh river. Arrive at “Moulin de Caremonge”, a wonderful and unexpected place where you’ll leave the horses in their field beside a lake for the night. Have a relaxing evening time in the garden or beside the swimming pool; have dinner and overnight at a Manor House.
- 08:00 Breakfast, time to prepare small luggage for the next night in the Manor House.
- 09:00 Transfer to the horses' field of the night
- 10:00 Departure on a horse
- 13:30 Lunch at Lévignacq and resting time
- 16:00 Departure on a horse
- 18:30 Short transfer by minibus (5 minutes) to the Manor of Tireveste
- 20:30 Dinner
Day 5 - Thursday: Lesperon - Uza - Bias (30 kilometers / 4.5 hours on a horse)
Wild nature and wonderful ground for galloping. Visit a bird reserve crossing and Uza village belonging to Mr. le Comte de Lur Saluces, owner of the famous Château Ychem Sauternes Vignard. Have lunchtime at Uza Lake in a typical restaurant with Landes specialty. 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 (5 minutes)
- 10:00 Departure on horse
- 13:30 Lunch Time at Uza 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 Departure for the dinner
- 21:00 Dinner at the restaurant
Day 6 - Friday: Bias - Lespecier - Ocean (19 kilometers / 4 hours on a horse)
Half day rest and half-day ride in the morning or in the evening depending on the low tide. Enjoy a natural forest crossing and access to the beach, spend two 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 guesthouse. 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
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
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.
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 - 1.5 hours
- Morcenx, 20 miles - 30 minutes
Food
All meals are included from Sunday evening to Sunday morning, except on Monday for lunch, to give you the opportunity to visit Mimizan beach and find some nice restaurants according to your preference or to have lunch on the beach. Lunch and dinner are a planned menu for everybody.
Dinners are organized at the guesthouse, according to the program of the day where Centre Équestre le Marina will provide local specialties or in different restaurants, where guests will have the possibility to taste food from different countries (seafood, Spanish cuisine, Moroccan food, etc.). ¼-liter wine or soda and coffee are provided in all restaurants during the week and on the way. Other drinks are considered extra and have to be paid directly to the restaurant.
Centre Équestre le Marina offers special meals for vegetarians or vegans. The lunch provided on the way is a real meal served with tables and chairs and 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
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soda
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- 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
- 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
How to get there
Recommended Airports
BOD
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport
82 km
Transfer available for additional US$52 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 35 EUR per trip and 20 EUR for 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$52 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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