5 Days Amazing Horse Riding Holiday Andalucia, Spain

Overview

Fantasia Adventure Holidays' five-day break is a perfect way to enjoy the superb off-road horse riding of the Costa de la Luz. During your weekend with them, you will experience the many delights that the horse riding offers and be able to enjoy the adventure of a typical Spanish town. This full board horse riding vacation is ideal for both single and group bookings, groups are kept small and create a great friendly atmosphere. You will meet like-minded people and have new friends by the end of the holiday. The rides will be led by Steve and Caroline.

Fantasia Adventure Holidays' aim is to provide a value for money horse riding vacation that is a dream come true. All your needs will be well taken care of so that you can enjoy a stress-free holiday. This short break will run from Wednesday to Sunday. Fantasia Adventure Holidays' farm is only a few minutes drive out of Barbate. On your arrival at the farm you are welcome to groom your own horse ready for riding, or if you prefer your horse will be prepared for riding for you. Each days riding is different with between four and four and a half hours each day spent in the saddle with a short break part way around. After returning to the farm, your lunch will be taken at a local "venta" nearby, returning back to Barbate between 16:00 and 16:30. The afternoon will then be free for you to spend on the beach, sightseeing, or shopping.

Superb riding location

The trails provide superb off-road horse riding through the Barbate nature reserve. With direct access to the reserve, you will have fantastic riding through unspoilt forests and unforgettable days on the beach. With long wide firebreaks and twisty forest tracks, the park could have been designed for horse riding. Each day, there will be plenty of opportunities for long collected canters and exhilarating gallops. In-between canters, the pace is leisurely, enabling you to take in the tranquillity of the forest. The topsoil of the forest is sand and the going is good whatever the weather.

Beaches - the ultimate riding fantasy

On beach days, your dreams will come true with the sea and sand extending for kilometers before you. On this short break one day ride will take in the beach where you will enjoy a riding experience never to be forgotten. At times, the beach ride will be fast and exhilarating and at other times, it will be mesmerizing and relaxing. The short break beach ride will take you to Cape Trafalgar, the site of the sea battle in 1805 where the total distance of the beaches is about 10 kilometers. Your time spent on the beach will be a mixture of meandering in the surf, gentle canters, and the occasional gallop.

Summer beach horse riding

Unlike most other horse riding holidays on the Iberian Peninsular, here, you will be able to ride on the beach for 12 months of the year. The law in Spain and Portugal prohibits taking horses on the beach at any time of the year. However, in practice, this law is only enforced when the beaches are heavily used. On the main Spanish coasts like the Costa del Sol, this law is enforced stringently. On the Costa de la Luz, the law is only enforced on busy beaches from the June 1 to September 30. You are lucky as the beaches here are where this law is not enforced.

The horses

Fantasia Adventure Holidays currently has 14 horses. Two are purebred Andalusian (PRE) geldings and the rest are all Andalusian or Arab crosses (12 Hispano Arab / Anglo Arab geldings and mares), ranging from 14.3 hands to 16.3 hands in size. All horses are grey or bay colored, originally trained Spanish Vaquera, and retrained to be ridden English style. The horses are well mannered, forward going, sure footed and responsive with a kind calm temperament. The horses are kept in the most natural way possible turned out together.

Partly covered by a pine wood, Fantasia Adventure Holidays' farm provides the horses with plenty of shelter from sun, wind, and rain. The horses are brought in each day, fed with hard feed, and checked over. Hay is given ad lib in the fields for them. With this system of horse care, the horses socialize with each other and are a happy family group. On riding days, the horses are turned out to the highest standard, fit, and happy to be ridden. Fantasia Adventure Holidays' standard of horse care is high with the health and welfare of the horses being paramount.

Choosing your horse

One of Fantasia Adventure Holidays' most important roles are choosing the correct horse for you and they have over 20 years' wealth of experience in matching horses to riders. A horse that will be chosen for you will suit your riding ability, experience, and physical size. Fantasia Adventure Holidays has a variety of horses which some suit the less confident rider and others for the more proficient rider.

Please note that Fantasia Adventure Holidays' vacations are aimed at riders who are comfortable riding a horse at all paces within the varied environments of forest and beach. Fantasia Adventure Holidays uses top quality English saddles and bridles. In addition, please also note that there is a weight limit of 13 stone, 83 kilograms, or 182 pounds.

Riding itinerary

Wednesday: Arrival

You will be collected at Málaga Airport (AGP) and be transferred to Barbate. You will have dinner in the evening when the weekend break will be discussed. -Thursday: Forest ride

Today's ride will lead you through the beautiful pine forest to the 17th century Mecca tower, overlooking Cape Trafalgar. The route will allow you to get to know your horse with the faster paces being introduced as your confidence grows.

Friday: Beach ride

Today, you will head to the scene of the famous sea battle where Lord Nelson lost his life at Cape Trafalgar. Then, you will follow the coast to El Palmar, spending most of the ride on the beach and enjoying canters as well as gallops.

Saturday: Forest ride

Today's route will take you to the cliffs overlooking Barbate. The ride has superb views of the surrounding mountains and North Africa. The ride will follow roller coasters of sand and allow plenty of opportunities to canter and gallop.

Sunday: Departure

You will be transferred to Málaga Airport (AGP) for your return flight.

Non-riders

Non-riders are welcome and with plenty to do, the area can be a good base for non-riding vacations as it has many sports available. Public transport is also available and information can be provided on places of interest. You can experience a superb range of activities, have time to sunbathe on the beach and join in socializing over dinner. You can also explore the area from mountain bikes, join a PADI scuba diving course, or Fantasia Adventure Holidays can also arrange a photography course for you. There are excellent golf courses locally and the area is famous for wind and kite surfing. If all you want is relaxation, you can spend the whole week on the beach.

This holiday is located on Spain's unspoilt Costa de la Luz in Andalucia. As well as being located next to the beach, the hotel is right by Barbate's town centre, ideal for souvenir hunting as the town has good shopping facilities. There is also a good bus and taxi service if you wish to explore the area after the days horse riding has finished. The Cádiz Costa de la Luz is one of the truly unspoiled areas in Europe and is an ideal location for a horse riding holiday with national parks and unspoiled beaches to ride on.

Your base for the weekend is the seaside town of Barbate, perfect for a horse riding vacation. The town's beach is a beautiful expanse of golden sand and runs for almost two kilometers from the River Barbate to the Marina. Barbate has a lovely town square with the town hall and church on either side.

As well as superb horse riding and a fantastic beach, Barbate also has a lovely promenade. With ice-cream parlours, bars and restaurants, the promenade is ideal for relaxing after horse riding. Barbate has a great town centre with shopping, a lovely town square, and a superb fish and fruit market too. On top of that, you will ride at the centre of a large, pine-forested nature reserve called La Breña y Marismas de Barbate Natural Park.

The natural park of Barbate consists of spectacular cliffs, beautiful woods of umbrella pines, and the marshes of the river Barbate. The park offers stunning views towards the African coastline and also towards Cape Trafalgar and its beaches. It is home to teeming colonies of herring gulls and egrets, along with a stunning variety of wildflowers, herbs, and palms. The park forms what is considered one of the most diverse and best-preserved parts of the Andalusian coast. Fantasia Adventure Holidays' local knowledge is second to none. With over 20 years of organizing horse riding holidays in the area, Fantasia Adventure Holidays will be able to lead you to really spectacular places.

Nearby places

• The sea, 50 meters

The vacations would not be complete without good food and drink. During this retreat, you will be provided four breakfasts, three lunches with soft drinks, and four dinners. The buffet breakfasts will be served in the hotel's cafeteria and the relaxed lunches will be served after the ride in traditional tapas bars, while the dinners will be taken at a variety of quality restaurants within Barbate. All meals are typical "Andaluz" with superb meat and fish dishes being served. Moreover, vegetarians can also be catered for your stay.

• Golfing
• Mountain biking
• Partake in scuba diving courses
• Partake in photography courses
• Road biking
• Shopping at Barbate
• Trip to Jerez de la Frontera
• Wind and kitesurfing

• 1 beach horse ride
• 2 forest horse rides
• Horse, tack, and groom service
• Spanish-speaking English guide
• Transfers from and to Málaga Airport (AGP)
• 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches with soft drinks, and 4 dinners
• 4 nights' accommodation

• Flights
• Travel insurance
• Airport transfers outside of the normal collection time at Málaga Airport (AGP)
• Lunches on arrival and departure days
• Lunches for non-riders
• Drinks with evening meals
• Food and drink not organized by Fantasia Adventure Holidays

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 42 days before arrival.