7 Day Four Valleys Progressive Horse Riding Trail in Castile and León, Spain

Overview

In this ride, you will enjoy the most beautiful Gredos landscape from its highest paths crossing pine forest, valleys, and gorges with very green and wild meadows bathed by the clean, clear, and cold waters from the snow where you can appreciate the aptitude for adaptation to different terrains of Jerebeque Trails' PRE horses and pure Hispano-Arab. They are the masterpiece of nature with noble and good character and surprisingly resistant in a mountainous terrain. This will be a mountainous riding with magnificent views of the Gredos Mountains. Emilio knows the terrain and the route very well and will show you interesting facts along the way.

The pace of the riding will be moderated with walks, trots, and canters. Usually, when the terrain allows for a safe canter, you will canter. However, in the mountains, there are many areas where the terrain does not allow for trotting or cantering, so you will enjoy walking with breathtaking views around instead. In this four valleys' ride, the riding majority will be at a walk which will be very relaxing with a trot and canter on the first day, then at least one canter or more on every other day. This holiday will take seven days, six nights, and five days of riding from Sunday to Saturday. The length of the ride is around 150 kilometers. Every ride is personally guided by the experienced Emilio.

Level of riding and age limit

This horse riding holiday is for intermediate to experienced riders which mean that you should be comfortable to walk, trot, and canter in a group as well as in open spaces and your seat should be independent of your hands. On the rides, you will be riding for between four to seven hours a day so it is important to be as riding fit as possible. Please note that the weight limit for the rides is 90 kilograms / 198 pounds. There is no an upper age limit as long as you are riding fit and healthy. Therefore, please keep in mind that you will have long hours on the saddle for four to seven hours a day. The minimum riding age is 10 years old but they must be competent riders accompanied by an adult.

Horses and tack

You will ride on excellent PRE horses or Hispano-Arabs that are born at home, very much loved, very well-trained, beautifully looked after, good-natured, and very easy to ride. They are all well fed and in great riding shape. Moreover, Jerebeque Trails uses the finest quality English saddles and tack with silicon seat saver and small saddlebags in front of the saddles. All the tack is in excellent conditions, very comfortable for horses and riders. The horse tack quality is outstanding.

Itinerary

Day 1: Madrid - Navarredonda de Gredos

You will meet Jerebeque Trails at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) at 15:00. Then, you will be transferred to Navarredonda de Gredos which is a two-hour drive with a break in Ávila town for a short visit. Ávila town is an amazing walled medieval town of World Heritage Site by UNESCO. You will enjoy your welcome dinner at the hotel with Jerebeque Trails in Navarredonda de Gredos, a mountain village at 1,600 meters altitude with beautiful views of the highest peaks in Sierra de Gredos.

Day 2: Navarredonda de Gredos - Cuevas del Valle (Tietar River valley)

You will get the distribution of the horses at the stables. Today, you will cross the mountains through Puerto del Arenal following the very old path which was used like a commercial way from north to south of the Gredos Mountains. You will see the amazing views of the Tietar River valley from the top of the mountains. Later, you will spend the night in a very nice rural inn El Rinconcito de Gredos in Cuevas del Valle.

• Time on the saddle: 6 hours

Day 3: Cuevas del Valle - Puerto del Pico - San Martín del Pimpollar (Alberche River valley)

You will ride through the Roman Road (second century BC) to join the Cañada Real which is very important medieval paths drovers for Merino sheep transhumance. Then, you will get to Puerto del Pico with its magnificent views of the Tietar River valley. After a tapas-break, you will continue riding along the Alberche River valley. Later, you will enjoy a beautiful lunch beside the river before you get to San Martín del Pimpollar on the Alberche River valley. You will spend the night at Casa Rural Las Cuatro Calles.

• Time on the saddle: 5 hours

Day 4: San Martín del Pimpollar - San Martín de la Vega (Corneja River valley)

Following the Alberche River valley, you will ride through the wild nature in the north side of the mountains. This location has a beautiful landscape, especially in spring when the broom is in bloom. Later, you will enjoy lunch in the countryside with magnificent views to the highest peaks of Sierra de Gredos. You will stop for dinner and spend the night at a rural inn in San Martín de la Vega.

• Time on the saddle: 6.5 hours

Day 5: San Martín de la Vega - Navacepeda de Tormes (Tormes River valley)

Today, you will still be in the mountains with pine trees, broom, and stone walls. It is the region of the summer pastures of Avilan cows. You will get very close to the source of the Alberche River. Later, you will have lunch beside a lagoon followed by an afternoon riding to Navacepeda through open landscapes with the most beautiful views of Gredos Mountains. You will enjoy your dinner at a restaurant and then spend the night at a hotel in Navacepeda de Tormes' Capra Hispanica.

• Time on the saddle: 6 hours

Day 6: Navacepeda de Tormes - Navarredonda de Gredos (Tormes River valley)

Today will be an easy and beautiful day as you will be riding following the Tormes River valley and have lunch at a fisherman's hut beside the Tormes River - a wonderful spot for swimming. After that, you will have a short afternoon ride and a few fast good canters to finish the ride. You will spend the night and enjoy dinner at a hotel in Navarredonda de Gredos.

• Time on the saddle: 5 hours

Day 7: Navarredonda de Gredos - Madrid

After breakfast at the hotel, you will depart at 10:00 to arrive at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) at 12:00.

Note: This itinerary may vary due to weather or other circumstances.

Non-riders

The ride is suitable for non-riding companions. They can travel in the support car and join in meals, dinners, and others activities, or if they wish can rent a car in Madrid too. They can also move on their own and join the group for dinner.

You will enjoy a short visit to the amazing walled medieval Ávila town on the first day.

You will be riding in the Gredos Mountains area in Spain. Gredos Mountains belong to the central range with 120 kilometers long from east to west and 30 kilometers wide with big differences in north and south sides. In Gredos Mountains, you will ride through four different river valleys including Tietar, Tormes, Alberche, Corneja, supplied by innumerable gorges full of crystalline water from the melted snow.

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During this holiday, you will be served all meals from the welcome dinner on the first day to the breakfast on the last day. You will also enjoy white and red wines with lunch and dinner. The food is one of the highlights of this trip. Mamen will delight you with the tapas-breaks waiting for you in an unexpected place with Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, olives, nuts, etc. The lunchtime will be relaxing and you will have a social affair with delicious homecooked Spanish dishes such as Paella, Tortilla Española, barbecue, salads, etc. followed by a siesta in the peaceful countryside.

After the day's riding, your dinner in the evening will be at around 9 p.m. and you will have a choice of different dishes and courses of local Spanish recipes. Dinner will be at your guesthouse accommodation. All the drinks provided during the meals including excellent Spanish red and white wines, beer, canned drinks, and water. Furthermore, special diet (vegetarian, gluten-free, allergies, etc.) can be arranged with advance notice.

• 5 days' horse riding
• 6 nights' accommodation
• A visit to Ávila town
• Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
• English-speaking guide
• Luggage transport
• Riding on PRE and Hispano-Arab horses
• Use of excellent tack
• White and red wine with lunch and dinner

• Alcoholic drinks other than wine with lunch and dinner
• International flights
• Items of a personal nature and gratuities
• Massages

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• 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 28 days before arrival.