7 Day Stunning Castles of Gredos Mountains Horse Riding Tour in Spain
Exhilarating Horse Riding Tour Spain
Join this progressive ride where you will enjoy five days of riding to the west direction following the Tormes River valley with Jerebeque Trails who has more than 20 years' experience doing this ride - making it a perfect ride.
Key information
- Rider Weight Limit: 90 kilograms / 198 pounds
- Tack Type: English tack
- Horse Breed: Purebred Andalusian horse (PRE) and Anglo-Arabian horses
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- 5 days of exciting horse riding
- Approximate daily riding time: 4 - 7 hours
- Ride through villages, valleys, rivers, and mountains
- 1 fascinating excursion to Ávila town
- 6 nights accommodation
- Daily meals
- Airport transfers
Skill level
- Intermediate
Styles
Accommodation
In this tour, the accommodation and your attention in every aspect of the rides are all to an excellent standard. The accommodation along the way varies from charming rural inns in villages to delightful four-star hotels in towns. All rooms have private bathrooms and every one of them is very clean and comfortable. There is Wi-Fi in every place you stay and it is available for free. In addition, there are towels, shampoo, and liquid soap in each room, and in some places, they have hair dryers. On the first and last night of this holiday, you will stay overnight at El Milano Real, a very nice boutique hotel.
Very comfortable rooms, great views of the Gredos Mountains, very good food, and spa (not included). On the second night, you will stay at a local hotel in Navacepeda de Tormes, and on the third night, you will stay at a four-star hotel in El Barco de Avila. The fourth night will be spent at a rural inn, La Trocha de Hoyorredondo. Meanwhile, on the fifth night, you will stay at a charming hotel in Navacepedilla de Corneja.
Your accommodation has been carefully chosen by Jerebeque Trails. Due to the quality and also for the place for horses, they will rest in a field next to the hotel where you spend the nights. A support van follows the group during the whole week, meeting you in the morning for tapas breaks, lunches, and dinners, and also to move your luggage, so you have access to your luggage during the day at least three times or when necessary. The service along the rides is outstanding.
Program
Daily itinerary
Day 1: Madrid - Navarredonda de Gredos
You will meet Jerebeque Trails at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) at 3:00 p.m. at a coffee shop named Mahoudrid. 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 and 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 - Navacepeda de Tormes
You will get the distribution of the horses at the stables. Today will be a short and comfortable day as it will be the time for you to meet the horses and ride through the Tormes Valley, the pine forest, and the open fields with great views of the Gredos Mountains. Lunch will be held at a fisherman's hut with an excellent paella cooked at the spot beside the Tormes River where it is possible to swim in the summer. You will enjoy a short afternoon ride to Navacepeda de Tormes, then overnight and have dinner at a local hotel.
- Time on the saddle: 4 hours
Day 3: Navacepeda de Tormes - Barco de Ávila
Today will be the longest day but you will see the most beautiful views of the Gredos Mountains. You will ride down the valley by riding through small and remote medieval villages. Lunch will be at Aliseda de Tormes which is beside the Tormes River and its medieval bridge. In the afternoon, you will ride down the open valley with a different landscape around. You will enjoy good trots and canters to El Barco de Ávila. Then, you will cross the Tormes River by the Roman bridge in El Barco de Ávila, a 12th-century village with a castle from that time. You will overnight and have dinner at a four-star hotel.
- Time on the saddle: 6.5 hours
Day 4: El Barco de Ávila - Hoyorredondo
You will ride to Salamanca Province which is a beautiful flat and dry area with incredible granite formations. It is a very rural region that has fields with stone walls where you can see farmers riding donkeys. The landscape today will change again. You will be riding through holm oaks woods and pastures and you will cross Puente del Congosto which is another medieval village with a 15th-century bridge and castle.
After that, you will have a picnic near the river which is also a very beautiful spot for swimming in the summer. Lunch will be held by the river. In the afternoon, you will enjoy funny riding with good canters to Hoyorredondo. You will overnight and have dinner at a very beautiful rural inn, La Trocha de Hoyorredondo, where it is possible to see the horses resting from your bedroom's window - truly a magical place.
- Time on the saddle: 6 hours
Day 5: Hoyorredondo - Navacepedilla de Corneja
You will enjoy good trots and canters in the morning by the flat and open Corneja River valley to Bonilla de la Sierra, a very important medieval town with a beautiful church. Lunch will be held in a private garden with a swimming pool and you will taste a barbecue with Ávilan beef steak. In the afternoon, you will start climbing back to the mountains, and then you will overnight and have dinner at a charming hotel in Navacepedilla de Corneja.
- Time on the saddle: 6 hours
Day 6: Navacepedilla de Corneja - Navarredonda de Gredos
Today, you will have a magnificent mountain ride through three different valleys. In the morning, you will ride up the mountain to the highest place of the ride, Puerto de Chía (1,800 meters), with a magnificent view of the Corneja River valley in the back and the Alberche River valley in the front. Lunch will be at San Martin de la Vega with views of the Gredos Mountains. After lunch, you will cross the Alberche River and continue to Tormes River Valley to get to the stables. You will overnight and have a farewell dinner at the hotel in Navarredonda de Gredos.
Day 7: Navarredonda de Gredos - Madrid
After breakfast at the hotel, you will depart at 10:00 a.m. to arrive at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) at 12:00 p.m.
Note: This itinerary may vary due to weather or other circumstances.
Overview
In this horse riding tour, you will ride to different landscapes every day at a pace that will be moderated to suit the various terrains. Come hop onto your horseback and cross medieval villages full of history through the breathtaking landscapes of the Gredos Mountains in Spain. This ride is Jerebeque Trails' favorite because you will arrive on horseback at the town where Emilio was born. At Barco de Ávila in central Spain, Emilio knows every stone of the path and will never get tired of doing this ride.
Emilio has nice childhood memories of riding with his brother and the horses Cuco and Rifeño moving his grandfather’s cows. You cannot miss this progressive ride which has become the best ride for Jerebeque Trails after many years of riding through these paths in the Gredos Mountains. The terrain you will ride on will be different every day and the scenery will never get boring. You will get a perfect ride with amazing contrasts, spring colors, peaceful autumn, and different landscapes during the week which are amazing.
Moreover, 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 castles of Gredos Mountains ride, Jerebeque Trails offers the best ride dates that will allow you to admire Gredos at its best depending on the time of year such as the spring with the famous broom in bloom, summer with opportunities for swimming in lunch stops and the autumn with the colorful rides. The length of the ride is around 150 kilometers. Every ride is personally guided by the experienced Emilio.
Level of riding
Intermediate to experienced riders means that you should be comfortable walking, trotting, and cantering in groups and open spaces and your seat should be independent from your hands. On the rides, you will be riding for between four to seven hours a day so it is important to be as fit as possible.
Guide
Every ride is personally guided by the experienced Emilio, with an experience over 30 years as an equestrian guide, he is a terrific guide. Emilio is an expert rider and has a special ability to match his horses with riders. He is leading the groups with his confident and well-mannered horses that are a pleasure to ride, you will always feel very safe. He is an English speaker.
Horses
Excellent PRE horses, Hispano-Arabs, born at home, very much loved, very well trained, beautifully looked after and good-natured, very easy to ride. They are all well-fed and in great riding shape.
Tack
They use the finest quality English saddles and tack with silicon seat savers and small saddle bags in front of the saddles. All the tack is in excellent condition and very comfortable for horses and riders. The horse tack quality is outstanding.
Helmet
They recommend wearing a helmet, however, you can ride without a helmet but your insurance must clearly state that you are covered to do that. You will also be asked to sign a disclaimer.
Non-riders
The ride is suitable for non-riding companions; they can travel in the support car and join in meals, dinners, and other activities, or if they wish can rent a car in Madrid too. They can move on their own and join the group for dinner.
Age limit
There is not an upper age limit, as long as you are riding fit and healthy, keep in mind you are long hours on the saddle for four to seven hours a day. Minimum riding age is 10 years old, competent riders, accompanied by an adult.
Included excursions
You will enjoy a short visit to the amazing walled medieval Ávila town on the first day.
Instructors
Emilio Rodriguez Morales
Emilio was born in Sierra de Gredos, El Barco de Avila, the grandson of the most important Avilan cattleman in the region. Every ride is personally guided by the experienced Emilio with over 30 years of experience. As an equestrian guide, he is terrific. Emilio is an English-speaking expert rider and has a special ability to match his horses with riders. He leads the groups with his confident and well-mannered horses that are a pleasure to ride that you will always feel very safe.
Location
You will be riding to various locations in the Gredos Mountains area in Spain including Tormes River, Navacepeda de Tormes, Aliseda de Tormes, El Barco de Ávila, Province of Salamanca, Hoyorredondo, Corneja River Valley, Bonilla de la Sierra, Puerto de Chía, and San Martin de la Vega. Sierra de Gredos in the summertime provides very pleasant temperatures as the location is at 1,600 meters altitude, with opportunities for fantastic wild swimming at lunch stops in natural pools of crystalline water in different gorges and rivers every day.
Food
During this tour, you will be served all meals from the welcome dinner on the first day to the breakfast on the last day included in the price. 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 ride, your dinner in the evening will be at around 9:00 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 are provided during the meals including excellent Spanish red and white wines, beer, canned drinks, and water. Furthermore, the special diet (vegetarian, gluten-free, allergies, etc.) can be arranged with advance notice.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
- Massage treatments
What's included
- Daily rides
- Excursions described in the itinerary
- 6 nights accommodation
- All meals
- White and red wine, water, beer, and canned drinks with lunches and dinners
- All transfers from and to the meeting point
- Airport transfers
- Horses
- Tack
- English-speaking guide
- Luggage transport
What's not included
- International flights
- Alcoholic drinks other than wine with dinner
- Massages
- Items of a personal nature and gratuities
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport
133 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD). Transfer from and to the airport is included. Jerebeque Trails Horse Riding will pick you up from the airport. Emilio, Mamen, or both will personally do the transfer. The meeting time is at 3:00 p.m. so please book flights that arrive no later than 2:00 p.m. In case of delay, please telephone Jerebeque Trails. Transfer from Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) to Navarredonda is about two hours. The transfer back to the airport on the last day will be at 10:00 a.m. so you can arrive at the airport at about noon.
Therefore, please book flights that depart no earlier than 2:00 p.m. Furthermore, the transfer from and to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) is included for a group of four riders or more. If you are traveling with less than four people, an additional cost for the transfers is needed. For three riders, the transfer cost is 50 EUR per person from and to the airport while for two riders, the transfer price is 75 EUR per person from and to the airport. Please send an inquiry for more information.
Cancellation Policy
- 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.
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