“Explore the beauty of Spain along the route”
9 Day Transhumance Horse Riding Tour in Spain
Trujillo, Province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain
Spain Horse Riding Tour
With Jerebeque Trails Horse Riding, you will have the opportunity to become the guardians of the ancestral tradition of their culture. The transhumance is a time travel on horseback from Extremadura to Gredos Mountains in spring (North Transhumance ride) and from Gredos to Extremadura in autumn (South Transhumance ride).
Key information
- Rider Weight Limit: 198 pounds / 90 kilograms
- Tack Type: English tack
- Horse Breed: Andalusian, Hispano-Árabe
Meet the instructors
Emilio Rodriguez
Read more
Read more
Highlights
- 7 days of horse riding
- Ride through Cañada Real, valleys, villages, and towns
- Approximate daily riding time: 4 - 7 hours
- Program for intermediate and advanced riders
- 8 nights accommodation
- Daily meals
- Airport transfers
Skill level
- Intermediate
Styles
7 days with instruction
Group size: 4-10 participants
Airport transfer included:
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport
Accommodation
Facilities
- Free Wi-Fi
The accommodation and your attention in every aspect of the rides are all to an excellent standard. The accommodation along the way in the Transhumance ride varies from charming rural inns in villages to delightful four-star hotels in Trujillo town. All rooms have private bathrooms. All of them are very clean and comfortable. There is Wi-Fi in every place you stay and is for free. There are towels, shampoo, and liquid soap in each room and in some places, they have hairdryers.
The accommodation has been carefully chosen by Jerebeque Trails Horse Riding, due to the quality and also because of the place for horses, they will normally 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, so it is not necessary to carry anything on the horse.
Program
Daily itinerary
Day 1: Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD) - Trujillo
Meet at Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD) at 3:00 p.m. and transfer to Trujillo, two and a half hours drive. Time to visit the spectacular town of Trujillo before welcome dinner at the hotel with Jerebeque Trails Horse Riding where you learn about the Transhumance on the map.
Day 2: Trujillo - Jaraicejo
Transfer from the hotel in Trujillo to the horses base (five minutes), distribution of horses. Riding through the “Cañada Real”, Lunch in the countryside with excellent paella cooked by us at the spot. In the afternoon, beautiful riding crossing the Almonte River with its impressive medieval bridge to Jaraicejo. Night and dinner in a very nice rural inn.
- Time on the saddle: 5 hours
Day 3: Jaraicejo - Casas de Miravete
Departure after breakfast, you ride in the morning in the open countryside through Dehesas and beautiful landscapes. Good trots and canters in the morning. Lunch in the countryside. In the afternoon, a short ride to Casas de Miravete, a small village in a spectacular enclave in the Monfrague National Park. Dinner at a local bar with good local food and overnight at a rural inn.
- Time on the saddle: 6 hours
Day 4: Casas de Miravete - Navalmoral de la Mata
Riding in the morning along the “Cañada Real”, with impressive views of Sierra the Gredos in front of you. Crossing the Albalat Bridge (16th century) over the Tagus River, one of the important public works built during the reign of His Catholic Majesty Charles I of Spain and V of Germany with a great shield in relief of Emperor Charles with the double eagle. Picnic by the Tagus River reservoir water. Riding in the afternoon to Navalmoral de la Mata. Dinner and night at a small hotel.
- Time on the saddle: 7 hours
Day 5: Navalmoral de la Mata - Las Ventas de San Julian
Departure after breakfast, you follow the Cañada Real in a flatter area with good trots and canters. Here, the Cañada has an unusual width of 200 meters. Horses spend the night at Las Ventas de San Julian, transfer for dinner and night at amazing “Parador de Oropesa”, a medieval castle restored and converted into a luxury and magical four-star hotel (dinner “a la carte”, drinks not included).
- Time on the saddle: 6 hours
Day 6: Las Ventas de San Julian - Navalcán
Departure after breakfast, you continue following the Cañada Real, here the landscape changes, and you ride along the reservoir water close to Navalcan with beautiful views of the Gredos Mountains. Dinner and night at the lovely rural inn in Navalcán.
- Time on the saddle: 6 hours
Day 7: Navalcán - Mombeltrán
This day is a beautiful day from Navalcán to Mombeltrán. You change the Cañada to take another Cañada to go to the Gredos Mountains. Beautiful views, Toledo province is left and you cross to Avila province in Castilla y Leon. Dinner and night at the hotel in Mombeltrán.
Day 8: Mombeltrán - Navarredonda de Gredos
After breakfast, you start to climb the Roman Road with more than two thousand years old and very well preserved. It was used for the Roman armies and the transport of metals crossing the Sierra de Gredos through the abrupt mountain pass Puerto del Pico. Later on, it worked as a cattle drive in medieval times, and despite the passage of centuries, is still in good condition. You ride on the Roman road up the mountains with amazing views, crossing the picturesque mountain village. Cuevas del Valle.
When you get the Puerto del Pico, at the end of the Roman road, the landscape changes very much, a beautiful mountainous landscape. Lunch at a local restaurant at Puerto del Pico, after lunch, ride in a very different landscape, green mountain pastures with stone walls, and the highest peaks of Gredos in front of you to finish the amazing horse riding trip.
Day 9: Navarredonda de Gredos - Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD)
Breakfast at the hotel and depart from Navarredonda de Gredos at 10:00 a.m., to be at Madrid Airport about 12:30 p.m. so, please fly not before 2:00 p.m. All riders will be transferred at the same time, if any rider needs to arrive in Madrid before, they can arrange a special transfer at extra cost.
Overview
Progressive ride in seven days of riding, following the Cañadas Reales, medieval cattle droves, north direction to Sierra de Gredos, crossing different regions and riding a long distance from the winter pastures in Extremadura to the summer pastures in Gredos Mountains. Spain is crossed by old cattle-drove routes that served the pastoral economies of yesteryear. In Spain, these trails are called “Cañadas Reales”, 75 meters wide and around 800 kilometers long.
They are still used by cattlemen who practice transhumance, spending summer in the mountains with their cattle and returning each autumn to the winter pastures, lowlands, and far away. These old trails are more than merely routes for sending livestock to market. These routes are the toll motorways of yesteryear, the infrastructure that sustained transhumance.
This is a real experience traveling on horseback, you follow the “Cañada Real” 75 meters wide with a thousand years old, pure nature, for 200 kilometers from Trujillo to Navarredonda de Gredos or vice versa, crossing three different regions in Spain (Extremadura, Castilla la Mancha y Castilla y León), riding in Cáceres province, Toledo province, and Ávila province. Exclusive for genuine riders.
This is a real transhumance, crossing different regions and riding a long distance very different from transterminancia (sheepherding) movement from the valley to the highest place in the mountains in the same region. Emilio knows very well the Cañadas Reales, keeping his family tradition that for ages, practiced the transhumance with the cattle, so he will show you interesting facts along the way. The pace of this ride is moderated, walking, trots, and long canters along the Cañadas Reales. The distance covered on the average is 25 to 35 kilometers per day. The length of the ride is around 200 kilometers.
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.
Instructors
Emilio Rodriguez Morales
1 Certificate
Show
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
The horse riding tour will take place in Spain.
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:
- Water
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
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)
- Massage treatments
What's included
- Daily rides
- Excursions described in the itinerary
- 8 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
MAD
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport
227 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.
Airport: Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport
Airport transfer included: Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
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.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. All major credit cards supported.
94620
Similar Horse Riding Holidays you might like
Why choose BookHorseRidingHolidays.com
Largest Selection
Friendly Customer Service
Offers for every budget
Best Price