Pyrenees Summer Trails Catalonia Spain This stationary ride is perfect for the intermediate-leveled rider looking for a quick getaway in the majestic Pyrenees Mountains of Spain. This trail encompasses the beauty of the Pyrenees by taking you to panoramic views in the alpine areas at almost 2000m of elevation, deep valleys and rocky reliefs, river and lakes, and rural villages. In the busy summertime in Europe, no trip is better to escape the tourist crowds than to join us in the mountains. Our guides are knowledgeable of the area and horses and are sure to show you a good time! You'll be staying in a cozy stone hotel and provided with delicious cuisine for every meal! A wonderful demonstration of nature and culture blending in amongst itself! Short Getaway Center-based ride Meeting: Setcases Airport: Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO) Transfer: Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO) or Barcelona–El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport (BCN) Riders: Min 2 riders Max 10 riders Trip Brochure (PDF) Trip Rating

Packages and Options

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Transfer from Barcelona or Girona airport at 6pm on Day 1. We strongly recommend planning a flight arrival NO later than 4:00pm. Drop of at Barcelona or Girona airport around noon on the last day. Please DO NOT book a return flight before 2:00pm.

Sample Itinerary - subject to changes

Day 1 (Monday): Arrival
A private transfer will pick you up from Barcelona or Girona airport. You will arrive to your accommodations on the Pyrenees in a typical and small Catalan village in the middle of the mountains with stone houses. You will learn about the special characteristics of our Andalusian trail horses. After, you will be given an introduction to the week’s program with an opportunity for one-to-one conversations designed to find every rider their perfect horse. Then, you can enjoy a fantastic dinner!
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight at manor house

Day 2 (Tuesday): From l’Abella to Pardines
This trail has different landscapes, from wide plains where we will find wild horses and cows to forests where we can do some gallops. We start from l’Abella at 1240m elevation through Bac de l’Abella, crossing Serra Cavallera. We will arrive to the end of la Vall de Camprodon and we continue up to Vall de Ribes in Coll del Pal where we can see Puigmal, la Molina, Colada de Tosses, and el Taga at 1950m elevation. We will go down to Pardines at 2:30pm- at this point we will lunch in a familiar restaurant with a traditional mountain meal. You can be ready for take a swim in the swimming pool! At 4:00pm we will come back across the forest way to Collada Verda and back to Vall de Camprodon. We will see the mountain lodge Pla de Salla where the farmers took care of theirs cows. We continue up to Roques Blanques where we can see Abella, la Roca, Llanars, and Camprodon. We finish our descent to the Hípica.
Riding: 6 hours (approx. 30 km)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at manor house

Day 3 (Wednesday): From l’Abella to Tregurá
On this trail we will see all Camprodon’s Valley. We are going to ride up la Solana d’Abella, crossing Roques Blancas. At this point we begin to ride across the trees and fields where we will reach the highest peak of the day 1950m elevation. If it is a sunny day at Pel de Ca, we can see the Montserrat Mountains. We will cross a big field on the road to Tregura to Pardines. We continue up to la Sierra de la Caña where we can see Queralbs, Vall de Núria, Ribes de Freser, Tregurà, Llanars, and Camprodón. At this point we can enjoy a panoramic view. We continue up to Tres Pics. In this point we can see Coma de Vaca, where the animals feed on summer. We will cross El Castell dels Moros (moor’s castle) where we can see Setcases village, and continue downhill to Tregurà where we are going stop for lunch in a restaurant. After lunch we are going to continue downhill to Vilallonga de Ter, and from this point we will continue up to l’Abella.
Riding: 6 hours  (approx. 30 km)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at manor house

Day 4 (Thursday): Around Serra Cavallera
This trail give us an spectacular views of Ripolles Mountains. We start in l’Abella and ride up across pastures between wild horses and cattle. We will cross Coll del Pal where we see several villages from the whole valley. We will come back in a rounded trail crossing up to Espinadell and arriving to the Hípica. We will arrive at 3:00pm at the Hípica where a barbecue is waiting for us.
Riding: 4 hours  (approx. 20 km)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at manor house

Day 5 (Friday): Departure
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Barcelona or Girona airports. We hope you will take home some great memories of the rides and the sceneries!
Meals included: Breakfast

                                                Girona area

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average High Temperature (°F)	57	59	63	67	73	81	87	87	80	72	63	58
Average Low Temperature (°F)	35	36	40	44	51	59	63	64	58	51	42	37
Average High Temperature (°C)	14	15	17	19	23	27	30	30	27	22	17	14
Average Low Temperature (°C)	2	2	5	7	11	15	17	18	15	11	6	3
Average Precipitation (days of rain)	4	4	5	6	7	5	3	4	5	5	4	3

Source: NOAA


Seasons
The overall climate of Catalonia is similar to Southern California. It enjoys a balmy, year-round climate; not too steamy in summer and with a few cold days in winter. July and August are the warmest months and December, January and February are the coldest months.

Attire on the ride daytime and evening, is strictly informal throughout, though if you are planning to visit other cities on your own later you may wish to bring dressier evening clothing.
Helmets are available to borrow but we highly recommend bringing your own if possible; there is no guarantee otherwise for your fit and comfort!

We recommend wearing jodhpurs, as these protect your legs from soreness of jean seams, and you will find a light-weight, cotton pair the most comfortable during the summer months. 
Your riding boots should have a sole with a safe tread and be comfortable for walking, as you are certain to lead your horse on some occasions.  Paddock boots and half-chaps are the most flexible combination for comfort and leg protection than tall riding boots.
A long-sleeved shirt is recommended for protection against the sun and against scratches when riding through undergrowth.
A light cotton scarf can help to avoid breathing in too much dust in dry areas.
Bring sunglasses, also to protect your eyes from dust.
We strongly recommend bringing a water-bottle which can be refilled en-route; these can be carried in the saddle-bags provided.
Good sun protection - gloves, sunscreen, and hat with a chin strap, sunglasses with straps!
A swimsuit, towel, shorts, and a windbreaker. 
A belt pack in which to carry your camera and other small valuables during the ride.
Bring your own toiletries.
Camera, memory cards, and chargers.
Don’t forget your Passport!

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Accommodations
This is a stationary ride, so all nights will be spent in the same location.

Description
A quaint hotel in the village of Setcases where you can enjoy nature in the middle of a quiet and familial atmosphere. Depending on your room, you will have views on the mountains, the Valley of Camprodon, the Valle del Ter, or Setcases village. All rooms have private bathrooms and a TV.

It is possible to ask for an accommodation upgrade for an extra fee (please inquire).

Room Occupancy
There is no single supplement if you are willing to share.



Meals
All meals are included from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on the last day.

The meals on this trip represent the great delights of the Catalan cuisine! Lunches will vary, sometimes you start early and return in time for lunch or you will picnic along the way. Catalonia produces an extraordinary variety of foodstuffs: wild mushrooms and game from the Pyrenees, the trinity of olives, grapes and wheat from the hilly heartland, all manner of fruits, vegetables and nuts from the irrigated lowlands, rice and fish from the river deltas and a great variety of fish and shellfish from Catalonia's 500 km of coastline. Enjoy a delicious pairing of wine with your meal.

Dietary Restrictions
We can cater to dietary restrictions with prior notice.

This trip includes some wine with dinner and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Tack:		English tack with saddlebags
Horses:		Spanish, Hispano-Arabians, Arabians, Anglo-Arabian, Quarter
Pace:		Trails with long gallops, canters, trots. 4-6 hours per day (20-30 km per day)
Level:		(3 to 4 out of 5)    Intermediate
Age:		Min 16
Weight:		Max 210 lbs / 95 kg
Riders:		Min 2 riders	Max 10 riders

Tack
The tack is English and trekking style and most horses are ridden in snaffles. Saddle bags are provided to carry items required during the day and for picnic lunches.

Horses
The horses used are well schooled Spanish, Hispano-Arabians, Arabians, Anglo-Arabian, and Quarter horses. They have all been carefully chosen and most are between 14.2hh (150cm) and 16hh (165cm) and are of a medium build. They are sure-footed, fit, forward going, responsive to ride and well adapted to the requirements of the sometimes rough terrain.
The horses are all trained using natural horsemanship techniques, which helps to create an enthusiastic, good natured horse that is keen to collaborate with its rider, and really enjoys its work.
A great deal of time has been spent selecting and training the horses for these trekking routes. Not too boisterous to be difficult for lower level riders, yet with enough spark to make an enjoyable ride to experienced riders. The horses live outside all the year round in a herd to helps to create a psychologically balanced animal well adapted to the necessities of trail riding and group riding. The herd of horses naturally adapts well to the rhythm of a trail ride, traveling up to 30km a day from place to place as a wild herd would do when looking for food and water.

Pace
There are many opportunities for long gallops, canters and trots. On average, we spend 4-6 hours in the saddle per day, covering 20-30 km daily (80 km total). We will be riding for 3 days.

Guides
The main guide will be Xavi, an experienced and talented rider, always accompanied by an English speaking back up guide.

Passports

Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart except:

(a) 1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.

Note: EU nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU Member State. This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card. Either is acceptable. Passports held by EU nationals need only be valid upon entry to and exit from Spain. Possession of a return ticket, any length of validity on their document, sufficient funds for the length of their proposed visit should not be imposed.

Passport Note

Spain is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement.



Visas

Not required by nationals of EU countries regardless of purpose and/or length of stay; 2. not required by nationals of other countries referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days.

Visa Note

Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements 

 

This information is not being updated on a regular basis. Hidden Trails does not take any responsibility for the accuracy of the above information. Please, consult the embassy or consulate for updated info.