Extremadura to Guadalupe

Introduction
Central Spain Spain
This ride starts in Trujillo and finishes in Guadalupe, a world heritage site by UNESCO famous for its impressive Monastery of Guadalupe (14th century). Guadalupe, located in the region of the Villuercas (Geopark by UNESCO), is a historic town of cobbled streets, traditional houses and monuments of great value.

The ride also allows you to visit other mountain towns belonging to the Villuercas region, such as Berzocana, Cañamero and Logrosan. The program also lets you discover Trujillo, another very historic town with a mix of cultures, featuring Roman remains, a spectacular Castle founded in the 10th century by Arabs and the main square built by Spanish Conquistadors during the 16th-century.

The landscape during the ride is spectacular and features a mix of holm and cork oaks woods, pastures (called Dehesa, the most emblematic landscape in Extremadura) and the impressive mountains of Villuercas Geopark.
Nature lovers will also be happy to spot storks, eagles and swallows circling the nests on the roof of the churches and palaces in the Plaza Mayor of Trujillo.

Accomodation


Accommodations
This is a progressive ride, so nights are spent in different locations.

Description
Accommodations are in small hotels and rural inns with private bathroom (toiletries almost always included). All accommodations provide free Wi-Fi access.

Accommodation Itinerary - subject to changes based on availability
Night 1: Hotel in Trujillo
Night 2: Hotel in Madroñera
Night 3: Guesthouse in Zorita
Night 4: Hotel in Logrosán
Night 5: Hotel in Cañamero
Night 6: Monastery of Guadalupe

Hotel in Trujillo
The hotel is housed in an elegant  19th century manor house. It offers 27 bedrooms that all come furnished with air conditioning, private facilities (with hair dryer and toiletries) and a TV. Facilities include a beautiful garden with terrace and free Wi-Fi access. There is a laundry service available for guests.


Hotel in Madroñera
This small hotel dates back to the 19th century and was built with local stones. It offers 23 air-conditioned rooms (some with beamed ceilings) with private bathroom, a TV and free Wi-Fi access. There is a small garden with a terrace for guests’ relaxation.


Guesthouse in Zorita
This guesthouse has a lovely façade and offers simple accommodations in the heart of Zorita village. The rooms all feature ensuite facilities, a TV and air-conditioning.  Visitors can also make use of the lounge area to relax or chat with each other.

Hotel in Logrosán
This rural complex offers accommodations in small stone-built huts called chozos. The 6 chozos mix perfectly the charm of the countryside with modernity and all come equipped with a small kitchen, free Wi-Fi access, a TV, air conditioning and a fireplace. There is also a small garden.

Hotel in Cañamero
This historic Inn is surrounded by nature and offers accommodation in four country houses, each featuring 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room and a small kitchen. The houses are air-conditioned and have free Wi-Fi access. The décor reminds guests of the surrounding countryside.


Monastery of Guadalupe
This impressive monastery welcomes guests in beautifully decorated guestrooms. The rooms all have air conditioning, a satellite TV, internet access and a private bathroom. The interior features a gothic décor and guests are welcome to explore the different rooms.


Room Occupancy
If we are unable to find another rider to share the room with you, the single supplement fee applies.



Meals
All meals are included on this trip.

The food is a highlight of this trip! Mamen will delight you with the tapas-breaks waiting for you with Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, olives, nuts, etc.

Lunches are taken on the trail; in the countryside (we bring tables and chairs) and always include a starter (salad, gazpacho, vegetables, etc), a main course (paella, iberian pork, fish, etc), fresh fruit, coffee and local wines. Lunchtime features delicious home cooked Spanish dishes such as Paella, Tortilla Española, Iberian pork bbq, salads, and soft cheese very typical from Extremadura “Torta del Casar”. Lunch is often followed by a siesta in the countryside.
 
After the day riding, your dinner in the evening is around 9 pm and you can choose from different dishes and courses of local Spanish recipes. Your dinner is usually taken at the accommodation and include a choice between 3-5 starters (mix salad, soup, vegetables, pasta, etc), 3-5 main course (grilled beef, pork, stews, fish, omelet, etc), a dessert (flan, rice pudding, fruit, cake, etc), local wine, bread and coffee or tea.

The following drinks are included in the package: red and white wines, beer, refreshments, coffee or tea during the meals and aperitifs. Water bottle is provided every morning.

Dietary Restrictions
Special diets (vegetarian, gluten free, allergies, etc.) can be arranged with advance notice.

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

Riding


Riding Schedule
On a normal day, we start riding at 10am, after a well-deserved rest and a good breakfast. Participants are encouraged in helping with the preparation of the horses. Usually, we need to catch the horses from the fields where they have spent the night, feed them, brush them and saddle them up before breakfast.
In the morning, you will ride about 4 hours with a short tapas-break (Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, olives, nuts, etc. and something to drink) in the middle of the morning (usually around noon). After the break, we ride to the lunch place. A luxury picnic is waiting for us in the quietest and most beautiful spot. The stop for lunch is about 2 hours long, with time to enjoy the pic-nic and little siesta after lunch.
In the afternoon, we ride for about 2 hours until we get to our accommodation.

Riding Experience
This trip has been designed for intermediate to experienced riders. You should be comfortable at the walk, trot and canter, in group, in open spaces and your seat should be firm. 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.

Pace
The overall pace of riding is moderate with walk, trots and canters mostly every day, depending on the terrain. Usually, when the terrain allows for a safe canter, we canter. In the mountains, in many areas the terrain does not allow for trotting or cantering so we enjoy walking with breathtaking views around.
The distance covered on the average is 25-35 km per day. We usually spend about 6 hours in the saddle every riding day.

Tack
We use fine quality English saddles and silicon seat saver. All the tack is in excellent conditions, very comfortable for horses and riders. You have small saddlebags in front of the saddles for a water bottle, sunscreen, camera, mobile, etc.

Helmet
We 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.

Support Vehicle
A support van follows the group during the whole week, meeting us in the morning, for tapas-breaks, lunches, at night and to move your luggage. This means you have access to your luggage at least 3 times a day.

Horses
We currently have 21 horses: 14 PRE, 4 Pure Hispano-Arab, 1 Anglo-Arab and 2 Crossed (hispano-bretón, hispano-lusitano).
Our horses are responsive, well behave, good natured and serene thanks to the natural horsemanship method used to train them.
Most of our horses were born and bred at home while others have been with us since they were foals.
They live in freedom as a herd, eating, drinking, sleeping and traveling together in the most natural way possible.
They live in a huge pine forest (500 ha) in the Gredos Mountains or in the rich pastures in the Dehesas of Extremadura. They keep fit as they can walk around 20 km every day. They live with other groups of animals including other horses, donkeys, cows and also wild animals such as wolves, roe deer, deer, wild boar, foxes.

Staff
Emilio and Mamen (both born in Gredos Mountains) will be personally escorting you on these trips. Emilio will happily guide you across the trails, while Mamen will be preparing delicious meals and pic-nics.
Emilio has been working in equestrian tourism for over 30 years and he dedicated his whole life to his horses. He speaks English and Spanish.

Age Restrictions
There is no upper age limit, as long as you are riding fit and healthy. The minimum riding age is 10 years old (competent riders only), accompanied by an adult.

Travel Insurance
It is mandatory to take a travel insurance for this trip! If you come from Europe, you should bring the European Health card, this gives you access to Spanish health care.

Itinerary



Sample Itinerary - subject to changes

Day 1 (Sunday):  Arrival in Trujillo
Meet at Madrid airport for 3pm and transfer to Trujillo (2.5 hours’ drive). Time to visit to the spectacular town of Trujillo before welcome dinner at the hotel with us where we learn about the ride and region on the map.
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight at a Hotel in Trujillo

Day 2 (Monday): Ride to Madroñera 
Short transfer from Trujillo to Herguijuela, where the stables are. Distribution of horses. Today, we ride through the “Dehesa”, a cultural landscape exclusive of southern and central Spain.
Dehesa is a multifunctional agrosylvopastoral system (a type of agroforestry). Used primarily for grazing, they produce a variety of products including non-timber forest products such as wild game, mushrooms, honey, cork, and firewood. The tree component is oaks, usually holm (Quercus ilex) and cork (Quercus suber). Dehesa is an anthropogenic system that provides not only a variety of foods, but also wildlife habitat for endangered species such as the Iberian lynx and the Spanish Imperial eagle.
Short afternoon ride through flat terrain to Madroñera.
Riding 5 hours.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at a Hotel in Madroñera

Day 3 (Tuesday): Madroñera to Zorita
Departure after breakfast. We ride by the cattle trail to Zorita. Good trots and canters in the morning through the Dehesa where cattle (cows, sheep, goats and iberic pigs.) can be seen everywhere. We have a lovely pic-nic in the countryside, and in the afternoon, ride to Zorita. 
Riding 5 hours.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at a Hotel in Zorita

Day 4 (Wednesday): Zorita to Logrosan
We will follow the greenway, an old railway built in the 20s that due to the Spanish Civil War was never finished. Along the greenway, we will see objects and buildings that remind us that there would have been a railway. During the ride, we can enjoy the view over the impressive Villuercas Mountains landscape (Geopark by UNESCO).
Riding 5 hours.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at a Hotel in Logrosan

Day 5 (Thursday): Logrosan to Cañamero
Departure after breakfast. We will go through the vineyard in Cañamero, is famous in Spain for good wines and olives gardens. Here, the landscape changes to the beauty of Villuercas mountains where we can see Ruecas river canyons. We will follow the greenway.
Riding 5 hours.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at a Hotel in Cañamero

Day 6 (Friday): Cañamero to Guadalupe
This day is a short day from Cañamero to Guadalupe where we will go through the Cañada Real. We can enjoy the view over the impressive Villuercas landscape. On any day, we can observe Vultures, Eagles, Azure-winged Magpies, Red-billed Choughs, Shrikes and Ravens. Villuercas has been declared Geopark (UNESCO, 2011) because of its Cultural and Natural Heritage and, of course, the great geological features, with many interesting and visible geological elements. 
Comfortable lunch in the countryside. Horses go back to Trujillo by truck. Evening visit of Guadalupe town and the Monastery. Dinner and night at Guadalupe Monastery Hotel. The Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe is located in the province of Cáceres at a location of great beauty, overlooking a valley surrounded by high mountains. The town of Guadalupe, built around the Monastery (dating back to 1337), offers a unique style with a traditional architecture.
Riding 4 hours.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at Guadalupe Monastery Hotel

Day 7 (Saturday): Departure
After breakfast, departure from Guadalupe at 10 am. All riders will be transferred at the same time, so if any rider needs to arrive Madrid before, all riders depart earlier or we can arrange transfer (at extra cost).
Meals included: Breakfast


Non-Riders
Non-riding companions are welcome to join this trip. They can travel in the support car and join in meals, dinners and others activities, or if they wish, they can rent a car and move on their own, joining the group for dinner.

Rates and Dates for Extremadura to Guadalupe

Dates Note:

Other Info
Meeting: Navarredonda de Gredos
Airport: Madrid
Transfer: Madrid airport

Climate:
                                            Cáceres‎ area