Catalonia Ride | Horse Riding Holidays in Spain | Globetrotting

Catalonia, Spain

6 NightsIntermediate to AdvancedFrom €1,790 EUR?Tour costs €1,790 EUR which is approximately $2,969 AUD

Riding from the unruly Lower Pyrenees to the wild coast of the Mediterranean, you’ll live and breathe the region of Catalonia from the back of a proud Spanish horse.

Here is WHY you need to secure a saddle seat on our riding holiday in Catalonia, Spain:

*You get to ride a forward-moving Andalusian – one of the most revered and famed breeds of the equine world – for five glorious days.

*It’s a point-to-point ride, which means each day you’ll be riding to a new destination. Your starting point: the unruly, crinkled sierra of the Lower Pyrenees; and your end point: the ‘Wild Coast’ of the Mediterranean Sea.

*You’ll enjoy sun-bleached picnics beside crystal clear mountain streams AND go bareback swimming with your horse on day five – a true pinch-yourself moment for sure.

*There are oodles of opportunities for free-running canters along serene seaside paths, expansive river valleys and through charming cork oak forests iconic to this part of Catalonia. Imagine: Pyrenean peaks looming above meadows and glittering lakes, plains pock-marked with volcanic cones, and windblown capes giving way to sandy beach paths and fertile vineyards.

*From dawn to dusk, you’ll be immersed on every sensory level: taste, touch, smell, sight and sound. The regional food, vino, history, music – you’ll live and breathe it all like a local. It’s here, at your horse’s pace, that you’ll fall in love with the Catalan way of life.

Perfecto – wouldn’t you agree?

Fast Facts

  • Horse Breed:Andalusian and Andalusian-cross.
  • Pace:The trail includes mountainous and flat terrain in the valleys and plains. For this reason the riding pace is very mixed. Lively canters and steep mountain climbs mean riders need to be active out of the saddle. For example, on two occasions the horses have to be led by us due to the terrain. Comfortable walking shoes are very helpful for the approximately 30 minute descents.
  • Weight Limit:A maximum of 90kg / 198lbs.
  • Type of tack:Spanish and English endurance saddles.
  • Seasons:June to July.
  • Group size:A minimum of 4 and a maximum of 12 riders.
  • Time in Saddle:On average between 5 to 7 hours each day.
  • Riding Ability:Suitable for intermediate to advanced riders. Not sure what your riding ability is? Watch THIS video to find out.
  • Accommodation:A mixture of country guest houses, pensións (boarding houses) and welcoming family-run hotels. Please be advised, the accommodation varies each night from twin-share rooms with ensuite to twin-share rooms with shared bathrooms, depending on the location.
  • Ride Length:7 days, 6 nights, with 5 riding days.
  • Inclusions:

    The price includes twin share accommodation; 3 riding days with full board including wine (saddlebag-packed lunch); 2 riding days with half board only including wine; tax on stays in tourist establishments.

  • Exclusions:

    The price does not include international or regional flights and travel insurance (compulsory); airport transfers on arrival and departure dates; 2x lunches/dinners at restaurant (board fee of €150 payable locally in cash to guides at first dinner); other alcoholic beverages and soft drinks; coffee at dinner and drinks/meals from bars; entrance fees to Museums and Monuments; and staff tips (these are expected, the amount can be decided at your discretion).

 

DEPARTURE DATES & RATES

NEW! Secure your saddle seat NOW with a 10% deposit - as part of our 10x 10% payment plan!
Departing FinishingAvailabilityTotal
June 2, 2024June 8, 2024SOLD OUT!
From: €1,790 EUR ?Tour costs €1,790 EUR which is approximately $2,969 AUD - Twin Share?Happy to share with another solo traveller of the same gender
From: €2,070 EUR ?Tour costs €2,070 EUR which is approximately $3,433 AUD - Single Rider?Happy to pay a booking supplement for own room
June 24, 2024June 30, 2024Limited
From: €1,790 EUR ?Tour costs €1,790 EUR which is approximately $2,969 AUD - Twin Share?Happy to share with another solo traveller of the same gender
Booking Request

2.5% credit card surcharge

From: €2,070 EUR ?Tour costs €2,070 EUR which is approximately $3,433 AUD - Single Rider?Happy to pay a booking supplement for own room
Booking Request

2.5% credit card surcharge

July 15, 2024July 21, 2024SOLD OUT!
From: €1,790 EUR ?Tour costs €1,790 EUR which is approximately $2,969 AUD - Twin Share?Happy to share with another solo traveller of the same gender
From: €2,070 EUR ?Tour costs €2,070 EUR which is approximately $3,433 AUD - Single Rider?Happy to pay a booking supplement for own room
August 11, 2024August 17, 2024SOLD OUT!
From: €1,790 EUR ?Tour costs €1,790 EUR which is approximately $2,969 AUD - Twin Share?Happy to share with another solo traveller of the same gender
From: €2,070 EUR ?Tour costs €2,070 EUR which is approximately $3,433 AUD - Single Rider?Happy to pay a booking supplement for own room
August 18, 2024August 24, 2024Limited
From: €1,790 EUR ?Tour costs €1,790 EUR which is approximately $2,969 AUD - Twin Share?Happy to share with another solo traveller of the same gender
Booking Request

2.5% credit card surcharge

From: €2,070 EUR ?Tour costs €2,070 EUR which is approximately $3,433 AUD - Single Rider?Happy to pay a booking supplement for own room
Booking Request

2.5% credit card surcharge

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?
The price includes twin share accommodation; 3 riding days with full board including wine (saddlebag-packed lunch); 2 riding days with half board only including wine; tax on stays in tourist establishments.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?
The price does not include international or regional flights and travel insurance (compulsory); airport transfers on arrival and departure dates; 2 lunches/dinners at restaurant (board fee of €150 payable locally in cash to guides at first dinner); other alcoholic beverages and soft drinks; coffee at dinner and drinks/meals from bars; entrance fees to Museums and Monuments; and staff tips (these are expected, the amount can be decided at your discretion).

Accepted payment is by credit or debit card only. Depending on the ride you choose to book and your country of residence, there will be a 1.2% to 2.9% surcharge.

Click HERE to read more about our fees and charges.
Click HERE to read our recommendations on which cards are best to use to avoid international transaction fees.
WHY IS THE PRICE QUOTED IN EUR?
With our riding destinations, the currency is dictated by our ride partner in that country. Therefore due to fluctuating exchange rates we have to quote in the same currency.

Itinerary

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*Please note, this is a suggested itinerary only and subject to change at the discretion of your guides due to weather and other influencing factors.

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  • Day 1

    Bienvenido a España globetrotters! Welcome to Spain, a country rich in equestrian history that dates back past the middle ages. You’ll be riding along the crystal clear streams and lakes of the Lower Pyrenees to the Mediterranean Sea and will immerse yourself in the country’s equestrian traditions from a sprightly Andalusian.

    You’ll arrive into Barcelona or Girona today and be transferred to your first night’s accommodation, a beautiful Catalan country house with views of the surrounding horse meadows and forests.

    As your riding group gets acquainted, you’ll dine on a wonderful Spanish meal (think tapas – delicious) but please be advised this won’t be served until approximately 9pm. The afternoon ‘siesta’ is one of the most famous aspects of Spanish life – that dead period in the late afternoon when everything shuts down in Spain. Because of this, dinner is eaten later at night, so we definitely recommend eating a rather large lunch before you are picked up, so that you can make it to 9pm without your stomach grumbling like a bear!

  • Day 2

    It’s time to swing a leg over a saddle Globetrotters. I bet you can’t WAIT to ride a beautiful Andalusian – an equine that is both beautiful and noble and steeped in Spain’s history.

    Mounted on your horses, you’ll leave Mas Alba horse farm for the secluded paths and dense peaks of the pine forests in the area. Peaceful, quiet and exotic, your ride will take you deep into the forest where you’ll pass tropical vegetation like what you would expect to find in the jungles of Costa Rica! You’ll continue across the floodplains of the river Fluvia, where you’ll stop for a saddlebag-packed lunch of Catalan fare under a canopy of trees.

    After lunch, cue ‘siesta’. Back in the saddle you’ll ride through the expansive valley of the river Fluvia where you’ll have a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains of Catalonia.

    Tonight’s accommodation is a slice of paradise at the foot of the Catalan Pyrenees. There is a pool for a refreshing dip after a long day in the saddle, before you enjoy another dinner of traditional Spanish fare.

  • Day 3

    Today you’ll be heading to the edge of the Lower Pyrenees, a range of mountains spiking the skyline for 430km fringing the French-Spanish border. This serrated chain of peaks contains some of the country’s most pristine landscapes and it’s a unique privilege to discover this region astride a horse. Along the Catalan Pyrenean coast, you’ll ride through forest glades and into an isolated valley cut in half by a mountain stream. Now this is where swimmers are mandatory for your saddle bag, where you can cool off in the luminous rock pool.

    Afterwards, you’ll bask like lizards on a sun heated rock and enjoy a delicious saddlebag picnic next to the free-flowing river. This afternoon your Spanish horses will climb hard and confidently over a pass with a magnificent panoramic view of the high peaks of the Pyrenees. Welcome to the mountains! They might not be as impressive in height as the Alps, but they’re dramatic nonetheless.

    Tonight you’ll stay in a pretty mountain village on the edge of the river Muga where your host, David, will impress you with his culinary wizardry! This will be your home for the next two evenings.

  • Day 4

    The Catalonia region offers so much more than just Catalan culture and historic towns – it’s also a veritable nature wonderland. You’ll descend to the most beautiful natural water basins of the pre-Pyrenees where you’ll have the opportunity to bathe in the crystal-clear turquoise river.

    After lunch you’ll keep riding over the mountain pass, taking in the impressive views of the Mediterranean on the horizon, before reaching a new vegetation zone. Chestnut and cork oak forests blanket the mountains. You’ll return to Saint Llorenç de la Muga where David will be waiting for you with a delicious dinner on the terrace to soak up the magnificent panoramic view of the surrounding mountains.

  • Day 5

    Today’s ride involves a wonderful ‘pinch yourself’ moment as you get the chance to swim in a shimmering turquoise lake with your elegant Andalusian horse. You’ll ride through a cork oak forest with a sandy bottom, allowing you to enjoy an exhilarating canter before reaching your swimming spot. There are few things that equal the breathtaking feeling of swimming with your horse on a hot summer’s day – that power you experience as they surge forward, paddling strongly through the water equals pure JOY. It truly is an experience like no other and you get to do this in the culturally rich region of Catalonia – winning!

    After another saddlebag picnic and a siesta, you’ll trot and canter into the wide plain of the Empordà. In a charming medieval village you’ll find your accommodation for the evening, a cosy guesthouse.

  • Day 6

    Where the mountains kiss the Mediterranean Sea is your finishing point today. You’ll rise early and tip toe through ancient olive groves and vineyards, approaching the coastal mountains of Rodas. Your sure-footed Andalusians master the mountain path confidently as you ride down into a picturesque bay of the ‘Wild Coast’. By some miracle, Spain’s Wild Coast has maintained an authenticity and refreshing resistance to the change that keeps this stretch of the Mediterranean radically different from the southern coasts of the country. Fishing villages still feel like villages, medieval mountain towns are still hushed during siesta and tourists can still mingle with residents.

    It will be in Llança, a picture perfect Mediterranean town where the mountains meet the ocean, that your ride will come to an end and on the terrace of your hotel you’ll end this wonderful trail with good wine and tasty fish caught fresh from the salty sea.

  • Day 7

    After breakfast, you’ll catch our chosen transfer back to Girona or Barcelona airports for onward travel.

  • Transfer Information

    A collective airport transfer service is available at Barcelona and Girona Airports on arrival and departure days only. Please note, the price is payable in cash direct upon arrival.

    FROM BARCELONA AIPORT – €75 pp, one way.

    Pick up time is 5:30pm on arrival day (please ensure your flight arrives no later than 4:45pm for T1 and 4:15pm for T2). Please meet in Terminal 1 at the Group Meeting Point North in front of the CAFE LA TRAMOIA, which is situated opposite the ‘Oficina de Turisme’ (tourism office) – on your right after you clear customs. If you land at Terminal 2, there’s a free shuttle bus departing every 5 minutes that will bring you to Terminal 1.

    Departing flights on the final day can be booked from 2:30pm onwards.

    FROM GIRONA AIRPORT – €60 pp, one way

    Pick up time is 6:30pm on arrival day (please ensure your flight arrives no later than 6:00pm). Please meet in front of CAFE CAFFRICCIO in the Arrivals Hall. Departing flights on the final day can be booked from 1:00pm onwards.

    *If the arranged transfer times do not fit with your arrival and departure times, our partner in Spain can help organise a taxi for you (the price will be around €80 – €120 from Girona and €240 – €280 from Barcelona), depending on the ride start/end points. Please be advised the transfer times may vary depending on flight delays from other guests, traffic etc. Please be patient if this happens.

    SELF DRIVE – €60 pp, total
    The other option is self-driving to the start of the ride. Closer to departure, our local hosts will inform you of the exact address of the ride starting point (the trail can be ridden in either direction – this is decided closer to departure) where you can leave your car for the duration of the ride. Please be aware that the trail starting point and end point are NOT the same, hence the additional transfer cost of €60 to return you to your car on departure.

    **Depending on your travel plans, Globetrotting recommends you catch the transfer service from Girona as opposed to Barcelona. Not only do you save money, but Girona is a lovely town to explore and spend some time in, and it’s only a short and easy train journey from Barcelona.

What our valued Globetrotters say about The Catalonia Ride

Catalonia Ride, Spain - Globetrotting horse riding holidays

Anna Johnson

‘I absolutely loved my Catalan riding holiday. It was the perfect introduction to Globetrotting’s adventures. The scenery was varied and beautiful. We traversed mountains, wandered along the beautiful Costa Brava, passed through many picturesque villages and weaved through vineyards, olive groves and forests. We picnicked each day near a river or lake to enjoy a refreshing swim. Our guide, Karinna, was exceptional, displaying calm leadership throughout our ride. She constantly put her horses’ and clients’ wellbeing before her own. The accommodation and food was incredible, I enjoyed the company of all my fellow riders, and most importantly, the horses were amazing! My mount, Vistoso, was surefooted, gentle and responsive. I trusted him completely. I highly recommend this ride!’

The Catalonia Ride, Spain - Globetrotting horse riding holidays

Brooke Haebich

‘My ride in Catalonia was nothing short of amazing, one of the best experiences of my life.
This was my very first trip overseas. I decided to combine my desire to travel with my favourite thing to do – horse riding – the perfect way to see the world in my opinion. I made the impulse choice to just book this ride (because it looked sooo good) and pay in instalments. Since I am single and not many of my friends ride, it meant that I would be travelling on my own, which was very daunting for my first time travelling overseas. Globetrotting made this trip a breeze – any questions or concerns I had throughout this process were addressed and answered. If there is anyone on the fence about booking this ride, I can assure you it is everything you expect and more.’

Catalonia, Spain - Globetrotting horse riding holidays

Robyn Smale

‘I loved this ride! The scenery was varied and interesting. I loved the tiny villages and the small historic hotels and pensions we stayed at, where we were hosted by locals. Just lovely. Our hosts were all so friendly and welcoming. The food and wine was locally grown and we were never hungry. We loved having Carlos meet us at lunchtime, set up a long table under the trees, make our salad and pour the cava and wine. I was fortunate to ride with such a great group. We laughed constantly and it was so much fun. Riding through villages was great – everyone waved and greeted us. We never felt like tourists and I felt we experienced the real Catalonia.’

Globetroting horse riding holiday Catalonia

Merrita Coombe

‘So lucky we got to go on the exploratory ride in Catalonia, Spain with the Globetrotting team. I absolutely loved my horse, the guides were fantastic in every way, and the food was fabulous! So good to have local produce and wine at every meal. The picnics were particularly memorable! Such a dedicated, professional and fun group of people. I am definitely recommending Globetrotting to all of my friends and can’t wait for my next ride.’

Dave and Alison Sandy

‘The Catalonia ride was exceptionally well organised. All the information we needed beforehand was provided and very useful. The horses were exceptionally well cared for and good to ride. The food was amazing and the accomodation was charming and comfortable. We rode though amazing scenery and beautiful countryside and had the opportunity to swim in fabulous mountain pools. I would have no hesitation in recommending this ride.’

Julie Glynn

‘There are some places in the world that are best experienced on a horse and with like minded friends, but knowing how and where to go in the world can prevent you from fulfilling that experience. Globetrotting took out all the homework involved. My ride through the Pyrenees mountains and rural villages of Catalonia was such a unique experience and everything was taken care of for me. The trip even included like minded friends – I just hadn’t met them until I got there!’

STORIES FROM THE SADDLE

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