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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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