Catalonia Explorer Ride
- an introduction to Catalonia's history and nature -

To discover Catalonia for the first time is a great experience, to discover Catalonia on an Andalusian is “the experience”. Andalusian horses will adeptly guide you on this Explorer Ride deep into the heart of Catalonia where the riding is as varied as the ever changing landscapes of the region with plenty of opportunities to gallop and canter along the planes and meadows over river valleys through winding forest trails.
Catalonia offers a unique sensation of stepping back in time with it’s breathtaking landscapes, medieval villages of Besalu, St. Ferriol and Santa Pau with their Romanesque monasteries, fortified walls and stone cobbled roads, banishing vehicles in favor of horses.
Catalonian cuisine and wines from the Ampurdan region are sampled and savoured throughout the trail, with a diverse range of eateries ranging from fine restaurants and tapas to picnics.
The trail will take you to Girona, Northern Catalonia’s largest city and capital of the region steeped in history and culture. The climax of this trail undoubtedly is a two day trail which ventures alongside the Garrotxa Volcanica, one of Europe's largest volcanic regions, wild and remote. We ride over the immense mountain ridge of Sant Julia del Mont down to the valley of Santa Pau, explore the villages of El Torn and El Sallent, amidst this dramatic mountain scenery there are opportunities to swim or siesta by large river pools, Garrotxa Volcanica is a spectacular region of Catalonia.
This trail was designed as the ultimate introduction to Catalonia but it is a recent addition to the portfolio of Catalonia trails, only after years of discovering this region is it possible to select highlights and that is what the this trail offers, a week of intense highlights.

PR-CJSR  
Included: Accommodations at mountain lodge, all meals, 6 riding days
8 days / 7 nights  $995    
Low Season:  $795
Single room if requested: +$185 
-- based on € 695  / 555   (Single  € 130)  
2008 Dates: 
02/24-03/02    03/02-03/09    03/09-03/16
03/16-03/23    03/23-03/30    04/06-04/13
04/20-04/27    05/04-05/11    05/18-05/25
06/01-06/08    06/15-06/22    06/22-06/29
07/06-07/13    07/13-07/20    07/20-07/27
07/27-08/03    08/24-08/31    08/31-09/07
09/14-09/21    09/21-09/28    09/28-10/05
10/12-10/19    10/26-11/02    11/09-11/16
11/16-11/23
  reservations &  availability

Meeting: Sant Jaume de Llerca
Airport:  Barcelona or Girona
Transfer: Barcelona at 6:30 PM
or Girona 7:30 PM   $115  (€ 79)
Level:     Low intermediate +
Tack:      English trekking,  some Spanish
               and Western
Horses:  Spanish & Andalusian cross
Pace :     Moderate with trots and canters
               4-6 hours a day
Min/Max: 2-10 riders
Note:  Lunches vary, sometimes you start early and return in time for lunch or you picnic along the way.
Non riders (accommodations, breakfast and dinners) deduct $250/ $90 for low season  (€ 195/70)

Itinerary
DAY 1:
Transfer from Barcelona to Sant Jaume de Llerca and up a narrow winding track through thick forest and Mediterranean "jungle", perched high up on top of a ridge, we come to our destination. An 11th-century stone farm house with a commanding view over miles of forests and mountains to the snow capped peaks of the Pyrenees. Here you will meet the family, the guide, the cook and of course, the horses that are stabled here. At dinner the guide will go over the week’s program, you will be told about the special characteristics of our Andalusian trail horses. And then people can discus their riding experience and the sort of horse that they would like to ride.
Day 2:  SANT FERRIOL THE NAME OF THE ROSE
Today the pace is varied and exhilarating. You will enjoy the canters and the pretty mountain tracks. Today’s destination is a beautiful monastery. This is from the 16th century, a jewel of Romanesque architecture built by Cistercian monks, that conjures up scenes and the spirit of the book” the Name of the Rose”. From here we have panoramic views over the Ampurdan region out to the Mediterranean coast. After a delicious picnic lunch, we will have a pleasant ride along the ridge and back to our comfortable mountain lodge.
Day 3   BESALU THE ANCIENT CAPITAL
Our destination is the ancient capital of the Alta Garrotxa, Besalú, a medieval fortified village. A full days ride. A jewel of Romanesque architecture set between two rivers. The squares, stone cut pillars and cool shady arched passageways are a wonder to behold. Not to mention the cut glass of its churches. Here we will stop for tapas in Besalu. Ice cold beers and rich full red wine in Manolo´s bar at the village square. We will have some time to explore the village. Today's riding is quite lively with some long canters along the banks of the river Fluviá. In the evening we will ride back along the ridge for a refreshing swim in the pool at followed by another delicious dinner.
Day 4:  SAN SYLVESTRE DE LOS MIL AMORES
Today we will ride along the valley of la Miana, where it is not unusual to disturb a resting eagle and to be able to watch it soar gracefully beneath us in the valley.
We will take a break high up on a mountain at the ruined chapel of San Silvestre, a spectacular piece of Romanesque architecture.
This morning we ride through forests that are probably trodden by as few as three people in one year, a magnificent opportunity to see wild boar and deer.
Then we arrive at Can Jou for a late Spanish lunch a delicious paella and, of course, a siesta.
After lunch we will drive you down to visit Girona. The capital of the region, this little city has wonderful shady streets, beautiful architecture, the widest cathedral in Europe and great shopping.  Or you can take it easy and relax by the pool.
Day 5:  COGULERAS, THE HIDDEN VALLEY
Our destination is Coguleras, a mountain valley that reaches almost up to the hieghts of Sant Juliá del Mont at 1.000 m. We ride quietly down through a forest alongside a mountain stream, to the flood plains by the little village of Sant Jaume de Llierca. Here there are some majestic farm houses built by the nobility in the 12th century. Today you will really appreciate the strength, agility and stamina of your horse in this varied terrain. They climb like mountain goats, and fly across the the flood planes like gazelles. For lunch we climb up to the ridge of Sant Julia. Here we eat a delicious picnic in a meadow beneath a shady tree, before riding home.
Days 6 & 7:  THE TWO DAY SMUGGLERS TRAIL RIDE – to the Sadernas gauge
This is a circular ride that covers over 60kms in two days. You will ride over the immense mountain ridge of Sant Julia del Mont down to the valley of Santa Pau, this is the heart of the Garrotxas volcanic region
From the lush forests of the lodge this is a big contrast to the gently cultivated valley, dotted with small unspoilt villages untouched by the passing of time.
We will ride through the little village of El Torn set by the meandering river Ser. Having had a wander around the little alleyways and squares and admired a few old doors and a look at the church, we continue on to the picnic site by the river where we can swim and have a siesta.
Today’s destination is, the spectacular church of Sant Frutós.
Here we take care of the horses and leave them to graze in a meadow and we are driven back for a delicious super.
The Trail Continues
The next day we cross over the mountain ridge and on to the planes of the Fluvià, one of Catalonia’s biggest rivers. We ride through the picturesque village of Tortella with its magnificent church dominating the village square. Now the landscape is large open stretches and we can enjoy some more long canters and gallops to Sadernas. This is the entrance to a rocky gorge, that leads high up into the Pyrenees, the beginning of one of the most famous smuggling routes between Spain and France, an area famous for its bandit stories. Amidst this dramatic mountain scenery there is an immense Romanesque bridge over a large river pool. This is perfect for a refreshing swim before the picnic lunch. In the evening our lodge is a welcome sight at the end of the day. Here we attend to the horses and leave them happily grazing in the meadows. Then we have a farewell dinner and the cava flows, a fitting end to a fantastic week.
Day 8:  Departure after breakfast.

Santa Pau

Girona