Packages and Options

Day 1: Arrival at the airport in Malaga and transfer to Ronda where you stay overnight in a hotel or overnight at Rancho La Paz.
Day 2: On the first day you ride through deep canyons that are only accessible on donkey trails, which are still being used by smugglers. Cortes de la Frontera is one of the typical white villages for which the whole region got its nickname 'Pueblos Blancos' (white villages). Time seems to stand still when you enter this village in the evening. This part of Andalusia is also an historical region: You should visit the wall paintings in the caves Cuevas de la Pileta before dinner. Overnight in a guesthouse.
Day 3: After descending into the canyons of the white villages you enter the naturepark Cortes de la Frontera. Soft, springy forest trails alternate with livestock and donkey trails. The slopes are covered with pine cork oak forests through which you slowly descend towards the plain. At the Puerto de Galis, the border between the provinces of Malaga and Cadiz, the horses stay for the night while you drive to Alcala de los Gazules. The central Village Square is the heart of the village life where people meet - especially late at night after dinner. Bordered by half a dozen of pubs and in safe distance from the church, every villager walks across the square at least once a day. Virtually undiscovered by tourism, Alcala is one of the few remaining typical Andalusian villages. There is even a saddlery here that you might like to check out.
Day 4: The last stage through the mountains. You have probably already admired the surefootedness of your Andalusian horse. You now ride through the natureparks Aljibe and Alcornocales, which are very rich in wild game and have been established to halt the Spaniards' passion for hunting. As no cars are allowed in the parks, you carry your lunch picnic in the saddlebags. In the afternoon you ride over rolling hills on trails that are bordered with hedgerows opuntia cacti through large meadows and fields of sunflowers. The horses stay halfway between Alcala and Jerez while you drive back to Alcala.
Day 5: The large-scale landholdings of the bull and horse breeders are located in the triangle between Alcala, Jerez, and the coast. You ride across large meadows with fighting bulls and cows with their calves. One meadow is often several miles long. Spring is spectacular in this area as the meadows are covered with wild flowers and are very lush and green while they dry out during the summer. You will certainly meet 'vaqueros', Spanish cowboys who spend their days in the saddle looking after the cattle on these large ranches. You stop for lunch at a 'venta', a typical country restaurant, just below the old Moorish fortress Medina-Sidona. On wide sandy trails and the livestock trail 'Paquiri', named after the famous matador, you ride to Los Naveros where the horses spend the night. You drive to Zahara de los Atunes on the Atlantic Coast. The next nights you will spend in a hotel right on the beach where you can enjoy a swim in the pool or the Atlantic Ocean.
Day 6: In the morning you ride through meadows and fields of sugar beets, beans, cotton, and the bright yellow sunflowers. The support vehicle awaits you as usual with the lunch picnic and today you will need to fortify yourself for the fast rides on the beaches. You will soon note that you're reaching the beach in Conil: Feel the anticipation of your horse! Except for very few stretches, the beaches are deserted. You enjoy long canters and gallops on yellow sand and into the blue waves of the Atlantic! You ride along the coast on sandy trails and through pine forests, past Cap Trafalgar where Lord Nelson fought his last sea-battle, to Caños de Meca. You drive back to the hotel in Zahara. At the beach you can see the small fishing boats that deliver their catch every day to the local hotels. Enjoy these Atlantic delicacies for dinner.
Day 7: Another day on the beach awaits you. First you ride along sandy trails through the coastal pine forests and around the fishing village Barbate. A 7-mile long stretch of deserted beach invites you. This area is under the supervision of the military; so, no hotels have been built. In a fast gallop you reach Zahara. Dinner and overnight.
Day 8: After breakfast you start your ride along the beaches. The firm sand gives you the opportunity to get used to your horse in all gaits.  On a clear day you can see as far as Morocco. In Bolonia you have lunch in a typical Spanish ‘venta’. If you want you can visit the famous Roman ruins. Then you ride along a sandy beach, (several miles long) that invites to brisk canter, to Tarifa. The horses stay in Tarifa; the riders are driven back to the hotel at the Atlantic beach.
Day 9: Today’s ride takes you into the interior along soft trails and ancient paths. You follow a mountain range which brings you to the Santuario Nstra. Sra. De la Luz, an old pilgrimage site. On an historic smugglers path you cross a narrow mountain pass before reaching Facinas in the late afternoon. Transfer for overnight as the day before.
Day 10: In the morning, enjoy a few nice canters before reaching the Almodovar Reservoir. Noisy creeks rushing down from the mountains make the air fresh and cool. Here, far from everything, the support vehicle awaits you with a picnic. The whole valley has been declared a bird conservatory and is home to several rare species. At the end of the day you reach Los Barrios, only 6 miles from Gibraltar.  Here, the horses will be put up for the night. Riders are driven a short distance to the hotel in Alcala where your luggage awaits you.
Day 11:  You ride across the hunting grounds what was once one of the largest estates in Europe, the Almoraima, home to a vast population of deer, as well as a rare and very shy species of wild goat called the Cabra Iberica. The oak forests in the small canyons are sprinkled with bizarre sandstone formations. One of them is the ‘Torero’, a rock 20m high that resembles the head of a bull fighter in amazing detail. Overnight as the day before.
Day 12: Until today you have probably been amazed by the endurance and smooth canter of your Andalusian horse. Now you can admire how surefooted they are when climbing the mountains of the National Park Alcornocales. Only by special permission are we able to enter this protected nature reserve once owned by old Andalusian nobility. These mountains are covered with cork oaks and other deciduous trees and keep the natural waters all year round, even in the summer. Rare plants, such as orchids, grow in the shade of the trees. Although this mountain range is only 1,600 ft high, it offers spectacular views over the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic.
Day 13: Today you have an unforgettable ride on your enduring and sure-footed horses. Inside the Sierra de Aljibe Nature Park you ride, in one day, up to the Finca Buenas Noches, situated at 1,900 ft. On a winding path at 2,900 ft you ride on to Corso de los Lobos. Picnic lunch at an elevation of 3,500 ft.  Then follows a spectacular descent down to the beautiful village of Jimena. Here you say goodbye to the horses and spend the last night or drive back to Rancho La Paz and stay overnight there.
Day 14: Departure after breakfast - arrival in Malaga after 11:30 AM

Accommodations are in 2,3 and 4 star hotels during this ride with one night in a guesthouse (Ronda Mountains) on Day Two - single rooms are not available even if you have paid for a single supplement – it is a small village in the mountains and rooms are difficult to come by.

Meals are mostly at local restaurants with typical local dishes. Dinner is usually not before 8 PM. Some table wine is served in limited quantities.
Note: BReakfast in Spain is traditionally very small with just coffee, bread, and ham.  Lunches are more elaborate - on most days the support vehicle meets you on the trail and serves fresh salads, bread, misc. cuts and on some days a barbcue.

The Ronda to the coast section has some steep mountain trails with long hours in the saddle for 2-3 days.  Riders should be in good physical condition for this trip.