Day 1: Carmona
ITALY/SEVILLE/CARMONA (-/-/D)
This one-week horseback vacation is designed for those who love horse riding and wish to discover this beautiful region of Spain. The program is also ideal for those who do not yet feel fit enough to ride all day.
The program includes horse riding excursions in the morning and free afternoons to rest or explore the many attractions of the area. On some days, cultural excursions are also included, such as a visit to Seville to attend a typical flamenco show and the world-famous equestrian performance in Jerez.
Our guests are generally adults (with no upper age limit), comfortable with sustained trot and canter on open trails, riding well-trained horses. However, we regularly organize tailor-made programs for less experienced or less confident riders, as well as for accompanied children over the age of 10.
Arrival is expected independently (approx. 20 minutes by car) or with a free transfer at 4:30 PM from Seville’s Santa Justa railway station. You will then be taken to the hotel in the nearby town of Carmona, one of Andalusia’s famous white villages. Carmona is the oldest inhabited village in Europe, and walking through the narrow streets of the historic center, you can feel and breathe the spirit of ancient cultures (Iberians, Visigoths, Phoenicians, Romans, Moors), visible in the many architectural examples found in churches, towers, palaces, and homes, as well as in inherited traditions.
Meeting with the guides in the hotel lobby at 8:15 PM to go together to the welcome dinner with the other guests of the week. Dinner usually starts at 8:30 PM. During the meal, the weekly program and morning transfer times, among other details, will be presented. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 2: Carmona
CARMONA (B/L/-)
After breakfast, horse assignment and trekking through the hacienda estate (now completely renovated), a relaxing ride through the surrounding countryside, among olive groves and eucalyptus trees.
Depending on the season, you may see fields of sunflowers, wheat, and cotton, as well as melons and watermelons in late summer. The route passes through impressive 16th and 17th-century haciendas and cortijos, still standing since the time when Cervantes rode these same trails collecting taxes on olive oil. Return to the equestrian center for lunch and free afternoon to explore the surroundings. Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 3: Carmona
CARMONA (B/L/-)
Early breakfast and departure from the hotel at 8:30 AM to Jerez de la Frontera, in the province of Cadiz (1.5 hours by car). Jerez is internationally known for the production of sherry and brandy. However, the main attraction of the day will be the visit to the Real Escuela Andaluza de Arte Ecuestre to attend the equestrian show titled "How the Andalusian Horses Dance" (Ticket price: €27 - not included in the package, payable on-site).
Here you will have the privilege of seeing magnificent Andalusian stallions in their splendor, in the charming setting of an 18th-century palace and their arena.
They will perform piaffe, passage, and “airs above the ground” (courbette, capriole, etc.) in a show of lights, music, and color, comparable only to the famous Spanish Riding School of Vienna.
Return to the center for lunch, followed by a relaxing afternoon at the hotel. Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 4: Carmona
CARMONA (B/L/-)
After breakfast and a quick transfer to the Hacienda, you mount your horse and depart toward the Roman Bridge. Depending on the season, you will ride through fields of sunflowers, wheat, cotton, oranges, or peaches, crossing centuries-old olive groves still carefully maintained today. This is a landscape without fences.
An agricultural mosaic where different crops alternate, still rotated annually, separated by margins of uncultivated land that serve as natural horse trails. The variety of wildflowers, butterflies, and birds is impressive.
Along the route, you may cross the river, full and rushing in spring, cool and shallow in summer—a natural paradise for wildlife, with lush vegetation all year round. Crossing the lowlands, among terns and grebes, you will reach an old Roman bridge and a shady eucalyptus grove. After a break and some photos, return on horseback for lunch. Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 5: Carmona
CARMONA (B/L/-)
Today we leave early for a coastal village, where Spanish horses, all equipped with traditional Andalusian work saddles (montura vaquera), will be waiting for an unforgettable beach ride. The route takes you through the Doñana Natural Park, bordering the National Park of the same name—one of the last true wilderness areas in Europe and one of Spain’s largest wildlife reserves.
You will ride among golden dunes, brushing wild lavender, rosemary, and fragrant thyme. The area is home to numerous species (some protected), including deer, wild boar, foxes, lynx, imperial eagles, kites, vultures, storks, flamingos, and herons.
You will reach the beach, where the horses can wet their legs, and for those who wish, there is the chance to gallop through the waves. After the ride, return to the center for lunch. Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
(NB: during July and August, the beach ride will be replaced by another route or a riding lesson)
Day 6: Carmona
CARMONA (B/L/D)
We depart for the last horseback ride of the week, through open countryside, among olive and citrus groves, alongside farmers at work. Return to the center for lunch. In the afternoon, after a well-deserved siesta, we will go to Seville to visit a tack shop. After a short walk, we will reach an excellent restaurant offering both Spanish and international cuisine, where the farewell dinner awaits us, accompanied by excellent Spanish wines.
Day 7:
CARMONA /SEVILLE/ITALY (B/-/-)
Breakfast and free transfer to the airport or Seville train station. The first transfer will be at 8:00 AM and the last at 11:00 AM.
Note: The itinerary described above should be considered indicative. It may be subject to changes due to weather conditions or circumstances beyond our control.
Notes:
(B/L/D): B = breakfast; L = lunch; D = dinner
Difficulty level: From ° to °°°°°
DURATION: 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS
DIFFICULTY: °°° (INTERMEDIATE)
ACCOMMODATION: hotel
EQUIPMENT: English saddle and typical Spanish riding saddle (montura española)
HORSES: ANDALUSIAN
PACE: Approx. 3 H PER DAY IN THE SADDLE, and about 8 h on day 5. All three gaits are used. Riders must be able to control their horse in open spaces.
WHAT TO BRING: Riding clothing according to the season. In hot summer months, prefer cotton. Protective helmet, water bottle, waist bag, sunscreen.
MAXIMUM WEIGHT:
MINIMUM AGE: 12 years
TYPE: Equestrian Holiday with hotel accommodation
ACCOMMODATION:
7 nights stay at Alcázar de la Reina.
This is a charming hotel located in the heart of the historic center of Carmona, just a few minutes' drive from the Hacienda. The hotel, rich in history, charm, and elegance, is both comfortable and modern, and only twenty minutes from Seville International Airport. Originally built by the Moors in the 13th century as a fortress adjacent to the Puerta de Córdoba, in a time when Carmona was one of the most important caliphates in Andalusia.
The palace was fully restored in the 1990s in the original Mudejar style and renovated in 2007. It features large and elegant lounges and internal courtyards, an outdoor solarium with a saltwater pool, and four dining options.
Rooms are spacious, bright, comfortable, and tastefully furnished. They have two large single beds (each 1 meter wide); for double rooms, the beds are joined, for twin rooms, they are separate.
All rooms have a private bathroom (bathtub and shower) with hairdryer, air conditioning and central heating, satellite TV, safe, and minibar (drinks not included).
Wi-Fi is available in all common areas of the hotel. Laundry and spa services available (extra charge).
Guaranteed departures with a minimum of two riders every Saturday from 09/03 to 07/12.
PARTICIPANTS: MIN 2 MAX 8
SUPPLEMENTS & REDUCTIONS
Rate in double room 5 days / 4 nights program: €1,240
Rate for non-riders: ON REQUEST
