Espíritu de Arrieros/Adventure Riders
"Espiritu de Arrieros", in the spirit of the traders, merchants, smugglers, contrabandists of the past, is our club especially for the experienced rider to get off the beaten track and enjoy the heart of Andalucía. Adventure Rides for the truly adventurous!
My husband and I have dedicated quite some time in looking for, finding, and re-opening long disused tracks of the Arrieros (the traders of yesteryear)
My husband and I have dedicated quite some time in looking for, finding, and re-opening long disused tracks of the Arrieros (the traders of yesteryear)
Having spent many hours in the saddle re-tracing the steps of the traders and smugglers of the past as they took their wares from the coast up to the mountain, or vice versa, we asked old forest guards, local shepherds and farmers what they remember of the routes that the Arrieros took. These routes have mostly fallen into disuse and disappeared, becoming overgrown and lost. We organise treks to other villages, with breakfast or lunch stops, for the competent rider weighing less than 90 kilos and able to walk, trot, canter, gallop and sit small jumps confidently. |
With their help and the assistance of modern technology (handheld GPS and a rather expensive program that shows all the old military routes and off-road tracks) we slowly went about finding, clearing and opening up these long lost trails. It is an on-going project! Due to these routes being mostly far away from any navigable road, therefore vehicles can not enter to collect tired or injured horses or riders, we do only offer these excursions to competent riders able to spend many hours in the saddle. Likewise our horses are suitably schooled, fit, are fed a very healthy high-fibre diet and are barefoot (no chance of loosing a shoe half way up, or down, a mountain!) in order to assure an enjoyable time whilst exploring countryside barely seen this century.
Flora and Fauna in abundance. Depending on the time of year you can pick blackberries, pomegranates, oranges, madroños etc to breakfast on, from the saddle as you ride by. Wild Boar, Deer and Mountain Goat in their very natural habitat barely lift their heads from their daily musings as they are not accustomed to us humans and don´t see the horses as any threat. Excursions are usually a minimum of 4 hours to all day. And when we say 8 hours in the saddle that is exactly what we mean. We do stop for breakfast and/or lunch on the longer excursions. Often a picnic but sometimes we make it to a roadside venta, again depending on the route
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5 hour ride, plus a tapa break = 100€ p.p.
8 hour ride, plus lunch costs 180€ p.p. (A 10 hour day) (All food and some beverages are included. Experienced guides accompany every party) Maximum 4 riders. |
We ride in Endurance/English saddles with safety cage stirrups, so trainers can be worn. We recommend a good trainer or walking shoe as there may be occasion when you have to walk short stretches beside your horse.
Helmets should be worn. One hour taster ride = 25€ An experienced couple looking for a true riding adventure? Click on the box to find out about our dedicated long-weekends vacations |
Horse sports are a dangerous recreational activity and horses can act in a sudden and unpredictable (changeable) way, especially if frightened or hurt. There is a significant risk that serious INJURY or DEATH may result from horse sport activities. Participants do so at their own risk.
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