Horse trails & courses

In the evening upon your arrival in the town of Sant Jaume de Llierca you will be driven up a winding track to Can Jou, an 11th century Farmhouse perched high up on a ridge overlooking the Pyrenees.

Here you will meet the Can Jou team.
At dinner we will go over the week’s program, you will be told about the special characteristics of our Andalucian trail horses. After dinner you will be given an introduction to the weeks programme with an opportunity for a one to one conversation designed to find every rider their perfect horse.

Finally you will discover how to play the ‘Champagne rules’ which is anyone found guilty of holding up the ride at any point having to buy a bottle of local cava for the group that evening, making for lively dinners!

Today after saddling the horses we are ready to leave, 200 km ahead. The horses are fresh and ready for the adventure.

During the morning we ride through the valleys of La Miana and we pass the spectacular church of Sant Frutós. We are leaving the mountains. When we get to the river Fluvia, one of Catalonia’s biggest rivers, we travel along the south bank of the river Fluvia, where we stop for a picnic.

We continue through scenery of rolling hills and pine forests where it is very likely to meet herds of sheep or wild boar. At dusk we arrive at our destination, the charming village of Vilert, where we leave our horses to graze and rest.

Our destination for today is Hostal Nou de Crespia, where Elena and Juan are the perfect hosts. The house dates back to the seventeenth century and has been carefully restored. The swimming pool and the living room are all at our disposal. In the restaurant they serve a traditional cuisine based on the finest local ingredients and on some old family recipes.

In the morning we leave from Vilert into the forest and over the rolling hills around the village of Ollers, with its church dominating the area. Here you find some majestic farm houses built by the nobility in the 12th century.

With amazing views on the Pyrenees behind us, we enter the historic village of Galliners with some fine examples of Catalan architecture.

We travel through forests full of aromatic herbs and wild flowers and we stop for an  excellent lunch surrounded by Rosemary bushes.

After lunch we continue our journey into the Alt Empordan region and after some good canters we hit the town of Bascara, alongside the river Fluvia. We walk into the fortified centre, with its castle, and stop in one of the traditional bars for a carajillo or a glass of local fino. Back on our horses for the last part of today, a gentle ride following the river and into the village of Calabuig where we can see the 15th century Castle/church, build on a hill overlooking the Alt Empurdan 360º around us.

Our destination for today is Can Sort, an old traditional Catalan country farmhouse which has been renovated and decorated with antique furniture. Here you can relax in the gardens or have a swim in the swimming pool. Jaime and Cristina will make sure that we feel at home and serve us an excellent home cooked meal.

Today the scenery and pace is varied. Every hour we pass another beautiful village, castles, churches, chapels, arches, old wooden doors with wrought iron knockers, the beauty of the stonework of the past.

We will stop for a drink in a bar in the middle of the pine forest where we can listen to the singing of the crickets.

We ride along with excellent views where it is not unusual to disturb a resting eagle and to be able to watch it soar gracefully above us.

We ride through the coastal mountains, with views all around us, and act in the footsteps of the Romans, following a part of the Roman road from Gerona to the important Roman settlement on the coast (Sant Marti d´Empurias) and further into France.

We enjoy our lunch near a natural well, a welcome refreshment for us and the horses.

After a siesta we saddle the horses and go coastal bound.

Out of nowhere we suddenly see the magnificent castle Sant Feliu de la Garriga, a 12th century fortified castle with a Romanesque church. From here we have spectacular views on the coast and we see our beach for tomorrows ride.

Our destination of today is our hotel in L´escala, a lively town situated at the coast. Walk around the old town or plunge into the sea before dinner.

Today we make an early start. The long curve of the bay of Rosas stretches before us. Kilometres of sand and surf, not a soul, the splash of the waves, the Mediterranean sunrise, the dull thud of the hoofs on the sand, the horses love to cool their legs in the sea. Here we enjoy some excellent canters and gallops. What an experience!

After the beach ride we head inland again through the natural Parc Aiguamols, a bird sanctuary where we can sea flocks of migrating birds.

We stop in the lively fishing village Sant Pere de Pescador for a coffee and some sightseeing.

Heading for Castellon d´Empurias, the terrain is flat with lots of pears and apple orchards and also huge rice fields. The pace today is lively. By lunchtime we arrive at our destination Castellon d´Empurias. In ancient times this was the capital of the region, a lively town dominated by its spectacular cathedral.

Our hotel, in the historic centre, has an outdoor swimming pool where you can relax on one of the sun beds on the lovely patio or you can do some shopping, enjoy some excellent tapas with cold drinks at one of the nice terraces and explore the local nightlife. Or you can go to Figueres to visit the famous Dali-museum and amaze yourself with his art.

After an excellent breakfast on the magnificent roof-top terrace of the hotel over-looking the cathedral with the Mediterranean on one side and the gentle curve of the Pyrenees on the other, we saddle up again to continue our journey through the Alt Emporda.

Today we have miles ahead of us. We ride through the village of Riumors and gallop over the planes surrounded by fields with different crops.

Around lunch time we will find an excellent spot in the beautiful wild forest for our picnic.

With an amazing view on the Pyrenees in the distance, we ride through walnut and olive groves before we go down to the river Fluvia where you can see the immediate change in scenery. All year around its lush and almost looks like the Amazon jungle.

Our destination for today is Can Jou.

Sadly we have to leave our lovely hotel and say goodbye to our hosts.

We start of with a refreshing gallop and we ride through sunflower fields and walnut groves to the picturesque village of Crespia. We follow the north bank of the river Fluvia where we can enjoy the spectacular fluvial scenery with lots of different bird species. We cover many miles in a short time through sunflower fields, open meadows and forest.

We stop in Besalu where we have a delicious picnic lunch by the river. Besalu, a medieval walled village, the ancient capital, is 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 stained glass of its churches. You have some time to wander around and absorb the unique atmosphere of this ancient medieval village with its spectacular bridge and Romanesque architecture.

In the afternoon we ride through the scented oak forests above beautiful ravines that so characterise this mountainous region known as the Garrotxa. The views are superb with the Pyrenees in the distance to the north and the Mediterranean coast to the south.

After some long canters we see our base, Can Jou, a welcome sight as we arrive in the afternoon.

A glass, or two, of Cava on the terrace overlooking the mountains followed by a delicious meal is a perfect end to a marvellous journey.

Adios amigos and I’m sure we will meet again.