Horse trails

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.

THE WELCOME

Here you will meet the family, the guide and the Can Jou team.
At dinner we will go over the week's program and you will be told about the special characteristics of our Andalusian trail horses. After dinner you will be given an introduction to the week´s 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' under which anyone found guilty of holding up the ride at any point is obliged 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, 220 km ahead. The horses are fresh and ready for the adventure.  During the morning we ride through the mountain valleys, the views are superb with the Pyrenees in the distance to the north and the coast to the south.  A long day of 40 kms. By midday we pass by Besalú, a medieval walled village and the ancient capital of the region.  We are leaving the mountains. When we reach the river Fluviá, the pace accelerates and between gallops and trots we are covering a lot of ground.  We travel through sunflower fields and forests, where we may surprise a herd of wild boar.  At dusk we arrive at our destination, Vilert, where we leave our horses to graze and rest.  We will be driven back to Can Jou for another amazing meal with our popular house wine.

The day begins with a good Can Jou breakfast and we will go back to our horses to get them ready for another good riding day. Today we follow the river Fluvia, Catalonia´s largest river, down to the coast. There are big stands of plane trees along the river. We pass Bascara, one of the first Roman settlements with gallops along side the race course. From the hillside castle of Calabuig we can see the sea on a clear day. The horses can smell the beach today. We keep up a steady pace and follow the river Fluvia, we are coastal bound. Our destination is in Sant Pere Pescador: a little hotel in a stately town house, it is a jewel of Catalan décor in this lively fishing village. Juan and Maria, the owners, will await us with gorgeous fish dishes and a warm welcome to the Mediterranean, the Costa Brava (the wild coast). Tonight is special; we can go out and have a cocktail in this happy and lively village

Today we make an early start. Ahead of 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.  What an experience!

Now we head out parallel to the coast, across the plains, the going is good, here you feel how fit the horses are. Onwards to the cliffs of Toroella with the Castle high on a hill always in the background, the views out to the sea are spectacular.  We continue into the immense dunes and pine forests.  We can have a picnic on the cliffs looking out to sea.  We ride on to the old roman town of Toroellla de Montgri to cross the bridge over the river Ter.  With good gallops alongside the river we set exotic migrating birds to flight.  Here we stay in a petit grand hotel, not far from the beach so near enough to enjoy a pre-dinner swim followed by some excellent fish dishes.  This is a fitting end to a lovely day.

Today we go Medieval.  The morning begins on the coast and we turn inland across the rice fields of Pals and on into the village, a classic medieval settlement on top of a hill surrounded by fertile agricultural land.  The wealth of the area is reflected in the style of the architecture, the churches, the manor houses, all beautiful buildings of sculptured stone.  This paradise was first inhabited by the ancient Iberians and then the Romans.  Today the riding is interesting and varied.  It is easy to understand why the Romans chose to settle here.  This day of great gallops and trots, between fascinating stone villages with nice cafes on the village squares comes to a glorious end as we reach the Catalan farmhouse hotel and enjoy the hospitality of Joseph and Irene.  Here we are next to the castle of Pubol, Salvador Dali´s present to Gala.  Once more the Catalan cuisine and the local wines are wonderful.

After a hearty country breakfast we saddle up and continue. Today we are following an old drovers track, a "camino real", a royal route used to lead the livestock towards the mountains for the summer.  We travel through fields, forests full of aromatic herbs and wild flowers.  We are covering a big distance today and you will be proud of your  horses resilience and continuous enthusiasm. The support vehicle is a welcome sight with another delicious picnic awaiting us under some shady trees.

After a short but sweet siesta we ride on.  The local villages are interesting, in the centres there are often small castles of the medieval feudal Barons who governed the local population.

In the evening we arrive in the rural area of  Plà de l'Estany.  We stay in our hotel Ca ´Armengol, an 18th century farmhouse situated in the middle of hills and fields with some amazing views.

Today we head back to the mountains. During the morning the going is lively following the river Ter, immense stands of plane trees, meadows, fields of sunflowers. After a welcome picnic lunch the afternoon ride is back into the mountains. Once more the views are imperious and we can see the route that we have just ridden: six days of trail, adventure and companionship. An unforgettable experience!

Our base, Can Jou, is a welcome sight as we arrive in the evening.

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.

Breakfast and departure and we hope to see each other again soon