LOS ALAMOS EQUESTRIAN HOLIDAYS

This is the start of a great adventure that will give you excitement, thrills, great times and memories that will last forever.Call Select World Travel for more information on 01684 577007 or e-mail enquiries@selectworldtravel.co.uk

If you love to ride through beautiful scenery, canter along deserted, golden sandy beaches and explore miles of sweet smelling natural pine forest, then Los Alamos equestrian Holidays has the perfect holiday for you. The rides are above all relaxing and great fun. Los Alamos provides you with a friendly atmosphere, and great company so that you can relax and simply enjoy every wonderful moment.


Los Alamos Equestrian Holidays have been carefully designed to be hassle free and as comfortable as possible. Los Alamos is a family run business and as such you will be treated as though you are one of the family too. The price of your holiday includes transfer from Gibraltar airport, all inclusive luxury accommodation in The Los Alamos Villa with swimming pool, three meals a day and of course great riding.

The Rides
You will ride on 5 days for an average of 3 1/2 -5 hours each day. Each day will be varied and different. We don't set a daily itinerary because we like to chose the right day for the right ride. Two days a week we picnic in the forest. On the other three riding days we break in the forest for a drink and then a snack at a local bar, then carry on with our ride, arriving back at base mid afternoon for a late lunch, you will ride in small friendly groups of no more than eight. You will be accompanied at all times by two of our English speaking guides. We are sure you will get on with them, their friendliness, professionalism and local knowledge are second to none. With many years on these trails behind them, they are able to show you places that will simply take your breath away.

Forest rides
Los Alamos sits on the edge of the spectacular natural park of La Brena y Las Marisamas consisting of forest, salt marshes, steep cliffs and miles of sandy beach. The forest consists of 5000 hectares of mainly umbrella pine and eucalyptus trees, giving a unique fresh aroma. The forest stretches out along the hills and cliffs, offering stunning views over the African coast and the beaches of cape Trafalgar. The going in the forest is excellent, with long sandy tracks and firebreaks that weave their way through the trees and wild flowers such as lavender and rosemary. Here you have the opportunity for long collected canters and as you become more confident with your horse we start to include corners, these canters we affectionately call the "wiggly canters". The firebreaks give the perfect opportunity for exhilarating gallops that are loved equally by horse and rider. In between the excitement we travel at a leisurely pace enabling you to take in the peaceful tranquillity of the forest while bonding with your horse.




The beach for those of you who have already ridden on a beach we need say no more. For those that haven't prepare to make your dreams come true. We ride along the edge of the forest down onto the long sandy beaches of Cape Trafalgar and El Palmar. These beaches stretch for 10Km, giving plenty of room to let your horse show you what he can really do. The pace of the beach is fast and exhilarating and something you will never forget. People and horses leave the beach with big grins and lots of sand on their faces.

Countryside
The rolling hills of El Campo offers fantastic views as we ride over ancient drovers roads and cattle tracks. We ride past old monastery's and through the sleepy Andalucian hamlet of San Ambrosia, which has remained untouched for centuries.

Sunday - Day 1
We recommend that you fly to Gibraltar as it is the nearest airport, however we do pick up from Malaga & Jerez. Most flights to Gibraltar arrive around mid day. We will be there to meet you, escort you to your transport, and begin the trip down the coast to Los Alamos. From Gib we take an 80 minute drive over the mountains between the busy port of Algeciras and the old pirate town of Tarifa, the most southerly tip of Spain. Here we are just 7 miles from the stunning Rif mountains towering up from the coast of Morocco, you almost feel you can swim across, its so close. The rest of the journey takes you along the Atlantic coast to the villa Los Alamos near the village of Los Caños de Meca, your accommodation for the week. When you arrive you will have time to freshen up before we meet for a Spanish style lunch and have the opportunity to get to know each other. After lunch we take you to our corrals and introduce you to the horses for the first time. Dinner is usually served at around 9.00pm.

Monday - Day 2

Your breakfast is self service, and is a choice of toast, cereals with teas, coffee and fruit juices, or if you prefer we’re. At 10 am you will make your way down the lane to where the horses are kept, you will be introduced to your horse and at 10.30am we will head off deeper into the forest for your first ride. Today is a fairly quiet ride giving rider and horse the opportunity to get to know each other. We wind along old drovers tracks still used to move sheep and cattle between farms, then turn into the Las Brenas Nature Park, a 5000 hectare protected forest which is characterised by beautiful woods of umbrella pines with rosemary, blackthorn and palms. The forest offers cool shade even on the hottest days, which can be a blessing sometimes. The trails through the forest are an absolute joy to ride through. The pine trees are well spaced, the turf firm underhoof and long uninterrupted paths allow us to canter along at a brisk pace. After a couple of hours we will break in the forest for lunch, then continue riding arriving back at Los Alamos around 3pm. The rest of the afternoon is for you to relax before we meet for dinner around 9pm.

Tuesday - Day 3

This will be your first visit to the beach with your horse, so pop on your suncream and goggles. We will ride through the edge of the forest down to Cape Trafalgar and along ‘Playa de las Almas’ (the beach of the souls, so called since the battle of Trafalgar washed its dead upon the shores here in 1806), tide permitting, you will have your first taste of a beach cantor or gallop. At this historic place with its old lighthouse you can see as far as Morocco. With smiles and sand on our faces arriving at the other end we will head off back to the forest and wind our way to the small village of San Ambrosio, where we will stop and have lunch in a local bar. We will then ride around the edge of the forest passing cattle farms and a Hermitage first built 700 AD, arriving back at Los Alamos approx 3.30pm.

Once again the rest of the afternoon is for you to siesta, just relax by the pool or take a stroll to the beach, before we meet up in the evening for dinner at around 9.00pm.


Wednesday - Day 4

We head off into the forest along sandy trails over to the Moorish look out tower “El Tajo”, which stand some 100 metres above sea level and is one of the beacons belonging to the military architecture of the 16th and 17th century which offers fantastic cliff views of Africa. As you are more confident with your horse this ride incorporates some fun wiggly canters and an exhilarating fire-break gallop. To day we will enjoy a picnic lunch out before arriving back at Los Alamos at approx 3.30pm.

Thursday - Day 5

Today the horses have a rest day and we drive to Jerez to visit the “Escuela de Arte Ecuestre” (The Royal School of Equestrian Art), where you will have the pleasure of experiencing one of the finest displays of horse showmanship anywhere in the world. It’s truly breathtaking. After the show we will have lunch in a local Tapas Bar in Jerez. You will also get the opportunity to visit a large well stocked tack shop, and time permitting take in some sherry tasting. We return late afternoon to Los Alamos where you can reflect on the day’s delights.

Friday - Day 6

This ride takes you through the forest towards the port of Barbate, the sandy tracks are perfect for long windy cantors, we drop down onto the old Roman cliff road where you will have stunning views of Barbate and the coast of Africa. The Barbary pirates who crossed the seas from North Africa plundered this coastline for centuries for its tuna and other riches, to combat this a series of watchtowers were built and remain almost in tact, which you can see from the Roman road. Heading back through the forest we will lunch at a small bar before heading for home and taking a small diversion for a gallop through the eucalyptus trees.

Saturday - Day 7

Oh no, this is the last days riding! But one you’ll never forget. We set off early down to the beach of Cape Trafalgar where tide permitting you will have the opportunity for long cantors or gallops; we ride along the coastal path to the next beach of El Palmar for more fun. Leaving the beach with even more sand and bigger smiles on your faces we cross through the agricultural land along sandy tracks and drovers trails enjoying the views over the wide open landscape through sunflower, sugar beet and barley fields. The drover’s trails have been used by Spanish and Moorish horsemen and cattlemen for hundreds of years and are still used to this day. The tracks are wide and sandy giving us opportunities for your last cantors. We will be having lunch outside San Ambrosio giving everyone a chance stop to have a well earned rest before carrying on home through the forest, where we bring an end to your unforgettable weeks riding. After saying your sad but fond farewells (until next time) to your horse we return to Los Alamos. We will meet for our farewell dinner at approx 9.00pm, where by now new friends have been made and new experiences can be reminisced over a glass or two of Rioja.Andalucian Horseriding Holidays - Horseriding holidays in Spain, Andalucian horses, Los Alamos Equestrian holidays.

Call Select World Travel for more information on 01684 577007 or e-mail enquiries@selectworldtravel.co.uk