Train & Trail

Day 1

Mid-afternoon transfer from Seville Airport to Epona. Here you will meet your hosts and get to know your way around. In the evening, you will be escorted to the nearby town of Carmona, one of the famous white villages of Andalucia. Carmona, is the oldest continually inhabited village in Europe and as you stroll through the narrow streets of the old town, inside the ancient fortified walls, you will feel and breathe the spirits of ancient cultures, Iberians, Visigoths, Phoenicians, Romans, Moors, in the innumerable examples of their architectural influence in the churches, towers, palaces and mansions as well as in the inherited customs. Later, possibly under an indigo sky or in the interior of a centuries-old olive oil mill, you will savour the delights of the local cuisine which still makes full use of ingredients which compose the famous healthy Mediterranean diet, olive oil, garlic, onions, vegetables and fruit.

Day 2 (B,L,D)

Guests are welcome to join yardwork and grooming if they wish, or simple enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Mount up for the Old Hacienda Ride, a relaxed hack around the immediate countryside, through olive groves and eucalyptus trees. Depending on the season, you could see fields of sunflowers, wheat and cotton, as well as melons and water melons in late summer. The ride takes you past impressive 16th and 17th century Haciendas and Cortijos, which have stood here since the days when Cervantes rode these same trails, collecting olive oil taxes. Return to Epona for lunch in the cafeteria where you will have your first experience of typical Andalusian home cooking and an opportunity to sample the excellent local house wine. After lunch there is a chance to relax by the pool. Equitation lessons will take place in the late afternoon when it is a little cooler. It's a great chance to improve your school work, dressage or jumping. Dinner at Epona, followed by a glass of cool fino or wine over table games or TV in the lounge.

Day 3 (B,L,D)

After breakfast transfer to Jerez de la Frontera, in the province of Cadiz. Jerez is renowned for its production of sherries and brandies and your trip will include a visit to a famous wine shop where you will be able to sample some of the different local varieties. However, the main attraction of the day will be the visit to the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre, an equestrian performance titled, "How the Andalusian Horses Dance" (tickets need to be paid for payable locally). Here you will be see the magnificent Andalusian stallions at their best, at home in the breathtaking setting of their 18th Century palace and the riding hall. They will be performing piaffe, passage and the airs above the ground (courbette, capriole, etc) in a spectacle of light, music and colour, only to be compared with the famous Spanish Riding School of Vienna. Fernando knows many of the World famous riders and you might also have the chance to see his younger daughter Vivi in performance. She is one of an elite group to be selected, in her fourth year as a student in the school. Return for lunch at Epona, followed by lessons in the afternoon.

Day 4 (B,L,D)

After breakfast saddle up and set off across country for the Roman Bridge. Depending on the time of the year you could be riding through fields of sunflowers, wheat, cotton, oranges or peaches, through olive groves with ancient trees still carefully tended and nurtured. It is a countryside where there are very few fences. A landscape rich with a patchwork of different crops, still rotated year by year as they have always been, with wide headlands of uncultivated land separating one field from another and providing a natural bridleway across country. The variety of wild flowers, butterflies and birds, show this is a countryside where pesticides are seldom used. Along the way you may come across the river, full and flowing in spring, cool and shallow in summer, a natural heaven for wildlife, with abundant vegetation all year round. Splashing through the shallows, past water voles, terns and grebes, you'll emerge at an old Roman Bridge and shady eucalyptus grove. After a break and a few photographs, it is back home for a late lunch and a siesta. Late afternoon equitation class followed by dinner at Epona.

Day 5 (B,L,D)

Set off early to the seaside village of Matalascanas, where beautiful Spanish horses, most in Spanish tack, will be waiting to take you on the beach ride. The ride takes you on an unforgettable route through the Donana Natural Park bordering the National Park of the same name, one of Europe's last true wilderness regions and one of the largest wildlife reserves in Spain. The ride will take you over the golden dunes, brushing through fragrant wild lavender, rosemary and thyme. The area is home to many protected species such as fallow deer, boar, fox, lynx, imperial eagles, kites, vultures, storks, flamingos and herons. Once on the beach and it's time for the horses to wet their legs and for those who want to, have a canter through the surf. Then it's back to Epona for lunch and a "siesta" by the pool. Rest, enjoy a drink or a swim before your early evening equestrian lessons followed by a traditional "paella campestre" under the stars, washed down with wonderful home-made sangria.

Day 6 (B,L,)

After breakfast set off across open country for your last hack of the week, through olive and orange groves, past farmers working the land to an Andalucian stud farm. How strange, in a region where there are no bridle paths the horse can wander anywhere as long as you have respect for the crop. Return to Epona for lunch. After lunch you will be transferred to Seville. The first stop is a top quality tack shop, which is followed by a classical Flamenco Show (tickets payable locally). After the show take a short walk to an excellent restaurant for your final nights' dinner.

Day 7 (B)

After breakfast transfer back to Seville Airport.

Please note transfers can also be arranged at alternative times or from Malaga or Jerez airports for a supplementary fee.