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The Gredos Mountains are about
three hours drive west of Madrid, past the medieval
walled city of Avila and on the borders of the
provinces of Caceras, Salamanca and Avila. They are
a lovely example of rural, unspoilt Spain where high
snow capped peaks frame open moorland valleys and
seas of yellow broom, lavender and thyme cover the
hills. The Extremadura, to the south, is
traditionally the mild, winter destination of cattle
which spend summers grazing on the highland pastures
of the Gredos and is also home to Toledo, Spain's
medieval capital, and is full of culture and
history. The Gredos ride will start in Navarredonds
de Gredos (Castile), south-west of Avila, and winds
its way down into Extremadura ending in Garganta la
Olla.
The route will take you through a very
representative part of the Sierra in the province of
Avila. This isolated region is one of the wildest
and least populated areas of Spain. It is an
excellent terrain for riding, and offers a great
diversity of landscapes. It is a land full of light
and color, where wild nature shows its splendor. You
will follow ancient cattle tracks; gallop across
pastures and open fields with magnificent views;
ride up slopes of oaks, pines and chestnut trees;
cross rivers of pristine waters; overlook rocks to
discover wild goats. The small villages show their
architecture, their traditions and the way of life
of their people, isolated in this inaccessible
nature that shapes their unique character.
PG-BUTS
Included: 7 nights accommodations in country
inns, all meals, wine with dinner, 6 riding days
8 days/7 nights $ 1,945
Single: +$199
-- based on €
1,360 / € 140
2008 Dates:
04/12-04/19
05/03-05/10 10/11-10/18
Meeting: Madrid at ~ 5 p.m.
Transfer: included
Level:
Intermediate
Tack:
Spanish
Horses:
Pura Raza Española, Hispano Arab, Lusitanos,
Cruzados con Español Arab
Pace : Moderate with nice canters
Min/Max: 4-9 riders
Note : One day
includes 2 hrs of road riding to the monastery.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in
Madrid and transfer to Navarredonda de Gredos at an
elevation of 4,575 ft elevation. Here King Alfonso
the 13th built the first national Parador, which is
now the heart of Alto Gredos from which you can see
Almanzor’s Peak (7,780 ft). Dinner and overnight
stay at at the Hotel Almanzor.
Day 2: We ride up over the northern Sierra de
Gredos until we reach the origins of the Tormes
River. We follow the way towards Puerto del Pico
(4,135 ft) to cross the pass
the Arenal if the weather let’s us. On
the other side we find a milder climate coming into
to the lovely valley Tietar that is known for its
cherries. Dinner and overnight at
the country house El Canchal.
Day 3:
On a perfectly preserved Roman road we descend to
Barranco de las Cinco Villas - which are five
villages bunched together - now at a much lower
elevation of 1,200 ft. This road is still used for
the “Transhumancia”, an ancient cattle and sheep
trail used to take the livestock to better pastures.
We’ll visit las cinco villas.
Dinner and overnight again at the country house El
Canchal.
Day 4: We leave Arenas de
San Pedro and Candelera to venture into Valle de la
Vera, but first we stop to visit the Monastery of
Chilla (Chilla is the patron saint of Gredos) and
the ancient Celtic settlement “El Raso” (2nd century
b.c.). Through Valle de la Vera we leave Castille y
Leon and arrive in Extremadura.
Dinner and overnight at the country house La Josa.
Day 5: In Valle de la Vera we find many small
towns with ancient houses made of wood and adobe -
many of them with the traditional balconies. We
ride along tobacco and red pepper plantations,
orchards and through woodlands of chestnut and
walnut, as well as orange and olive trees.
Dinner and overnight at the
country house La Herrería.
Day 6:
Passing Villanueva de la Vera and Valeverde de la
Vera, two beautiful and very interesting villages we
ride to Jarandilla de la Vera. From here we ascend
to El Guijo de Sana Barbara, a small town situated
in the outskirts of the mountain range Sierra de
Gredos, underneath the port of Tornavacas. This has
always been the historic starting point for
crossings of the mountain range. Dinner and
overnight at the rural hotel ‘La Abuela’.
Day
7: We leave Guijo and keep following La Vera
until we reach Cuacos de Yuste, another picturesque
town overlooked by its monastery. The monastery is a
building of monumental art and famous the world
over. Before we continue our ride we stop for lunch
and visit the monastery. You ride on to Garganta de
Olla, well-known for its historic buildings and
typical mountain architecture. Dinner and overnight
stay in Garganta de Olla.
Day 8: After
breakfast transfer to Madrid and departure.
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