Vilafreser – Sant Martí d’Empúries – Vilafreser – Besalú – Vilafreser

Ruta Año nuevo

NewYear 28 dec-4 Jan 2024, Thursday-Thursday

Ruta Año nuevo a Masia Can Grau

8 days / 7 nights – 4/6 hours X 6 days riding

Vilafreser – Sant Martí d’Empúries – Vilafreser – Besalú – Vilafreser

“One of the most memorable ways to end the year”

From 28th December to 4th January, enjoy six days in the saddle with a delicious dinner and fun, musical party on the night of the 31st at Masia Can Grau.

DAY 1 - WELCOME TO MASIA CAN GRAU

Arrival at Can Grau, a guesthouse located at the base of the Pyrenees, facing the Medes Islands nature reserve. We have thirty years’ experience in horse riding holidays, and this is  the ideal place to start the year on horseback and an original way of discovering the region. We will begin with a fantastic home-cooked dinner and a description of the characteristics of our Andalusian and Arabian crossbred horses, a combination of the best of each breed. You will be given an introduction to the week’s program and the opportunity of a one-to-one conversation with Ramon, in order to pair every rider with the right horse.

DAY 2 - THE JOURNEY BEGINS

After breakfast and a short briefing with our guide, we saddle up the horses and are ready to depart. The horses are fresh, and we enjoy long canters through the Alt Empordà pine forests. After every hour we pass by another beautiful village, castle, church, arches, tunnels, old wooden doors with wrought iron knockers… the beauty of the stonework of the past. As the afternoon draws in, we can sense the proximity to the coast and we eventually arrive at the large Mediterranean gulf of Roses. The assistance team is awaiting us and has prepared all for the horses’ rest.

DAY 3 ¡VAMOS A LA PLAYA!

After an early start, we trot our horses one kilometre down to the beach. The long curve of the bay of Rosas stretches before us, endless golden sand. The perfect opportunity for some excellent canters and gallops on the beach. After this experience, we head inland again following the Fluvià river, and pass a bird sanctuary where we can see flocks of migrating birds. The terrain is flat with numerous rice fields and peach, pear, and apple orchards. The pace today is lively! We continue our journey back to the equestrian farmhouse of Can Sort after our daily picnic in an evergreen oak forest.

DAY 4 DECEMBER 31st: THROUGH THE EMPORDÀ REGION

After an excellent breakfast, we saddle up again and start going westwards back to Vilafreser. Although a prosperous area, the Empordà region still preserves the traditional rural and village way of life. The paths and tracks have not been tarred nor has the countryside been fenced off so there is an unlimited combination of paths and bridleways to explore. After the ride, we will meet all the groups at Can Grau to enjoy an incredibly special dinner to celebrate the last day of the year. An animated party is in store for us, with live music and an open bar for this exciting night!

DAY 5 - 1ST JANUARY: STARTING THE YEAR IN THE SADDLE!

Most probably one of the best ways to start a new year! After a late breakfast, we will join our horses and tack up again for the ride. We leave Vilafreser crossing an oak forest, accompanied by scents of thyme and rosemary. Our destination for today is Besalú, a medieval walled village. This ancient capital is a jewel of Romanesque architecture set between two rivers. We cover many miles amidst the wilderness of La Garrotxa, through fields, open meadows and forests. Our hotel is in front of the spectacular medieval bridge and we’ll have some time to wander around and absorb the unique atmosphere of this special village.

DAY 6 - FROM BESALÚ TO EMPORDA HEALTH

From Besalú we head straight into the forest and over the surrounding hills. We ride through a typical Mediterranean brushwood forest, thick with bushes and calcareous soil. This is a rocky area with old buildings of traditional rural architecture like shelters for herders and small stone walls. Up to the Fluvià, out of the rolling hills and onto the plains, we canter and gallop through olive groves and along wheat fields. Our destination is a charming small hotel, a restored original Catalan country farmhouse, where we will enjoy a delicious home cooked dinner.

DAY 7 - HOMEWARD BOUND

After breakfast, we tack up and leave the hotel southwards through Catalan Mediterranean scenery, crossing the small villages of Galliner and Vilamarí. We enjoy spectacular views over the coastal plains and the foothills of the Empordà region. Crossing pine and oak forest, we stop for a rest and to have our daily picnic. For the last part of today, a gentle ride until we arrive back at Can Grau, where we shower our horses and enjoy a delicious dinner.

DAY 8 - ADIÓS AMIGOS

Breakfast and departure. 

Friends forever more! See you next year!

Accommodation

Masia Can Grau www.masiacangrau.com
Can Sort www.cansort.com
Hotel Moli de l’escala  molidelescala.com
Hotel La Martana www.lamartana.com
Hotel Masia La Palma www.masialapalma.com