Horse Trekking the Coastal Paths & Hills of Northern Spain

Join us as we explore this beautiful region on horseback from Coastal paths with breath-taking views to the fabulous terrain of Oyambre Nature Reserve and it's diverse ecosystems. We'll ride on lanes, tracks and paths crossing the estuary to ride through the beautiful fishing village of San Vicente de la Barquera. What better way to take in the wonderful coastal and beach views, with forests of Eucalyptus swaying in the breeze and wild pampas grass rustling in this rustic and entrancing area. It's a much slower paced way of life in Cantabria with often more pushbikes that motor vehicles, look out for the birds of prey appearing to float on the thermals high above in blue skies, fields of beautiful cattle, donkeys greeting you from the fields, small holdings with owners tending their homegrown vegetable plots and all off the beaten track of the tourist way of life we tend to think of when we talk about holidaying in Spain.

Our riding will all be done at a leisurely pace to suit the riding terrain & weather and to enable you to soak up the views and ambience of this wonderful area. Subject to the tide, weather and how busy it is, we may be lucky enough to walk the horses along a spectacular beach taking in the wonderful sights and sounds.

After riding we will relax and socialise at the hotel, dining on hearty home cooked food often with vegetables grown on site. We can organise a visit to the local spa (additional cost) to ease away aches from our riding and on our free day(s) there is the opportunity to explore the local area or go a little further afield to visit villages and towns in the area.

Included in your trip are 1 Full Day & 2 Half Day rides in the beautiful Coastal region on Cantabria, additional riding opportunities may be available on our free day(s) at additional cost.

Your Riding Ability: You need to be confident and competent in walk and trot in a group, in open countryside and be comfortable being in the saddle for around 6 (wonderful) hours on the full day ride – please provide details of your experience and be honest with yourself as you will be provided with a horse/pony to suit your riding ability based upon your answers.

NB - subject to various factors it may be possible to ride on one of the local beaches but this cannot be guaranteed!

‘Agara’ (translated as Home in Sanskrit), our accommodation for this break is a large house that was formerly used as a restaurant but has recently been renovated and turned in to a small, welcoming, family run hotel. Despite the physical improvements to bring the house up to modern standards the owners have retained the character and ambience of the house. This is a chance for a relaxing break in a home away from home where you can immerse yourself in the local area and culture – you won’t find a choice of bars and nightclubs on your doorstep so if you want a party you’ll have to do it in the house!

There are twelve bedrooms and eight bathrooms; four rooms have bathrooms en-suite and the rest share the remaining four. Please note: There is a supplement for an en suite room.

All rooms will accommodate 2 people but we are using them all for sole occupancy; we are not advertising a room share service on this trip but if you prefer to share with a friend or partner who has booked please let us know.

Please be aware that there are two resident dogs on site.

Provisional Flight Information

12/04/2024       London Stansted to Santander Dep: 1250 Arr: 1550

19/04/2024       Santander to London Stansted Dep: 1015 Arr: 1105

13/04/2024    Manchester to Santander Dep: 1000 Arr: 1300

19/04/2024    Santander to Manchester Dep: 1710 Arr: 1810

Passport validity

For UK passport holders your passport must be:

• Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.

Travel Insurance

Please ensure that you have adequate personal travel insurance to suit your requirements in place before you travel. Spice Escapes have arranged a scheme with Staysure who are fully authorised and regulated by the FCA (firm reference number 663617) full details of which can be found on the FCA website www.fca.org.uk. For an instant online quotation please click here.

Global Health Insurance Card

A UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) gives you the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in the European Union (EU).

UK-issued European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) are still valid and offer the same cover as GHICs in the EU.

Once your EHIC has expired, you’ll be able to replace it with a GHIC.

NB – A GHIC/EHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance!

FCO travel guidance for Spain

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain