The ¨Picos de Europa are located in a privileged enclave between the communities of Cantabria, Asturias and León. Our departure point is from the Cillorigo de Liébana Valley, in Cantabria, one of the gateways to the Picos the Europe. You will enjoy one of the most beautiful regions in the world, with incomparable landscapes and magnificent gastronomy. The Liébana Valley is one of the most isolated areas of Cantabria, making it one of the most rural and charming areas of Cantabria.
Our meeting point will be at a Posada where the group will stay for the first two nights. This day will be the welcome day, the presentations of the team and the details of the next days on horseback will be announced during the dinner.
In this journey on horseback we will enter the heart of Picos de Europa through the three provinces through places that you had never thought you could go on horseback.
On horseback through the Picos de Europa, a gastronomic route
Price € 1550,- (single room supplement 150 euro)
Dates 2023 June 24 - 30, September 9 - 16, October 1 - 7 and October 21.
Day 1. Welcome
Our meeting point will be at a Posada where the group will stay for the first two nights. This day will be the Welcome day, the team presentations and the details of the next days on horseback will be announced during dinner at the Posada.
Dinner will be at 9:00 p.m. and lamb stew will be tasted.
Day 2. The adventure on horseback begins
At 9:00 a.m. breakfast (typical breakfast of the area). The riders will be picked up from the Hotel at 10:00 am for the transfer to Aravalle, which is only 3 kilometers away. Upon arrival in Aravalle the horses will be equipped and it will be time to assign these, a brief talk about the dressage and handling of horses and we will begin the adventure. Starting from 370 meters of altitude in Aravalle, on the first day part of the Cillorigo Valley will be covered, passing villages such as Armaño, Colio, a town that preserves the 18th century portal that during the Spanish War of Independence was the entrance to the cavalry school. Also in this town there is a legend of the devils of Colio and we can ask our guides where it comes from. The meal will be in a shepherd's hut where a picnic with typical foods of the region will be tasted. After lunch, the day will be shorter to finish in the town of Cabañes, one of the entrances natural to the Picos de Europa National Park. The horses will spend the night there and the riders will be transferred back to the hotel.
At 9:00 p.m. we have dinner planned in the hotel dining room with a tasting of new traditional dishes.
JOURNEY OF 22 KILOMETERS
Day 3. Cabañes-Sotres
09.00 in the morning breakfast and at 10.00 the riders will be transferred to the town of Cabañes where the horses spend the night. This stage begins with a great ascent to Collado de Pelea and then descends to the town of Bejes, a typical village in Picos de Europa, whose main activities are cattle and cheese production. The typical cheese of this town is PICÓN, a cheese that, after being made, is allowed to mature in caves. In this village, there is a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest: that of San Carlos or Sacred Heart that is celebrated in years ending in 0 or 5 on the first Sunday of August in which a pilgrimage is made to the Picos San Carlos located in the Massif Eastern Picos de Europa. We will continue the day with a new ascent towards the Vao (Valley) of the Lobos, a spectacular beech forest where part of its fauna is the wolf and the Cantabrian capercaillie. Passing through the Jito de Escarandi, dividing point between Cantabria and Asturias, we will finish the day in Sotres (1050 meters of altitude, Asturias) where horses and riders will rest until the next day, in a wonderful hotel managed by staff from the area where we will taste delicious local products.
At 9:00 p.m. dinner.
JOURNEY OF 26 KILOMETERS
Day 4. Sotres- Fuente De along the route of the Reconquest
Breakfast at 09.00 in the morning and at 10.00 visit to the cheese factory and cave (this activity to be confirmed the same day of the route, as it is not always open) This day, we have ahead of us a spectacular cavalcade through the valley that divides the eastern massif and the central massif of Picos de Europa, on each side of the path of Los Puertos De Áliva we will observe the majesty of Picos. We will arrive at the "raya" place that divides Cantabria and Asturias again and of which there is a funny legend of how this division of lands arose, so you cannot forget to ask your guides about this fable. We will approach the entrance of the Mánforas Mines, the place from which the blenda was extracted, which was little by little transported to the coast. Thanks to the mining activity, there is today the famous Fuente cable car. This road is part of the Route of the Reconquest that began in the year 722 where Don Pelayo defeated the Moors in the battle of Covadonga. Later we will make the appropriate stop for our picnic in this special place. Upon arrival, everything will be ready to try a wonderful paella. We will end the day with a descent through the beech forest and rest at the Parador Nacional hotel in Fuente De. At 9:00 p.m. dinner.
JOURNEY OF 16 KILOMETERS
Day 5 Fuente De-Posada de Valdeón
Breakfast at 08.30 to then have the possibility to go up to the Cable car of Fuente De (source of the river Deva) who wants to contemplate the wonderful views from the top station. Once we are on horseback we will begin an ascent towards Alto de Valcavao, leaving Peña Remoña to the right and changing community again, entering León. Then we will arrive at the Port of Pandetrave (1,562 meters) and where we will stop for lunch, with views of the central massif and the western massif of Picos de Europa, a wonderful barbecue. After a good rest, we will continue the route towards the Valdeón Valley, with views of the Cares River gorge, a river that divides the central massif and the western massif of Picos de Europa.
At 9:00 p.m. dinner.
DAY OF 19 KILOMETERS
Day 6 Posada de Valdeón-Llánaves de La Reina
At 09.00 in the morning breakfast. At 10.00 and on top of the horses we will return to the Port of Pandetrave. On this day we enter the land of the brown bear, chamois and deer. In our saddlebags we will carry the picnic since the support car cannot enter through the horse trails, trails also traveled by shepherds. This incredible terrain, full of streams, green pastures and surely a little snow will make this journey a total enjoyment for the horse-rider pairs. Crossing the Luriana Valley and very close to Pico Coriscao (2,235 meters), we will begin the descent towards the lands of the Queen, where we will stay at the only hotel in the area and taste game meat at dinner.
At 9:00 p.m. dinner.
DAY OF 20 KILOMETERS
Day 7. Llánaves de La Reina-Cosgaya
09:00 in the morning, breakfast stops at 10:00, when we take a walk to the farm where the horses rested. On our last day on horseback, we will go up to the Puerto de San Glorio, a well-known and protected area for being a Bear area. Arriving at Collado Llesba and re-entering Cantabria, we can take a photo next to the monument to the Brown Bear with spectacular views of the Picos de Europa. We will continue through the Prao Cubo to finish this journey that will be tomorrow, in the town of Cosgaya. And to finish off the week we will have a farewell meal at the well-known Hotel restaurant El Oso with a Lebanese stew. After lunch in vans, the transfer will be made to Potes where you will have your accommodation. At night and for those who have room after this week gastronomic will be dinner at the Potes restaurant.
DAY OF 14 KILOMETERS
Day 8. End of the adventure in Picos de Europa
Breakfast between 08.00 and 10.00 in the morning and end of our services. At Posada la Antigua, rooms can be left until 12:00 in the morning, so here each one will decide which will be their best option. In Potes there are buildings such as the Torre del Infantado from the 15th century, the Barrio del Sol, La Solana, and the entire old town that are worth taking a walk through. Just 2 kilometers away is the Monastery of Santo Toribio, which keeps in custody the largest piece of the cross of Christ and for this reason it became one of the Holy areas along with Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela, Rome and Caravaca de La Cruz and although less known than Santiago de Compostela, the pilgrimage route is also made to win the Jubilee, which by the way, is another beautiful journey on horseback to make through the north of Spain, from the coast to Picos de Europa, but We'll leave that for next time.
THE PROGRAM INCLUDES
− Horse prepared and equipped for the trip
− Bag for daily equipment
− Specialized guides and support team
− Transport necessary during the horseback riding trip as indicated in the program
− 7 nights accommodation
− Drinks during the crossing: water and red wine
− Rain poncho
− Assistance vehicle for luggage transfers
− Beforehand, special dietary requests (vegetarians, intolerances, etc.)
− Food during the program (typical regional breakfasts, traditional lunches and dinners)
− Stay in a double room
THE PROGRAM DOES NOT INCLUDE
− Transfer from and to the airport
− Ticket for the Fuente De cable car
− Special single room supplement
− Travel insurance. All runners participating in this trip must have accident and cancellation insurance.
− Plane tickets
− Telephone and internet calls
− Laundry services
− Drinks other than those mentioned in the program
− Transport other than those described in the program
− Route changes by the customer
− Changes in the gourmet menus scheduled daily
TO CONSIDER
− It is important to respect the schedules of the program in order to follow the daily plan.
− Special diets must be requested when booking the horseback riding trip
− Accommodation in the accommodation will be in a double room, requesting a single room, upon payment of the supplement.
− Minors will need permission from their parents or legal guardians
− If a menu or drink other than that described in the program is requested in a restaurant, it must be paid for separately by the person requesting it.
− We are responsible for the proper handling of baggage, but each customer will be responsible for checking, securing, placing and removing their baggage from assigned areas on a daily basis. − Being a journey of several days on horseback, it can be partially or totally modified if the conditions of the terrain, the weather or any other unforeseen event deem it dangerous for the participants, being the guide responsible for preventing accidents, he can make this decision to guarantee the safety of the group.
TRANSFERS IF YOU COME BY PLANE
Bilbao airport: 205 km. /2h.36 min., 265€/ group up to 4 people From 4 people, 25€ per person
Oviedo airport: 186 km. /2h.18 min., €240/group up to 4 people. From 4 people 25€ more / person
Santander Airport: 105 Km. /1h.33 min., 130 € group up to 4 people From 4 people, 25 € more per person
Madrid airport: 407 km. /4h. 27 mins.
Option 1 .- rent a car at Madrid airport (good prices (offers) Option 2 .- Train from Chamartin station (Madrid) to Torrelavega and bus (Palomera) Torrelavega-Potes Option 3 .- Bus from Madrid (America avenue) company Alsa to Torrelavega Bus Torrelavega-Potes (Palomera) Option 4.- Plane Madrid-Santander bus Santander-Potes (Palomera) Option 5.- Taxi Madrid -Potes 500€ (4 pax)
horses and saddles
- Hispano-Arabic, CDE, Anglo-Arabic, Spanish and some Spanish crosses
- The mounts are English, all equipped with a bag where every day a bottle of water and bring a rain poncho.
- One drink (wine, beer, soft drink) is included with all meals.
- English-speaking guide
For bookings, please sent an email to horsebackridinginspain@gmail.com
If you want to stay informed of new routes and offers you can ‘like’ my facebookpage.
Telephone: 0031612044440