Jesús Cadiz
It is now already 7 years since I stayed with Marion and Bart on De Balsa for a horse ride in the surroundings of Sierra Nevada. The warmth and intimacy of Marion and Bart and the two guides have stayed with me enormously. And also that I was taken into the Spanish life there. A great experience! The personal contact with Marion made it easy for me to arrange the beautiful horse ride 'The hidden side of Campo Gibraltar' from Jesús / Cádiz directly through her. I have made several multi-day foreign horse riding trips (including Chile, Argentina, Jordan, Andorra, Northern Spain). 'The hidden side of Campo Gibraltar' by Jesús is definitely one of my favorite horse rides I have made. Jesús has mapped out a balanced and varied horse ride. The combination, mountains, the national park, dunes, sea and the beach of Tarifa, provides sufficient adventure and challenge. A cultural day is also included in the program where we experienced the Andalusian riding school and a Flamenco show. Jesús is a reliable and very friendly, local guide. He knows the area very well and can tell you a lot about history and nature. A horse ride at Jesús is an absolute must!
José
Juan and Angelika
I have been lucky enough to ride with Angelika and Juan a few times now and I cannot recommend them and their lovely horses enough. They are a wonderful couple who care so well both for their guests and their horses: and they are proud to ride with people on the wonderful car-free trails that rise up into the mountains behind their home. There is nothing better than a good ride, lunch in the hills and maybe a beer in the bar at the end.
They have horses to suit riders of all standards and will adapt the route and the pace to your needs.
I can't recommend them enough - do go!
Julian Glover
Juan and Angelika
We visited Juan and Angelika in September for six days. We had a wonderful time. The first day, we arrived in the evening and they waited for us. We drove to our accommodation to drop off our bagage and then we went to see their house and the horses. It immediately felt very welcoming. After that, we went for drinks in the local bar. For the next days, we went for horseback riding, each day a different route and all were amazing. If it rained in the morning, they switched the program. They adapted so well to our needs and wishes. We also enjoyed lunch together on several occassions. Juan and Angelika taught us how to connect with the horses and how to take care of them before and after the trips. We learned a lot from that. It was also very nice that their dogs accompanied us on the trips through the beautiful mountains, nature and small villages. Another great thing were the Spanish lessons during the horseback riding. While riding, we tried to talk in Spanish and in this way we were able to improve our knowledge of the language. What is more fun than learning Spanish while riding horses through beautiful landscapes.
We hired a car from the airport, so we drove to the city (Guadix) and we had the possibility to roam around as we wished. Cogollos de Guadix is a very peaceful place and it allows you to fully relax and enjoy your holiday. Thanks again to Juan and Angelika for a wonderful couple of days! Hopefully, we will visit soon again 🙂
Els and Purnima
Annemarie
Dear Marion,
Many thanks again for your help last week. My daughters had a wonderful experience, and Anne-Marie was just fantastic.
Many thanks,
Bobby
Manolo
Hi Marion
Hazel and I had a brilliant time with Enrique and I will try to forward some photos. Thanks for arranging this for us.
Gina
“This was something new to me, the experience was quite superb, the scenery spectacular, the horse 'Mobi" quite beautiful and the instructor excellent. I couldn't fault it Manolo, the Spanish host and instructor couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. I'll be back! ”
Geoffrey G.
“A happy experience that will continue to warm us up for the winter months ahead, it has inspired us all to ride more frequently. Overall it was excellent, a lovely rural Spanish experience with good riding, great teacher, tasty food and brilliant sunshine. Memories include the Spanish countryside, increasing confidence in riding, relaxing by the pool and dining outside. ”
Anthony T.
“We both had a fabulous time. Manolo was great as were the horses, forward going but not too lively! We both grew in confidence over the week and really enjoyed the galloping.”
Helen P.
“An excellent mix of hacks, relaxation and Spanish life. We all felt that we had progressed greatly, learnt a lot, relaxed totally. What more do you need? We were very happy with the horses. Tuition was excellent. Ideal for beginners.”
Fiona M
“A quiet, relaxing time in an area of Spain which is uncommercial and where the backdrop to the experience is the North face of the Sierra Nevada. A pleasant break in good company. I enjoyed riding up the foothills of the mountains and the horse I rode was lovely. I would like to return for a trail through the Sierra's. ”
Robert A.
“Fantastic horses, well schooled and safe to ride. Manolo gives clear instructions and gives confidence to all the riders. Breathtaking scenery and excellent weather.”
Alison D.
“This was a really fantastic experience. It just got better everyday.”
Ailie L.
“Good value for money, well planned and very enjoyable.”
Grethe K.
Rafa
Wow, what a great holiday!! Rafa is an excellent host. He's a real character. He loves his horses and wonderful with people. The horses were a real eye-opener. We were not used to riding in mountains and it was a revelation as to what they are capable of: powerful going uphill and surefooted going down.
The scenery was of course magnificent and the food and accommodation exceeded our expectations. We haven't spent much time in Spain and it was great to have a host who really knows the area and showed us the best places in which to eat and drink.
Tim
Hello. We never got the chance to say thank you last Wednesday so on behalf of myself, Elaine and Sarah we would like to thank you for taking us a really nice ride, we all enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to ride really responsive horses.
Liz
Every holiday is different, but we will remember the one with you for the very mountainous ride, and exciting, and of course yourself, the 5 us got on so well and having such great company made this holiday very special for us.
Roger & Sue
What great holidays we have had with you. We would like to take the opportunity to say "Thank You" for all the fun, good local food and great accommodation. The riding has been fantastic on both holidays with you this year, your experience of horsemanship and of the area were most reassuring. We have enjoyed the explanations and your knowledge of the local history and its agriculture. A true bonus all being relayed in excellent English. "Thank You" once again for allowing us to ride your beautiful horses in such wonderful countryside and mountains. We are sure we will be coming to visit again on another of your trails.
Una & Philip
The ride was excellent - thanks. The horse was lovely, I wanted to adopt her. And the scenery was stunning. I doubt that I can have another holiday in Spain this year, but I hope I can come back for another riding trip sometime soon.
Anna
Sarah
Hello Sarah (and Ali and Emma and Charlie)!
I just wanted to thank you guys again for a great time in Spain. I was
expecting the hard work, but not quite so much riding and I truly
appreciated the opportunity to do so. I am back in the U.S. now just
in time for the snow (we currently have about 1 foot on the ground and
there's more coming) and am thinking fondly of Spain : ). I hope you
have a great Christmas!
Best wishes!
Christy
Hello Sarah,
In June we had a fantastic time riding at your stables. I still think it was the best time riding on the back of a horse in my whole life. Domingo is the best looking horse I have ever seen and I was not scared riding him. What you didn't new at that time, that I was pregnant (3 months) so it was also the last time on the back of a horse for months.
Now on January 9th our daughter Eva Stolk is born. I send you a picture.
We had a great tim at the ranch this summer
Sarah and her family are so welcoming. All the horses are just
gorgeous and was so much fun with all their different personalities!
The scenery is just breath taking ... and the village is lovely (with
great tapas bars!)
Met so many great people, had such a laugh and learnt so much.
Sarah is so amazing to watch work with the horses, a true horsewoman
who understands them totally and taught me a lot about body language
etc.
This was an experience i will never forget and i am very grateful
Sarah an...
Hi Sarah,
Here are the photos I promised you!... hope you like them! The weather's not much better here... we had torrential rain last night & apparently Cornwall is completely cut off as bridges have been swept away! ... Good old Britain!! I've been in touch with Marie & Sabine quite a bit since we got back home, ... we're missing our horses very much & plan to come back & see you all soon!
Take care, Chris 🙂
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