Spain - Majorca, Tuition and Trails

Please Note: The opinions expressed in these reviews are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Trails Ltd. These reviews are "directly from the horses mouth" and unedited. Unicorn Trails may make additional comments for clarification clearly identified in red.

Review received from EG of PAISLEY on 08/09/2018

This program is flexible and can be adjusted.

A la Carte Programme (no riding on a Sunday):

Day 1
Arrival and transfer by car to the Finca. You are welcome to walk around the fields and meet the horses as well as settling into your room for the week. In the evening meet your guides and other guests for a welcome dinner.

Day 2
After breakfast you will have a one hour assessment lesson in the outdoor school under careful eye of one of the instructors. Then you have free time to relax by the pool until a three course lunch is ready for you. Later in the afternoon you will have a one hour trail ride to explore the local scenery and get used to your horse outside the arena. You will then return to the finca for a delicious three course dinner.  

Day 3
Today you will ride for approximately five and a half hours, with a break mid-way through where you will be met by the support vehicle bringing you drinks and snacks. Much of the terrain will be plains and farmland, meaning there is plenty of opportunity to canter. At one point you will pass a small village and take small riding tracks which lead up through the pine-covered mountains. These tracks will bring you to Bonany Sanctuary, and you will have the chance to go inside. You will then re-mount your horse and begin the ride back to the finca, taking different routes to those you used in the morning. A three course dinner awaits on your return.  
                                           
Day 4
Setting off from the finca you will meet the horses and ride through olive groves, under mulberry trees, past lemon and orange trees and climb and climb up the Sant Salvador massif and eventually arrive at the medieval castle of Castilli de Santueri whose origins were orginally Roman and even Arab before that. From there you can look across the valley to the monastery of Sant Salvador. After lunch you will ride down past the castle using paths carved into the mountain and other hill tracks. You will then return to the finca for your final dinner of the holiday. Approx. riding time 7 hours.

Day 5
Today is a day to spend at leisure, when you can enjoy the shops in Palma or the exquisite local beaches. Your hosts will have plenty of ideas and advice on how to spend your free time. You may also, if you wish, arrange for extra riding lessons on site. These can be paid for locally and are not included.

Day 6 & 7
Today and tomorrow you can choose between lessons and trail rides, either: a 2 hour trail, 1hr 30 min jumping lesson or 1hr dressage lesson in the morning. The rest of the day could be free time to relax in the swimming pool area, enjoy 2 hours in the spa (included in the price on one of the two days) or have extra lessons or a massage at extra cost.

Day 8
After breakfast you will depart in time for your flight.

Dressage & Show Jumping Programmes
A more intensive dressage or a show jumping tuition week can also be booked. On this programme you have a lesson with a senior instructor on your first day and in between the trail riding you have riding lessons on an individually assigned Andalusian stallion as well as doing some training with the younger horses.  Please see alternative webpage for the dressage programme.

Please note: All itineraries are given for your guidance only and it may be altered on the ground and in accordance with the prevailing conditions by the organising team.

The horses are mainly homebred Spanish and Andalusian horses, renowned for their sensible temperament - all are fit and responsive. Sizes range from 14.2 up to 16hh; they are ridden in both English and Spanish tack. There are 30 horses available for the guests to ride, the school instructors speak English, French, Spanish and German and the trail guide speaks German, Spanish and English.

The riding itinerary is flexible.

The ability to walk, trot and canter is required. Knowledge of tacking up, grooming and feeding is not necessary as the finca staff are available to help as required. Minimum age 12.

The weight limit for this ride is 210 lb/95 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.

The finca offers 8 standard double bedrooms (all en-suite), each decorated in the traditional style of this island. All guest rooms have a bathroom, satellite TV, minibar, fan, central heating, air conditioning a safe and a telephone: most have french windows opening onto a balcony. There are also 4 wooden chalets which come equipped with twin beds, a lounge area, bathroom and outside decking area with tables and chairs.



The superior rooms have been newly built for 2018. They are situated next to the main building above the new dining room (also renovated for 2018). The rooms are more spacious and offer views of the terrace, swimming pool and vineyards from their balconies. The superior rooms can accommodate up to 4 people.



There is also a junior suite available, please ask your Travel Advisor for more information. Cots are provided free of charge in every room.



The restaurant serves Mediterranean food where you can sample typical Majorcan dishes. Breakfast is continental - help yourself to cereal, rolls, meats, cheeses, croissants, a selection of juices and coffee. At breakfast you are given a form from which to select your lunch and dinner choices - both meals are three course and the finca is licenced with a full bar open all day.



The finca has its own 5m x 11m swimming pool; cycles are available for hire onsite and there is a spa at the finca which is also available. There is free WiFi for guests

Vegetarian or other dietary requirements can be accommodated with advanced notice. Please contact Unicorn Trails with requests.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct documentation in place for your trip. If Visa’s are required the requirements can change from year to year depending on diplomatic relations. Please request information from the appropriate Consulate in your home country. Unicorn Trails will assist with any questions you have or supply any necessary supporting documents as required by the consulate on request.

General information:

Visa are not required for U.K. or other European nationals. In the UK the British Foreign Office gives travel advice on travel insurance, passport and visas, health and vaccinations, legal issues and emergency issues. They can be reached on 0207 008 0232/0233 or at www.fco.gov.uk

The British Consulate in Madrid is at the Calle de Fernando el Santo 16, 28010 Madrid. Tel: +34 91 7008200. Email: commerce@ukinspain.com www.ukinspain.com.

The Spanish Embassy in the U.K can be found at 39 Chesham Place, London SW1X 8SB. Tel: (020) 7235 5555.

Varies from a low of 14 degrees in January to the mid/high 30s in mid-summer

No special health precautions are required for visits to Spain, for further details please see your local doctor. We do advise taking plenty of sunscreen!

For up to date information on specific health concerns please contact the Medical Advisors For Travellers Abroad. Their website can be found at www.masta.org

Voltage is the same as in the UK and most appliances such as battery chargers for videos, hair dryers etc. can be plugged in with appropriate adapters. These are available for purchase at most airports and travel shops.

230V 50HZ with a two pronged round pin plug

Mainstream batteries can be bought from local towns, there is mobile phone reception at the hotel.

It is warm to hot all year round so pack accordingly, in the evenings it may be cooler in the autumn, winter and spring. Remember your swimming gear (it is a lovely pool) and plenty of suntan lotion - temperatures will reach the mid-high 30s in August.
Jodhpurs/riding trousers, long sleeved shirt and T-shirts, riding hat, boots/walking shoes, ½ leg chaps, sun hat, toiletries, warm jacket, rainproof coat, camera, binoculars, NB sun cream, swimming costume, shorts. As with all trail riding short boots/walking boots which are comfortable and fit well are invaluable and infinitely preferable to long riding boots.
Hats and half chaps can be borrowed.

This is a 8 days / 7 nights programme with 5 days riding available every Sunday from March to November. No riding on a Sunday.

2020: Every Sunday to Sunday from 1st March to 29th November. No riding on a Sunday. Fully booked 21-24 May

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‘The New Spaniards’ –John Hooper, ‘Driving over Lemons’- Chris Stewart, ‘The Story of Spain’- Mark Williams, ‘South of Granada’ – Gerald Brenan, ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ – Ernest Hemmingway, ‘As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning’- Laurie Lee and ‘Don Quijote de la Mancha’ – Miguel de Cervantes. For the equestrian traveller who would like to see what is possible on horseback visit www.thelongridersguild.com also a fantastic place to acquire your equestrian travel books is www.horsetravelbooks.com

Bicycle hire is available onsite; a spa at the finca can also be enjoyed at the end of the day

Look out for tortoises as you ride through the forests, also geckos can be spotted around the finca. Inland you will pass fields full of sheep, goats (even pygmy goats!) and donkeys - some still used as a form of transport. You will ride past mulberry trees (red and white fruiting); fig trees; carob trees; orange, lemon trees; date palms and vineyards.

Local markets are close by and fascinating to visit. Car hire can be organised from the finca - the finca is remote so this is recommended if you wish to visit further afield. The beach is around 1 hours' drive away from the Finca.

Spain is a beautiful and diverse country, the second largest in Europe. The official language is Castilian Spanish but Catalan, Galician and Basque are also spoken. Territory includes two island archipelagos – the Balearics and the Canaries – and two enclaves on the North African coast, bordering Morocco – Ceuta and Melilla. The African influence can be found throughout Spain but especially in the south, for example the guitar was invented by the Spanish when they added a sixth string to the Arab lute. Music and art permeates Spanish culture, most obviously displayed in the fire and passion of the Flamenco and the stunning modern architecture found in the cities.

The famous siesta is still enjoyed by the majority of Spaniards, most shops close at lunchtime for two or three hours so everyone can escape the often scorching afternoon sun. Evening meals are served late into the evening with plenty of wine or sangria. Often meals can last two or three hours, especially if your host is serving Tapas, small and varied dishes of meats, bread, vegetables. Paella is also a delight and very popular across the country.

Spain is one hour ahead of GMT and they use the metric weights and measures system, so kilometres and kilograms instead of miles and pounds. There is approximately 1.6 kilometres in a mile and 2.2 pounds in a kilogram. The international dialling code for Spain is +34.