Spain - Majorca Beginners Programme

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 LS of Gosport on 27/07/2017

Sunday: Arrive at the finca. Relax in the your room and then have a welcome cocktail with the group to learn about the horse riding holiday. Free time to explore the finca grounds or have a swim until 19.30 when dinner is served and you meet your fellow riders.

Monday:
After breakfast you will meet your horse and instructor and have an introductory lesson, where beginners will learn the basics of control and more experienced riders will decide along with the instructor what they would like to work on for the week. After the lesson there is time to have lunch and relax by the pool, before a trail ride into the surrounding countryside in the afternoon.

Tuesday:
Breakfast is again followed by a lesson. Then the rest of the day is free to relax in the sunshine and enjoy the surroundings.

Wednesday:
Breakfast, followed by a lesson. By today the complete beginners will be getting into a routine and understanding the aids given to ride a horse, while the more experienced riders will feel the progress they have made so far.

Thursday:
After breakfast there will be the usual morning lesson, followed by lunch and a chance to relax before going out on another trail ride in the afternoon.

Friday:
After breakfast there is free time until it is time for riders to depart for the airport for their flight home.

This horse riding holiday can also be extended into an 8 day / 7 night holiday, with 6 days riding - arriving Sunday, riding Monday to Saturday and departing the following Sunday.

No riding on a Sunday.

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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 instructors are German-taught dressage instructors who speak excellent English and Spanish. As well as learning with the horses in the menages there are trail rides out exploring the local scenery. The trail 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 around 30 horses available for the guests to ride.

This programme is designed for beginners so no experience is required. Riders are encouraged to be able to groom, saddle and then shower their horses after working, you will be shown how to do this so don't worry if you've never tried before! Minimum age 12.

The weight limit for this ride is 15 st/209 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 Sales Consultant for more information. Cots are provided free of charge in every room.

The restaurant serves Mediterranean food where you can sample typical Mallorcan 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 in 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 6 days/5 nights or 8 days/7 nights programme available Sunday to Friday/Sunday from March to November. No riding on Sundays.

2019 8d/7n: Every Sunday to Sunday from 3rd March to 24th November
2019 6d/5n: Every Sunday to Friday from 3rd March to 24th November
No riding on a Sunday.

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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 11m x 5m swimming pool and the spa at the finca can also be enjoyed at the end of the day

Look out for the protected tortoises are you ride through the forests, also geckos can be spotted around the finca. Inland you will pass fields full of sheep wearing bells, goats (even pygmy goats!); asses 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.

The finca is located in a beautiful remote location so if you want to explore the island you may like to hire a car from Palma airport. Local markets are close by and fascinating to visit.

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.