In Vilafreser, not far from Girona, you’ll find the Masia Can Grau, a tastefully renovated 16th-century Catalan farmhouse. An ideal place to spend a dream week in the company of horses. In August 2023, during a week of intense heatwave when the thermometer was blithely over 40 degrees in the shade, we had to adapt our activities and give priority to the mornings for our rides. We rode through the countryside and surrounding villages, taking in a wide variety of landscapes: sunny hills, forest tracks, small country roads and dirt tracks that were ideal for galloping.
Each day, after 4 or 5 hours in the saddle, we took advantage of the farm’s facilities to rest and, in the evening, the seawater pool with its view over the countryside. The nights were torrid, but despite the 26 degrees at 8 a.m., we set off for another ride with our mounts. Thanks to the Olympian calm of Curro, the only 100% Spanish horse in the cavalry, it was a pleasure to discover this region of northern Spain. At this time of year, we weren’t able to go as far as the sea, as access is restricted to horses during the summer months. Nevertheless, even inland, Catalonia is a dream region for horseback riding.
The horseback ride in Catalonia took place from August 21 to 26, 2023.
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