Unguided Panorama Trail

Uniquely innovative, ambitious and challenging!

1.990 € pp
+ additional services

Overview

Short Trail Description

Do it your way – unguided trail ride with map and GPS. Go on your own personal self-guided riding tour by discovering an unknown Catalonia on horseback. On this demanding Panorama Trail, you are your own guide! This is as individual as it can be, as only you decide the pace. Come with your partner or a friend and experience the feeling of capturing the terrific mountains of Catalonia – just you and your horses. Get acquainted with the wonderfully diverse landscape and enjoy great panoramas in absolute tranquility. Luminous mixed forests, volcanos and majestic table mountains determine this fantastic Panorama Trail!

As we want you to fully enjoy self-guided riding tour, we support you with the logistics; carriage of your luggage, delicious food, and cosy lodgings. For your four-legged companions, we organize stables and meadows with appropriate food. All "horse hotels" are very close to your own accommodation.

If you want to discover these fascinating mountains, of course you need to be well-prepared: with very good riding skills and the right materials.

Duration

7 Days / 6 Nights / 6 Riding Days

4 - 6 hours in the saddle daily

Participants

2 - 6 Riders

Scenery

Pyrenees

Highlights & Facts

Self-guided riding tour
Unguided trail riding - a unique experience!
A passionate time with horses, the country, and its people
Safety based on well-planned logistics
Excellently trained horses
Remote nature with fantastic panoramic views
Charming friendly accommodation

Riding Level

4 horseshoes or more (Experienced)

Self-Guided Trail — Unguided Panorama Trail

Uniquely innovative, ambitious and challenging!

Trail Route

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Horses trip experienced riders Catalonia

Day 1: Unguided Panorama Trail – 'Climb into the saddle and ride your dream!'

Imagine you are in Spain. The sun is shining; you saddle your horse and are almost ready to leave.

Your self-guided trail starts in Catalonia. You arrive at the Panorama-Trails horse riding centre on the morning of a self-chosen day. Here you meet your four-legged companion and get all the material and knowhow that you need from us (how to saddle, where to go, feeding the horses etc.). We also give you an introduction to the maps. After a small snack, you are ready to go!

The path leads you through thick forests of stone oaks and pines. Now you're really on your own - what a great feeling! You ride through a varied Mediterranean landscape. Behind you lie the snow-covered mountains - in front of you the Mediterranean glistens through the treetops. Finally, you arrive at an old oil mill. Your charming accommodation for the night is just next door. There is a horse pasture next to the house where your companions can relax. Savour a delicious lunch from your hostess and relax after an exciting first day of riding. Another delicious meal awaits you in the evening.

Day 2: Besalú – A real gem of the Middle Ages

Today you continue at a leisurely pace. Before breakfast, you give your horses a delicious mix of cereals and then have a cup of tea or coffee while studying the trail riding map for today. Now that you are all feeling refreshed from your night's sleep, your comrades are groomed and saddled - and off you go again!

You leave the beautiful natural stone village where you spent the night. You pass through dense forests and wide fields until you reach the river Fluvia. At a looming peak of rock, you discover a cave church with a wonderful view over the river and across the Pyrenees. What a great place to enjoy your saddlebag picnic. Treat yourself and your four-legged companion to a well-deserved break!

Freshly fortified and well rested, you can continue your journey. A track runs magnificently along the Fluvia. At a quick pace, you soon reach Besalú, a real gem of the Middle Ages.

Settled right next to a world-famous natural stone bridge of the 16th century, you find a hotel set in an ancient castle - this is where you stay for the night. If you feel like it, you can take a walk in the afternoon through the narrow alleys of this picturesque village. How about a cup of coffee at the "Plaza" while soaking up the Mediterranean atmosphere of this beautiful place?

Northern Spain on horseback tailor made trip

River crossing customized trail ride Catalonia

Day 3: Trail riding to the volcanos

A wonderful morning! With the sunrise, you feed your horses. At breakfast, you study the map then saddle the horses and you start your day.

Today a special adventure awaits you: you cross the River Fluvia more than just once! You can hear the water rushing by. Your horse takes the first steps into the water and now you are right in the middle of the river! The water is around you and you can feel the powerful muscles of your horse working against the current. You arrive at the shore safely and relax - you managed the challenge successfully!

At the other side of a wooded crest is where you may like to sit for a picnic and give yourself and the horses a break. At the waterfall of the "volcano stream Ser" you find the perfect spot for this! Here you can also have a swim before you move on into the ancient volcanic landscape. Another medieval pearl of Catalonia rises up in the middle of this fertile stretch of land. You find your cosy hotel right next to the market place.

Unforgettable horse ride adventure stunning view

Day 4: Garrotxa – From the volcanos to the Table Mountains

On horseback, you wander through the million-year-old volcanic landscape - the Garrotxa. The earth colour now turns from yellow ochre to black. The dark rocks are a contrast to the luminous green of the deciduous forests of this area.

In a typically Catalan village, lunch is waiting to be ordered at a nice little bar. The fountain ripples and the trees shade you from the midday sun. From here, the path winds steeply up to a pass at 1200 metres! You and your companions spend the night in a mountain hotel.

Trail riding brave advanced riders Spain

Fantastic panorama amazing horse riding holiday Catalonia

Day 5: Panorama Trail: Canyons and Table Mountains

Today you ride to an amazing panoramic view! On the Table Mountain, you find yourself on "top of the world"! Powerful rock walls fall down steeply, but your sturdy horses climb higher and higher safely along the cliff. High up in the air you can see the vultures circling, as if warning you to "Be careful...!". In a canyon, you find Rupit, a hidden bandit's village that was built into the rocks. The food in the rural restaurant of the village is delicious!

Your horses take you to the end of the mountains after lunch where your accommodation is perched on the edge of a Table Mountain. Josep is the landlord and a huntsman - he and the innkeeper, Lourdes, will entertain you and provide a terrific wild boar goulash.

Independent speedy horse riding Barcelona Girona

Catalonian Indian summer adventure on horseback

Day 6: Mountain pastures, oak, and beech forests

At breakfast, you can check on the horses in their meadow from the terrace of the hotel. On the "meadow above the clouds" you are warmly welcomed by your horses! In the morning sun, the Table Mountain is shimmering in a reddish colour. In the valley, there is a sparkling lake and at the horizon you can see the mountains of the Montserrat behind seemingly endless wooded hills.

The trail leads you to lovely grasslands. Cows and sheep are grazing peacefully here in this great backdrop of mountain pastures, oak forests, and Table Mountains.

In this ambiance, you happily reach your destination, the special farmhouse of our friends Jodi and Isabell. A glass of red wine, a hotpot with pine nut and plums brings your unforgettable Panorama Trail to an end.

Day 7: Adiós amigos y hasta la vista!

For the last time, you feed your faithful companions and say goodbye to them and your friendly hosts. Now it's time for your homeward journey - with a collection of unforgettable memories that will linger on for a long time!

> Important notice to all customers!

Information & Services

Character

For the participation on our self-guided trails we approach a responsible and a fair attitude towards the horse and the nature!

It is important for us to emphasize that the most important on this self-guided trail is not the speed but enjoyable trail riding!

Since you are traveling on your own, you should have appropriate riding experience in the field and experience in the independent handling of horses and their food. Absolute seat strength is a must!

The welfare of the horse and the safety of horse and rider must always come first. Do not overexert your four-legged travel companion and do not bring yourself and the horse in unnecessary danger. Although the riding pace is individually flexible, this must always be adapted to the different terrain and the condition of the horse and rider. The Unguided Panorama Trail includes both, mountainous and flat terrain. At difficult passages, it is necessary to lead the horse. Comfortable walking shoes are necessary for this purpose.

Our surefooted horses help you in varied terrain for necessary security. To master the challenge of this self-guided trail ride, you and your four-legged partner should make a good team. Daily 4-6 hours in the saddle.

Included services

Riding program as described
6 riding days with 6 nights' accommodation, including breakfast. In double room with shower and WC, including 1 night with shared shower and toilet
Saddle bag picnic on arrival day
Trail horse and its necessary equipment
Mapping and guidance
Telephone Support (in German, English and Spanish)
Accommodation tax
Luggage and horse food transport
Transfers on site

Special Offers

Flexible travel dates (on request)

Not included services

Flight or public transport on arrival and departure, taxi
Transfer to/from the start/endpoint of the trail
Lunches and dinners (Saddlebag picnic or restaurant, depending on your choice)
Entrance fees for museums and monuments
Drinks/ food in bars
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Tips for the team and other services

Transfers & Caterings

Notice

First day:Arrival at 10:00 a.m. at Panorama-Trails;
Introduction / Guidance to the care of horses (about 2 hours). Then, the first ride begins.
Last day: Breakfast (approx. 9:00 a.m.) – Departure with transfer to the next train station (Main Train Station VIC) (plus 50 €).
The tour operator reserves the right to substitute the described accommodation with an alternative.

Accommodation

Double room

Single room supplement + 40,- Euro/night

Arrival

Airport Barcelona (BCN)
Airport Girona (GRO)

We would be happy to organise your personalised arrival/departure from/to Barcelona and from/to Girona to the respective start /end point. If needed we can book a taxi transfer or reserve train tickets for you. Please contact us!

*Arrival is on the first day of riding at 10:00 a.m. Should you wish to arrive the day before, we are happy to help with the arrangements. In this case, please understand that our services and site support begin on the first day of riding!

Transfers & Caterings

Important notice

Important notice to all customers!

All trail itineraries are general guidelines and in order to offer our customers the best riding holiday experience we make occasional changes.

Depending on the number of concurrent trails, the season, the weather and national holidays, we may make alterations to itineraries at short-notice, which could affect the number of riding hours per day, the route we take to any given destination or the use of alternative accommodation. Trails can also be ridden in both directions. All changes are at our discretion but when changes are made, we endeavour to ensure that our high standards of quality are maintained and reflected in the alternatives we choose.

Presentation, organization, photos and information by Rudi Stolz

Booking

Rideable Months

Event-Dates

Available all year round. You can choose your own travel dates (upon request)

1.990 € *

* Prices without not included services

Guest opinions

Unguided Panorama Trail
November 2019

After we had received a detailed 3-hour briefing on the first day (including a description of the saddle technique, the special features of the horse´s bridles, special tying techniques, contents of the saddlebags and their function, instruction about the Garmin, emergency response procedure etc), we started our ride. Now Turbo and Loki were travelling alone with us. It was exciting for everyone involved. The horses were easy to ride and were very sure-footed and did not put a foot out of place. Cleaning and saddling was easy all week. We had wonderful weather for the entire trail, not a single rainy day and every day very different and we had incredibly beautiful views of a landscape we had never seen before. The accommodation was typical three stars and each one was very pleasant and comfortable. The food was very tasty. With the help of the Garmin (navigation device) we had no problem to find the paths and accommodation. We had, on most days started by 10am. The day tours were recorded on the GPS. Breaks and special features of the respective days are saved with certain characters. The special tying system for the horses also proved itself useful during our breaks. We had contact by phone with Corinna or Daniela every evening, who were always available for us. The two guided us through the tour in a very professional manner. We were particularly impressed by the very well thought out horse equipment, the light saddles and the many small things that the operators came up with to make us as comfortable as possible during the ride. We enjoyed riding this trail on our own and we will definitely repeat it again in the future!

Thank you for these unforgettable days!

Ursel & Babette

Unguided Panorama Trail
May 2018

We thoroughly enjoyed our 6-day unguided Panorama Trail. It was just my husband and I with no guide and, of course, our two fine horses who were reliable, fit and forward going. We've done lots of guided and unguided trails before and this one was no disappointment despite the fact we had lots of rain, limited views and several times arrived at our accommodation like drowned rats - but that's unlikely to happen to you. Instead it makes us want to return and do another trail in the much more likely good weather! The horses were good, as good as the ones in Crete (and I liked those). Yes, they had their quirks and you needed to be fully confident with general horsemanship, feeding, grooming and tacking up sometimes fidgety, restless horses, as there is of course no one around to help you. It took a few days to settle into the rhythm of how things worked, as it always does on these trails, but Rudi (the owner/head of the stables) was always at the end of the phone if in difficulty and he gave you a helpful briefing at the start of the trail and every evening. Both horses rode very well, always calm, confident and forward going. The route was superb and thanks to the GPS devices we never went more than a few yards wrong as we just followed the pre-loaded route. It was almost entirely off road on tracks that wound through valleys and mountains and felt as adventurous as the cross-Wales route we did a couple of times. No day was too long - maybe 5-6 hours riding plus 1.5 hours siesta at most, but some days have plenty of gates and some sections leading the horse on foot meaning you need a certain level of fitness to enjoy it. The accommodation was the best we have had on a trail riding holiday. I am not talking 5 stars but who wants that when you come in filthy and tired from a day in the mountains: instead we had lovely rural hotels, hostels and guest houses - characterful, good service, great food and lots of it, beautiful settings and always the horses were nearby in a small paddock with all the food left under a tarpaulin for us. We liked the varied geology (different but as varied as that we encountered in Romania): the red sand (slippery in the extreme when wet), the black volcanic ash, the slabs of stone (you need to lead across), the table top mountains (hair-raising drops and I am sure that, had we had the weather, astonishing views). The villages were beautiful to ride through, take lunch in, stay in overnight: Besalu (wonderful old bridge), Santa Pau (great restaurant), Sant Feliu (tapas in a beautiful square), Rupit (beautiful walk from where we tethered the horses across the gorge to the quaint old village) Tavertet (incredible cliff edge position). The final night in the farmhouse of their friends was special - what a building, so old and characterful. I think there are alternate routes, perhaps depending on the weather, so don't take the website too literally as you may not go everywhere and do everything, but the general spirit of the ride was captured accurately. Yes, we had a few 'moments' where you realise the ride is not 4 horseshoes for nothing, but that is largely because you have to sort yourself out when going unguided and it adds to the satisfaction. This was a well-organised trail by a professionally run outfit and I am glad they trust you with their horses. It also introduced me to Catalonia which was unexpectedly beautiful and good in all kinds of ways. We hope to be back.

Sally & Roger B.

Unguided Panorama Trail
September 2017

Second time I try a trail with Rudi's team in Catalunya. My first experince was already a great succes last year with the Andorra Trail.
This year I was looking for an other challange. The unguided panorama trail was for my friend and I, a way to be hole alone in the nature with our horses. It was a big experience with a fantastic team . Every evening we found food for the horses, a well prepared place for them to stay for the night. For the hotel and eveningmeal , everything was perfect organised for us. We enjoyed a lot.
2 women , 2 horses , sun, nice villages and nice people in each hotel. We enjoyed to make the walks on our speed, to stop and to go in the wonderfull mountains of Catalunya .
Thanks a lot to Rudi to allowed us to do this fantastic adventure , and thanks to the team for the super organisation.

Françoise Dardenne

Unguided Panorama Trail
July 2017

Self-guided ride so good it can’t be described with words! My boyfriend and I did the self-guided panorama trail in July 2017 but haven’t written a review before now because it is so hard (impossible) to put into words how amazing and incredible this adventure was! Before heading out for the first day of riding we got a thorough walkthrough of everything we needed to know. Because we were so well treated/informed by Panorama Trails both before and during the trip, we never had any problems along the trip. The horses (Rayo and Senegal) were beyond amazing. They really took care of us and were so calm, yet forward going and motivated, through the entire ride. It felt like they enjoyed this adventure as much as we did, which made it really nice. They are high quality horses who are really well taken care of. The GPS worked perfectly and we never got lost using it. Sometimes we would wonder if this is really the path to go as it could be very steep, but the wonderful horses climbed it without problems and we were in awe each time. The landscape along the ride was too incredible to describe, and as were the villages we visited and stayed in. We are visiting Catalonia again this year and have to visit some of the places again because they were so magical. I don’t want to spoil too much. The atmosphere of the ride, horses, accommodation, etc. just cannot be described. It was also such a special feeling to complete the ride on our own, through a foreign country on new horses. My boyfriend and I talk about this adventure nearly daily, still one year later, and we probably will never stop talking about it. Of course, it requires good knowledge about horses and riding, as well as a general fitness level, to complete, but if you are considering doing this ride, you should DEFINITELY do it!!! We never felt unsafe once during the ride, thanks to the horses and follow up from the team at Panorama Trails. Thank you for an amazing adventure!

Vibeke and André

Unguided Panorama Trail
May 2017

Exploring a foreign country like Catalonia on a horse sounds good. That sounds like adventures, challenges, a lot of nature and a touch of danger. Exactly the right thing to escape the stress of everyday life and let go for a week to unwind and enjoy the nature of the back of a horse.

Together with a friend I ride such self-guided trails for several years and it is always a great experience. Each country has its own beauty and you can not only see it from the back of a horse, but also smell, feel and experience it.

After beautiful self-guided trails in Ireland and Greece (Crete), Catalonia sounded fantastic as a new destination.

However, to really relax while riding, everything must be well prepared and the horses and equipment must be in good condition. This is not always the case, especially in southern countries.

What can I say, we were not disappointed. What Rudi had prepared for us about two weeks ago was first class. The two-hour briefing, the printed maps (only for a rough orientation), the plugged in GPS, the prepared accommodation for rider and horse gave us sufficient security to master the trail.

Finding the way was really child's play thanks to GPS on the wrist. The horses were excellent. They were persistent, hard-working, reliable and very light-footed. My first trail ride without muscle soreness, thanks to my four-legged buddy Rayo (in English: Blitz).
Due to the comfortable saddles, the many hours in the saddle were no problem at all.
The track was well selected and we got to see a lot of Catalonia. The different landscapes and the partly very untouched nature knock one over.

While the first three days are still very easy to ride, it will be much harder for riders and horses in the mountains. Then you have to climb a bit or lead the horses along a very narrow trail along a ravine. Comfortable but strong hiking shoes and a little trust in God are needed. But with the sure-footed and deep-relaxed horses no problem. You will be rewarded with breath-taking panoramic views.

Catalonia is not Spain you always read again and I think there is something in it (even if the Catalans think differently). It is a very special beautiful place with nice people, good food, good wine and so much oxygen in the air that you feel 10 years younger. So much forest and green I would not have expected in Spain.
Most of the accommodations were very comfortable, two more basic but always clean and adequate, with a cosy charm. Shower, free wifi, breakfast, comfortable beds, but were always available. All the people always nice and accommodating, there is nothing to moan about.

Recommendation: In Santa Pau you can eat very nice and comfortable at "Can Rafelic". Link to pictures of the restaurant can be found on Google. The restaurant was closed on the day of our passage but Rudi had kindly arranged a meal for us. Thanks again for Rudi. It was really delicious. As always, you were right.
By the way, food and drink are very cheap in Catalonia.

All in all, one of the most beautiful trails I have ridden so far. Thanks to the good organization and the great horses an absolute relaxation trip I can only recommend.

Greetings from Büren,

Rank Siek

Unguided Panorama Trail
July 2016

My 3 friends and I have just returned from completing the un guided panorama trail.... We had a fantastic time. We have ridden the Andorra trail previously and couldn't wait to have a go at guiding ourselves! Everything was well thought out and organised, Rudi has put a lot of work into marking the trails and making the GPS very easy to follow. The horses looked after us, we had our suitcases waiting for us at each accommodation along with all the food etc for the horses and a really easy to use GPS to guide us along the marked route each day. The scenery is stunning and the sense of freedom and adventure from being out there alone with the horses is unsurpassed! Its not for the faint hearted and certainly not for beginners but if you want a real sense of trail riding at its best then I would totally recommend this trip. 5 star- thanks so much Rudi and team for another great holiday!!!

Nicky Jackson

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