Alpine Landscapes, Mediterranean Weather, and Mexican Hospitality
Cabalgatas La Sierra is a deluxe horseback riding vacation, first-class riding holiday, all inclusive, one-week horse trek offered to people who would like to discover Mexico on a horse. It takes place in Valle de Bravo, a town located two and a half hours west of Mexico City, on the Sierra Madre Occidental. The town is 6,000 feet above sea level and during the trek riders go with horses up over 10,000 feet where fir trees grow and where the Monarch Butterflies come to look for shelter from November to March of each year. The different altitudes create an amazing variety of microclimates where riders can find thriving examples of cold and warm climate species. The sloping terrain allows to easily go from one microclimate to another; riders will have the opportunity to see all what grows around fir trees up in the mountains and come down to the sugar cane fields, all during the same week.
A weather as the one Valle de Bravo has is hard to find anywhere in the world. Winter is warm and sunny during the day but cool enough at nights to enjoy a chimney in the wonderful Finca Enyhe. Autumn and spring are almost the same, with glorious clear blue skies and refreshed verdant countryside. Some beautiful clouds may be formed by mid-day and a rain may fall down for a couple of hours but again the sun will be shining, creating a magnificent sunset with orange and purple-pink clouds mixing together.
Mexico has the greatest variety of pine and oak trees in the world. More than 70 types of oaks and almost 100 varieties of pines. Over 60% of them are endemic from Mexico (they only grow in this country). An incredible diversity of plant life is the most striking feature of Valle de Bravo. Lots of fruit trees grow in this area; the very well known avocado, orange, lime, lemon, mandarin, plum, apple, pear, peach, berries, and the most Mexican guava, cherimoya, guanabana, jicama, mamey, zapote and chayote. All of them grow together with the most exhilarating and colorful variety of flowers shading the paths and trails where the ride develops.
Cabalgatas La Sierra maintains and trains a group of different types of horses of which Trakhenners, Thoroughbreds, Quarters, Appendix, and Criollo horses can be found; all of them in perfect condition to work in the different types of terrain found during this one-week horseback riding vacation. The horses are between 15-17 hands in height and have temperaments from very calm and quiet to quite spirited. Western, English, and Mexican Charro tack areavailable. The Mexican Charro saddle is similar to the Western, mainly being the difference on a bigger horn and a wider seat. Whichever tack that the rider chooses, all saddles have a comfortable sheepskin seat saver, a "manga" (raingear), and big saddlebags with plenty space for the rider's personal items including the water bottles for the day.
The variety of flavors of the Mexican kitchen is offered to guests with hygienic procedures and the home made food gives them the opportunity to taste different dishes every day. Breakfast includes real fresh fruit and juice, egg dishes, sweetbreads, coffee, tea, or milk. Lunch is a picnic on the trail after three hours riding. It includes fresh fruits, Mexican tortas and tacos, and a variety of cheeses, meats, cold sodas or beers brought along by a pack mule that also provides horse-shoes, first aid kit, medicines for the horses, and all that might be needed during the daily ride out in the forest. Having eaten and rested, the riders mount their horses again and continue riding for two or three more hours. Horses stay for the night out in the woods attended by the wranglers while the riders are taken back by car to the town of Valle de Bravo. Some riders may choose to mingle around the town and afterwards calmly walk back to Finca Enyhe. Some others may prefer to enjoy a spectacular sunset while drinking a Margarita or Tequila by the side of the swimming pool. Everyday, exactly at 7:30pm, all riders enjoy a delicious typical Mexican meal together inside the magnificent dinner room with its big table and old furniture. During dinner a wide variety of traditional Mexican dishes are served accompanied by red and white wine.
A Monarch Butterfly reserve is visited during the time the butterflies hibernate in the high altitude fir tree forests. The butterflies, seeking for warm weather, arrive from the eastern side of Canada during the last days of October and depart by March 21. Riders can see them hanging by the millions on the fir trees. This is considered one of the most intriguing and fascinating natural migrations in the world! This reserve is quite new and not well known or visited by many people; therefore, riders can enjoy the butterflies in their natural habitat.
The hosts, Lucia and Pepe Schravesande, speak fluent English and have ridden in places such as Africa and Wyoming. They personally take care of all the details of the accommodations, meals, route, horses, and tack. A team of smiling and gracious wranglers make all the work of cleaning, feeding, and saddling the horses. Everyday the group is accompanied by one of the hosts that guides through the route and by two wranglers that help the riders whenever they may need it. On one of the days, after six hours riding with spectacular views, riders return to town on a boat that crosses the lake; a delightful and relaxing experience after a long day on the horse!
This is a first-class service that provides the guests with great horses, well kept tack, spectacular views, delicious Mexican food, beautiful and comfortable accommodations, and the traditional Mexican hospitality in some of the best weather found in the world.
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