Discover Oaxaca Valley & Foothills Ride

Day 1

Afternoon to early evening arrival at ranch, your home for the next 6 nights, located 12 miles ( 18 km.) from the center of the city of Oaxaca and just 18 miles from the city’s airport. The ranch is nestled on the edge of the charming cheese-making village of Rojas de Cuauhtemoc.

Settle into your room, have a cool drink and soak up the vistas of the southern arm of the valley of Oaxaca. Time permitting consider a short excursion to visit the ruins of Mitla or the Sunday market in Tlacolula

Meet your guides and horses. Enjoy a fresh-made Margarita then savor Oaxaca’s world famous cuisine for dinner.

Day 2

After a freshly prepared breakfast, ride out from the ranch & on to trails lined with towering organ cacti & weathered mesquites festooned with wild orchids. Within minutes the ride descends entering a hidden ecosystem rich in massive columnar cacti and old growth Elephant-foot yuccas. From a high lookout point, take a break in the shade, have a snack and enjoy the big-sky views of north to the Sierra Juarez. As the ride progresses westward micro-ecosystems come and go, home to rare agaves, ferns and cacti that live side by side. This ride exemplified the amazing biodiversity Oaxaca is world-famous for.

Return to the ranch to a typical Oaxacan comida, the big meal of the day for locals. Treat yourself to a relaxing massage or do some great birdwatching from your private patio or go sightseeing in the city of Oaxaca.

For dinner we’ll drive just a few minutes to the town of El Tule home of a 2,000 year old cypress tree, one of the largest and oldest trees on earth. This town is also famous for its traditional Oaxaca specialties. Leisurely dinner, stroll the quaint plaza and time to see the tree.

Day 3

Today is a point to point ride, beginning at the ranch and ending in the famous rug-weaving village of Teotitlan. We ride our way east across the valley of Tlacolula. Valley lanes traversed by cart ponies laden with fresh-cut alfalfa meander through some of the valley’s most fertile farmland

The good footing allows for picking up the pace. Shepherds with their mixed herds of goats, sheep, donkeys and cattle are a common sight along the way. Time stands still as majestic Zebu oxen united by massive wooden yokes plow the land.

A fresh picnic lunch awaits at Dainzu, an archeological site noted for its figurative stone carving. Winding eastward we’ll find the hidden entrance to an enchanting mountain pass - a geological and botanical feast for the eyes. Sweeping vistas give glimpses of the narrow western arm of the Oaxaca valley. The ride ends at the home of talented Zapotec rug weavers, where you can learn about this craft and shop for beautiful hand-woven wool rugs. On the drive back the ranch we’ll stop to a see the artisan production of mescal and to sample this distilled liquor Oaxaca is famous for.

Sunset cocktails and dinner follows.

Day 4

From the ranch we ride past pecan orchards and flower farms before finding the remnants of the old Camino Nacional, worn paving stones still mark this long-abandoned road. In Tlacochahuaya, a quiet native village, we ride up to its famous 16th century Dominican church. Recently-evangelized Indians painted the delightful walls & ceiling, and reflects their naturalistic approach to religion.

At a recently restored hacienda relax over a freshly prepared lunch. As the ride turns back toward the ranch, smooth trails wind through hills richly forested with old-growth candelabra and nopal cacti and ancient oxen trails lined with native flora offer rare vistas of the most southern reaches of the valley.

With time and energy permitting riders can, with a little help from an experienced farmer and a calm pony, learn to drive the carts so typical of Rojas or relax away sore-muscles with a therapeutic massage.

Dinner at Mary Jane and Bobby’s home in the historic center of Oaxaca, join them for a little after dinner scroll in the beautiful downtown.

Day 5

Horses and riders seek out trails that meander along the rugged foothills due south from the ranch. This remote backcountry is home to the Cara Cara eagle with its distinctive creamy makings. Rolling hills lined with blue-green agave plantations and woman in bright native costume working the fields are some of the images that make this ride distinctive. As the valley begins a gentle ascent we’ll ride up to a fresh picnic lunch and time to relax. After a short ride we reach our destination San Marcos Papalutla, nestled in the southern foothills. Village potters demonstrate their traditional craft with charming burnished pottery available for purchase. A short drive through fascinating rural Oaxaca returns riders and horses to the ranch.

Join the ranch’s excellent cook in a class on classic Oaxacan cuisine. Sunset Margaritas and dinner at the ranch.

Day 6

Horses and riders take a short drive southeast to explore this fascinating corner of the Tlacolula valley, home to Mesoamerica’s earliest civilizations. This is an area UNESCO recently declared a world heritage site. Around every bend lies exotic flora, unique rock formations and sweeping vistas. Ancient farm lanes, great for extended trots and canters, turn into trails that lead into true backcountry rich in rare palmillos and candelabra cacti hundreds of years old. During this ride you visit a working hacienda , ancient agricultural terraces and ancient Zapotec ruins.

The experienced trekking horses deftly ascend trails opening onto otherworldly plateaus surrounded by sweeping views across the broad valley and up into the Sierra Juarez. Picnic lunch. Optional visit to the archeological site of Yagul or visit the historic center of the city of Oaxaca.

Sunset cocktails and special farewell dinner at the ranch.

Day 7

After freshly prepared breakfast, prepare to depart. Transport pre-arranged to the airport or the city.