Foothills & Oaxaca Valley Ride · Horseback Riding Excursions

Perfect year round riding in Oaxaca, Mexico

Discover Oaxaca Valley & Foothills Ride

Rates & Dates 2010/2011
7 days / 6 nights / 5 days of riding:
4-6 riders $1,150
2-3 riders $1,450
1 rider $1,950 (if other riders register this does not apply)

Includes:
Riding: Over 25 hours of riding.  
Guides: English speaking, experienced & with ample local knowledge.  
Lodging: 6 nights accommodation  - double occupancy at comfortable country guesthouse. $200 single occupancy supplement.
Food: All meals, beer or wine with meals & cocktails.
Transfers: Upon departure from the ranch to airport or city hotel.

Note: Special Offer: $100 discount for returning guests.

Dates in 2010:
July 18 – July 24
August 22 – 28
Sept. 19 – 25
Oct. 17 – 23
Nov. 19 – 29 (see combined Canyon & Valley Ride)
Dec. 9 – 17
Dates in 2011:
Jan. 30 - Feb. 5 (endurance competiton option)
March 6-12
April 3-9
June 19-25
July 10-16

Inquire about alternative dates for groups of 3-6.

This itinerary is based on a medium paced ride moving at walk, extended posting trot and canters. Riders requesting a slower paced ride are welcome but with reduced distances covered the itinerary may be modified.

Day 1

Afternoon arrival at ranch, your home for the next 6 nights, located 18 miles from the center of the city of Oaxaca.

Settle into your room, have a cool drink and soak up the vistas of the southern arm of the valley of Oaxaca.

Meet your guides and our horses before dinner.

Enjoy a fresh-made Margarita then savor Oaxaca’s world famous cuisine for dinner.

Day 2

Today’s ride is new to the itinerary with the destination being Matatlan, an important Mezcal-making village about 20-mile ride away.

We wind through the valley on excellent footing - perfect to pick up the pace. After crossing the dense wild cane stands that line the Rio Salado the trails lead to the colonial Hacienda Alfredez. Along the edge of the town of Tlacolula our route passes giant cypress trees and living fences made up of prickly pears before the brightly painted houses fade to give we to quiet oxen lanes.

We ride right through the hamlet of Tanivet, famous for its organ cacti fences. As we near our destination the flat valley turns to rolling hills covered in blue agave plantations. Lunch awaits us in Matatlan where you learn how mezcal is made and of course taste the fine artisan varieties produced here. A short car ride along the famous Pan-American Highway leads us back to the ranch.

Approx. 5 hours of riding

Day 3

Horses and riders take a short drive southeast to explore this fascinating corner of the Tlacolula valley, home to Mesoamerica’s earliest civilizations. 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 the foothills rich in rare yuccas and candelabra cacti hundreds of years old. This area is considered one of the seats of civilization in Mesoamerica; pre-historic caves, ancient agricultural terraces and an archeological site are all a part of today’s exploring. We ride right up to a working hacienda on the edge of a nationally protected ecological reserve where a fresh-picnic lunch awaits.

With horses and riders refreshed the ride heads to the tails of the eastern slopes that lead to a backcountry experience that feels both timeless and remote. The experienced trekking horses deftly ascend trails opening onto an otherworldly plateau surrounded by panorama views across the broad valley and up into the Sierra Juarez. Stunning vistas of the mesas of Caballito Blanco and Yagul rise to the south. A visit to the archeological site of Yagul finish off the day.

Day 4

Passing ancient terraced hillsides we cross over a saddle pass - gateway to the foothills of the Sierra Juarez. The Pierda Azul Dam is a haven for waterfowl, while a menagerie of livestock and birdlife congregate daily on its banks. Riding parallel to the Rio Grande, this quiet trail lined with the yellow flowering Calaverita trees is a nice place to pick up the pace.

Today’s ride continues into the communal forests along an ancient trail once used by mules and burros to bring wooden beams out of the higher pine forests.

Heading south the trail skirts the stream’s western slope through dramatic volcanic rock groomed with old-growth cacti. Farther along the terrain opens to the classic farmland of the valley; alfalfa fields, corn crops and open spaces for grazing.

Return to the ranch for lunch and time for a massage or siesta in a hammock or book a side excursion to the ruins in Mitla or a drive into the Sierra Juarez.

Cocktails before dinner with a focus on fresh Oaxacan cuisine.

Approx. 4 hours of riding

Day 5

Today our ride heads due south on the ancient road to Tlacolula that passes a natural spring-fed wetland - a hotspot for native birdlife. These gentle dirt lanes lead us to Dain Zaa, Zapotec for the Cloud Mountain and one of the area's best preserved cactus stands. We pass groves of wild cane before jogging west to volcanic lava beds right between the cinder cones we only saw from a distance the day before.

Our ride meanders through the village of Santiaguito, a picture of traditional Oaxacan rural life, with organ cactus fences, flocks of turkeys and tile-roofed homes. At the secluded reservoir behind the village a fresh "sit-down" picnic lunch awaits. This afternoon's ride leads us to a magical hollow embraced by mammoth freestanding boulders. A gentle descent follows first donkey trails and then excellent oxen cart lanes where we can pick up the pace back to Teotitlan.

Finally the sound of hooves on cobblestone signals horses and riders that the ranch is not far away.

Approx. 5 hours of riding

Cocktails & Mexican grilled dinner.

Day 6

Today's ride explores the valley to the southwest and its unique geological formations left from dead volcanoes. Deep russet-colored earth carpets trails lined with native flora that lead to the remnants of the old Camino Nacional. Worn paving stones still mark this long-abandoned road.

At the archeological site of Dainzu, noted for its bas-relief steles a fresh picnic lunch awaits us at. 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.

A gentle descent into the valley leads to oxen lanes that turn into a goat path that traverses an ancient lava flow. From here ranch is in sight and a pleasant ride though sandy streambeds and native farmland takes riders and horses home.

Sunset cocktails and farewell dinner.

Approx. 5 hours of riding