Perfect year round riding in Oaxaca, Mexico
Village to Village Ride in the
Sierra Juarez of Oaxaca - Itinerary
7 days / 6 nights / 5 days of riding: $1,650
$300 supplement when only one rider
(if another rider registers this does not apply)
Riding: 5 days of riding, approx. 25 hours in total.
Guides: English speaking, experienced & with extensive knowledge.
Lodging: 6 nights accommodation - single or double occupancy at Casa Sagrada and one large shared suit in Yavesia.
Food: Included all meals and drinks.
Note: This ride is available for only 1or 2 riders.
Special Offer: Save $100 if you are a returning guest.
Dates: Inquire about available dates as we are flexible with this trip.
Day 1
3 PM - Arrival at Casa Sagrada
Settle into your room, have a cool drink on the terrace and soak in the vistas of Teotitlan with its surrounding valley mountains.
Meet your guides and our horses before dinner.
Enjoy a Margarita as you watch the sun set on our expansive terrace and dine on world famous regional Oaxacan cuisine.
Day 2 - Ride the northern foothills and valley
Our hearty breakfasts always include: fresh tropical fruit, yogurt, homemade granola, Oaxaca estate coffee or our famous hot chocolate served along with a different hot & savory entrée. We always supply water, gaterade, and some kind of snack of the rides. Following breakfast meet at the stables just below the guesthouse where we’ll match guests to their horse for the valley ride.
Today we head east to the Cuevita, a sacred ceremonial site to the native Zapotec people of Teotitlan. These trails are lined with exotic native cacti and agaves and the gentle ascent offers excellent views of the southern Sierra Madre Mountains. Passing ancient terraced hillsides we cross over the saddlepass, gateway to the foothills of the Sierra Juarez. The ride around the dam offers good opportunities for trots and canters. We turn south along the grassy river banks of Teotitlan's own Rio Grande skirting the western slope of the river, through dramatic volcanic rock groomed with ancient candelabra cacti.
Farther along we enter the classic farmland of the valley filled alfalfa fields, corn crops and grazing land. Entering the communal lands of the neighboring village of Machuilxochitl we’ll follow its ancient plow-oxen paths and meandering goatherd trails. We return to Casa Sagrada for lunch along the quiet cobbled lanes of Teotitlan.
This afternoon is free to explore the village’s rug shops or for archeological enthusiasts make an excursion to the ancient sites of Mitla and Yagul.
Enjoy our spectacular sunsets with cocktails on the terrace before a dinner featuring fresh Oaxacan cuisine.
Day 3 - Descending from the High Sierra Juarez
Following breakfast at Casa Sagrada before a short drive of less than an hour to where our high sierra ride will begin today at 10,000 ft. You’ll have packed the bare essentials into the saddle bags as your clothes will be washed for you daily and we have a good array of toiletries.
As we ride out of the village of Cuajimaloyas the trails become bordered by massive agaves, their spectacular flowering stalks a singular site. Today’s gentle descent weaves along a seldom traveled mountain lane tucked into the vast pine and oak forests of the Pueblos Mancomunados. The pace is mostly at a brisk walk and trot with canters on the occasional accents. We’ll pass old homesteads, Mexican-style log cabins, furry pack burros and wooly herds of sheep. We’ll stop by a crystalline stream for a lunch of Reyna’s famous tortas. As we descend into the rich oak forests festooned with exotic bromeliad we glimpse vistas of the vast Sierra Juarez and distant villages nestled on its slopes.
We enter Yavesia passing under a massive stone arch that held a functioning aqueduct in the 19th century. This hamlet’s quiet lanes lined with flower gardens and adobe homes lead us to La Casa de la Tia Juliana, home for the next few days. Relax in the garden or explore the village. Depending on the pace of the morning’s ride and the weather we can go for a ride or walk around the village before dinner.
Day 4 - Exploring El Rincon
After breakfast we ride out of Yavesia along a country lane that follows a lazy stream through fruit orchards and farmland. This rolling land is perfect for a long, relaxed canter. We ride upwards to this day’s first stop in the village of Francisco Madero filled with flower gardens and fruit orchards. We can pick up the pace as we leave the village and enter oak forests that lead to La Trinidad, another village in an area known as El Rincon – the remote “corner” of the Sierra Juarez. These villagers are very friendly and our arrival is pretty exciting for them so be prepared to say “Hola” to everyone. The route home follows a gentle trail where endless vistas emerge from the groomed oak forests for our next stop in San Andres Yatuni – unique adobe construction distinguishes this village. We’ll depart this village along a quiet trail then pick up the pace for our final approach to Yavesia.
We’ll be ready for a serious dinner but afterwards explore the tiny maze-like lanes off the village on foot, chat with the locals or amble along the banks of the stream lined with wild watercress and nasturtiums.
This is a full day with six hours of riding.
Day 5 - Riding the Ancient Camino Real
Following breakfast we depart the village to the west of the Rio Yavesia. Our first destination is a visit to the ruins of the hacienda of Cinco Señores, known for its impressive arched aqueduct. A steady ascent moving at all paces leads up to a trail that is in reality a boundary marker between villages. In the middle of nowhere we’ll come upon the ruins of the church of San Antonio as we descend once again to the river. This was silver mining country right into the early 20th century and we’ll pass numerous caves and abandoned entrances to the mines.
The horses will be ready for a drink when we arrive at the secluded banks of the Rio Yavesia lined with lush native vegetation. After crossing the river it is all ascent and endless views as we approach our lunch stop in the colonial village of Lachetao. Fieldstone walls and cobbled lanes signal our arrival and a hot lunch and cold drinks await us at our friend Magdalena’s tiny café. Right across from the café the horses will graze in the courtyard of the ancient church – worth peeking into!
It’s a delight for horse and rider to breeze along the rolling country lanes that guide us back to Yavesia.
This is a full day excursion with six hours of riding. Dinner and stargazing.
Day 6 - Exploring the Southern Valley
After breakfast we depart the village riding south through traditional farmlands along the eastern banks of the Rio Yavesia, the ascent begins leaving cornfields for oaks and madroño forests rich in bromeliads and orchids. For the next 17 kms. we’ll ride through the protected forests belonging to Yavesia where a highly effective program of non-invasive forest management is in progress. As we climb the big coniferous forests begin and the last 8 kms. of today’s ride offers glimpses of the Sierra Juarez as seen from over 10,000 feet. We’ll ride right through the hamlet of Llano Grande, known for its log cabin homes dotting one of the sierra’s few large meadows. These meandering tracks hold plenty of opportunities for long trots and gentle canters.
After refreshments enjoy a picturesque drive down into the Tlacolula valley and to Teotitlan del Valle and Casa Sagrada. You may want a massage, ceremonial temascal or to go rug shopping in the village.
Sunset cocktails before a dinner.
Approx. four hours of riding.
Day 7
Full breakfast. Transfers to airport or hotel are included in the cost.
Itinerary subject to change.