Day 1
Arrival at the equestrian center between 6:00pm and 8:00pm. Dinner and stay overnight in Lauris.
Day 2 Lauris - Mallemort
After breakfast, the horses are allocated and the trail ride starts. From Lauris to Mallemort. You will ride along the foot of the Luberon Mountain through the pine and oak forests to the Durance valley where you will cross the river to where your assistant is waiting with a picnic. In the afternoon, you will follow a canal irrigating the many crops in the valley, and will reach the park where your horses will stay for the night. The riders are transferred by minibus to the guest rooms in Lauris.
Day 3
Mallemort - Eygalières
After breakfast, transfer to find the horses in Mallemort. Departure through the plain and its fruit orchards towards Lamanon where a hearty picnic awaits us. In the afternoon, you ride to the Alpilles, a superb limestone massif where the white of the cliffs contrasts with the green of the pine forests. You will arrive near Eygalières via the Saint-Sixte Chapel. Night in guest rooms at the foot of the Alpilles.
Day 4
Eygalières - Les Baux de Provence
Eygalieres to Les Baux de Provence. A cultural day as you ride in the landscape Van Gogh enjoyed painting. You stay near Saint-Remy-de-Provence, at the hospital where Van Gogh lived and made his most famous paintings. Admire the beautiful Roman monuments before continuing on to lunch at a wonderful little lake, hidden in the mountains. The afternoon ride takes you up on the crest of Alpilles providing striking panoramic views of the surroundings, and you may even see a glimpse of the Mediterranean in the distance. In the afternoon, you will reach the medieval village of “Les Beaux-de-Provence”. Visit of the village or in 2019 you can visit Carrières de Lumières - an exceptional show in a giant cave showing fantastic Van Gogh paintings projected with music (entrance approximately 13 EUR). After transfer to Sylvereal, the gate of Camargue. Night in a hotel, an old monastery, and dinner in a typical auberge at the hotel
Day 5 Astouin - Bull cattle drive - Les Saintes Maries de la Mer.
On horseback to a Camargue ranch. After an hour on horseback in the heart of the Camargue, we will arrive at a "manade", a bull and horse ranch in Camargue. Mathieu, a passionate "guardian", Camargue cow-boy, welcomes us in front of the enclosure of one of his bull herds. We accompany him on horseback to "grab" the bulls, that is to say push them through the marsh to a sorting enclosure. Then he tells us about the "Camargue bull and horse races", the breeding methods, the traditions linked to the Camargue bulls, then he sorts a few bulls in front of us and ends his performance by offering us an aperitif "the friendship glass". Picnic on the place, prepared by our assistant. Then we leave on horseback to Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. After your installation at the hotel, you can go for a walk in the the village streets and do some shopping, take a stroll to the beach, or enjoy the hotel swimming pool. Meeting for dinner in a lively bodega in the village. Night at the hotel.
Day 6 Day Ride in pinewoods and on the beach
A morning ride on the beaches. Nice gallops and walk in the sea. The lunch will be prepared at the hotel by your assistant, and the afternoon you will ride along the Vacares lake: you will discover a lot of flamingos and wild birds on a pleasant trail. Transfer to Lauris, for a last dinner all together, share memories, pictures, addresses ...
Day 7 Time for the journey home
Breakfast and then transfer to the airport or train station.
We reserve the right to make any changes to riding program, including the cancellation or changing of hotels.
The program is subject to change due to local circumstances beyond our control.
