Equestrian tourism in the Sierra de Guadarrama
The Club Deportivo Jarahonda offers a wide range of horseback experiences for all ages and levels of skill in the Parque Nacional de Guararrama in Madrid. Located 28 miles from the city, this option offers everything necessary for those seeking an unforgettable day in nature.
This area of Spain offers incredible landscapes up in the mountains but is also close to cultural sites like Segovia or San Lorenzo de El Escorial. The club has planned routes through nature with equestrian tourism professionals. However, it should be noted that the club isn’t an equestrian center as such. It doesn’t have stables, or dressage arenas as such. It consists of a group of enthusiasts who have sporting experience after having great success in equestrian competitions.
History and nature on horseback
One example is the Puerto de la Fuenfría route, leaving Navacerrada towards Valsain (Segovia). The route crosses the pass in the Parque Nacional de Guadarrama, taking riders through the mountain range between the provinces of Segovia and Madrid. Along the way, the trail crosses the Roman road known as “Carretera de la Republica,” along the forest track of La Calle Alta and other trails in nearby mountains.
The Spanish kings originally used Carretera de la Republica to travel from Madrid to Segovia, which was restored during the Second Spanish Republic (1931 to 1939) to create a route between the two cities. Of interest to note, Ernest Hemingway mentions the trail in his classic book For Whom the Bell Tolls.
According to Sur in English, horseback riders then continue to Valsain, where King Felipe II built the palace known as Casa del Bosque, where riders can spend the night before returning the next morning.
However, long routes don’t only run through the Madrid mountains. Other equestrian tourism routes head through Los Montes Universales (Sierra de Albarracin), through the Reserva Natural de Saja (Cantabria) and a route taken by Emperor Carlos V on his journey to the Monasterio de Yuste where he spent his last years. Here, the town of Barco de Avila, in the Sierra de Gredos, can be visited.
Equestrian tourism and the stars
Besides star gazing, the experience offers a fun dinner under those night skies with guides to help identify the stars and look after the horses.
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