riding vacations
Welcome to Casa Sagrada
Our Oaxaca Valley and Foothills Ride Full Itinerary
7 days / 6 nights / 5 days of riding: $1,650
$300 supplement when only one rider
(if other riders register this does not apply)
Riding: 3 full day rides & 2 half day rides, over 25 hours of riding.
Guides: English speaking, experienced & with ample local knowledge.
Lodging: 6 nights accommodation - single or double occupancy.
Food: All meals, beer or wine with meals + sunset cocktails.
Special Offer: Save $100 if you are a returning guest.
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
8 AM - Hearty breakfast of fresh tropical fruit, yogurt, homemade granola, Oaxaca estate coffee or our famous hot chocolate along with a different hot & savory breakfast offered daily.
9 AM - Meet at the stables just below the guesthouse where we match each guest to their horse for the week. 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. Depending on the pace, the ride around the dam offers good opportunities for extended trots and brisk canters. A "sit-down" picnic lunch is waiting along the grassy river banks of Teotitlan's own Rio Grande.
This afternoon we ride south 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; alfalfa fields, corn crops and open spaces for grazing.
... from October to May we ride in the morning and return for lunch. The afternoon is free to explore and then we finish the day with a sunset ride.
Every evening enjoy a cocktail before dinner, always featuring fresh Oaxacan cuisine. Our local specialties are savory but never fiery although there is always a fresh salsa on the table for those who like it hot.
Day 3
8 AM - Hearty breakfast.
9 AM - We head out at 9 am. Today's ride explores the Eastern foothills that lead us toward the neighboring village of Santa Ana del Valle. We will cross streams, follow narrow goat paths and see how strong our horses are as they transport us to the spine of the pass where the southern Tlacolula valley emerges below. We follow an age-old herder's trail along the foothills before moving into ever more remote back-country. This trail, ideal for a long gallop, leads us to a spring-fed oasis and natural bird sanctuary. We traverse wide open rolling hills, the hunting grounds of eagles and ravens. The earthen path that divides the lands belonging to Teotitlan and Santa Ana is a perfect place to pick up the pace before turning north on the ancient road to Tlacolula.
Our final homestretch winds through old-growth cactus forests. We will approach Casa Sagrada along one of Teotitlan's quiet cobbled streets passing a recently discovered pre-Hispanic archeological site.
Lunch is served buffet style of the terrace.
Optional Afternoon Excursion:
The Sierra Juarez Mountains. Few visitors to Oaxaca ever explore these high mountains at 10,000 feet. We ascend through the virgin forest of Teotitlan to the tiny hamlet of Benito Juarez, famous for its alpine flower gardens. Here gigantic agave rubs elbows with massive pine in one of the world's rare eco-systems. A short hike to the lookout offers endless views.Map your rides so far! A short drive past wildflower meadows (and depending on the season -rare orchids) we arrive in Cuajimolyas to visit our friends Guadalupe & Clemencia and see their traditional mountain home, medicinal herb garden & vintage kitchen. Hot chocolate warms us before we head back to Casa Sagrada. Cost per person $100. for 2 persons / $70. for 3-6 persons. Includes English speaking guide, transport and admissions. 4-5 hours.
Sunset cocktails before dinner.
Day 4
8 AM - Hearty breakfast.
9 AM - We head out on our newly improved itinerary that includes today's ride to the famous Mezcal-making village of Matatlan. Today we wind through the valley on excellent footing perfect for some long, relaxed gallops. We pass through the quiet craft village of Santa Ana del Valle before entering a stand of old-growth cacti. Turning south we enter an area of fascinating rock escarpments dappled with pre-historic caves dwellings. We can ride right up to the pre-Hispanic archeological site of Yagul, tether the horses and explore the ruins. 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. Our horses overnight in Matatlan but we take a short drive back to Casa Sagrada.
Optional afternoon excursion:
Explore other sites in the valley of Tlacolula. This is a good afternoon to visit the ancient archeological site of Mitla, famous for its intricate carved stone facades. We leave plenty of time of explore this town's extensive craft market. Visit the 2,000 year old Tule tree - the widest tree on earth! Stop to see the early colonial church in Tlacochahuaya, decorated in a delightful native Mexican style.
Cost per person $100. - 2 persons / $ 70. 3- 6 persons. Includes English speaking guide, transport and admissions. 4-5 hours. Sunset cocktails before dinner.
Day 5
8 AM - Hearty breakfast.
9 AM - Hearty breakfast. We depart for the short drive back to Matatlan. Today our return ride covers a completely different route, one that traces the slopes of the southern Sierras, quiet farmlands criss-crossed with soft lanes traversed by plow oxen and pack donkeys. As the trail turns north, fabulous vistas of the majestic Sierra Juarez mountain range emerge.
In the village of San Juan Guelavia we'll stop to have lunch and give water to the horses. Groomed paths give way to rugged trails lined with massive cacti until we re-enter the territory belonging to Teotitlan - easily identified by its "cinder cones" - rare geological formations that dot the horizon.
Optional afternoon activity: There is still time for a massage or native ceremonial sauna before dinner - no additional charge. Sunset cocktails before dinner.
Day 6
8 AM - Hearty breakfast
9 AM - Today our ride heads due south out of town on the ancient road to Tlacolula. We pass 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 forests. 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 tiled-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 free-standing 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 Casa Sagrada is not far away.
The afternoon is free to explore
Sunset cocktails before farewell Mexican grilled dinner and live music.
Day 7
Hearty breakfast and transfers to airport or hotel in Oaxaca if you are extending your stay.
Riding Vacations 2008
Scheduled Dates:
27 January - 02 February
17 February - 23 February
23 March - 29 March
20 April - 26 April
11 May - 17 May
08 June - 14 June
27 July - 02 August
24 August - 30 August
21 September - 27 September
19 October - 25 October
08 November - 14 November
14 December - 20 December
