When traveling across New Aquitaine abounding with breathtaking natural landscapes, be ready for a deep cultural and historical immersion. A noteworthy architectural heritage count hundreds of medieval fortresses with carved ramparts and gorgeous castles sheltering exclusive wineries. Fine wines are served here to meet all tastes, yours inclusively.
We’ll bring you to the well-known gems of Perigord: Bonaguil – Biron – Gavaudun, the vineyard of Sauternes, the medieval village of Saint Cirq Lapopie, and Europe’s biggest forest composed of maritime pines and France’s longest sandy beach located in Les Landes. Â
Main outlines of the week:
6 days of Discovery: across 5 French departments of Aquitaine: Lot, Dordogne, Lot et Garonne, Gironde, Landes
2 days of Grit: with a daily mileage of 30 to 45 km covered in 6-7 hours approx.
Wineries on the road:Â Chateau Filhot (Sauternes)
Europe’s largest Forest composed of maritime pines and longest sandy Coast
In 1152, the marriage of Eleanor and Henry of Plantagenet drags the Aquitaine region into a long-term conflict, known as the Hundred Year’s war. Numerous walled towns and fortified castles were built during this period to meet different strategic, political and economic requirements. Let’s travel back in time on the back of our courageous mounts. We will ride across magnificent valleys in gorges and step in a maze of foot prints left by ancient yokels who used to refuge in a lush forest.Â
Standard safety rules must be followed around horses at any time. Participants can benefit of quality guidance from duly certified monitors/tour guides speaking French, English, German and Russian, specially trained to go along with partakers during many-hour trails and introduce them to the stunning nature of the Atlantic coast of France, and the following different departments:  Landes , Gironde, Dordogne, Lot et Garonne, Lot (French professional certification: A.T.E., CQP ASA or BPJEPS Tourisme Équestre).
Participants choose their meal “Ã la carte”. For the rest of the trek, all meals are included and served by the Center.
While staying in Mimizan, with all mealsserved by the Centre, wine and soft drinks are an open bar. Taste a new bottle of famous wine from the South-west of France every evening.
A regular menu at any restaurant in Mimizan Plage, besides a traditional meal based on sea food or meat, comprises a quarter of wine
Kindly note:
This trek requires a confirmed upper-intermediate level and a good physical condition. With a projected daily coverage of up to 65 km in 6-7 hours, en route requires frequent changes in gait and speed. Passing across accelerated sections requires keeping a distance of 30 m between each other, on one hand, to give fellow riders room for manoeuvring and, on the other hand, to fully enjoy an undisturbed free ride. From time to time, we will ask you to regroup in pairs or one by one, whether it occurs in the forest, on the plain, in the mountain or on the beach
12h00Â Â Â Â Lunch at the foot of the Castle of Sauveterre.
15h00Â Â Â Â More cantering trough the chestnut forest
         Visit of the famous BonaguilCastle, an ingenious masterpiece of military architecture, the last of the greatest fortified castles in France.
         The castle that has never been besieged is in good condition Â
                                                                                                                                                                                    Â
Day 3. Tuesday
Discovery Day: the department of LotÂ
4 hours horseback
08h00Â Â Â Breakfast
08h30Â Â Â Group transfer (minibus) to the medieval village of Saint Cirq Lapopie,
         a historical monument voted the most beautiful village of France behind Rocamadour only
10h30Â Â Â Â Visit of the medieval village
12h30Â Â Â Lunch by the river with our horses grazing aroundÂ
13h00Â Â Â Trek above the Lot River
         Climbing to the top of the mountain, passing through the forest, coming directly from a Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale
18h00   Back to Bonaguil. Chill time by the pool
Grit Day: the department of Landes, StJulien-Bias-Mimizan
6 hours horseback
08h00Â Â Â Breakfast
09h00Â Â Â Transfer to the starting point, saddling horses
10h00Â Â Â Riding through Europe’s largest forest composed of maritime pines, wide views on one of France’s most beautiful beachesÂ
         Exciting gallops on the white sand of the New Aquitaine coast, either in the morning or in the evening depending on the tide Â
20h30   Dinner Â
Day 7. Saturday
Discovery Day: the department of Landes, Mimizan Bourg– Areilhan – Mimizan Beach
4,5 hours horseback
08h00Â Â Â Breakfast
10h00Â Â Â Riding for fun
Lunch   by the Aureilhan Lake
Evening  sunset on the beach.
20h30Â Â Â Dinner
                                                                                                                                   Â
GROUP PROMO: 30% reduction for the 6th rider of a group
8 days/ 7 nights/ 6 days horseback, full board, in a shared bedroom 3 to 4Â
1649,00 € (low season: October ),Â
1699,00 € (shoulder season: May, June and September)
These prices are given per person in a group of 4 riders minimum. They do not include the first day dinner in the castle of Bonaguil, nor the transfers Bordeaux-Mimizan and back.
The minimum number of participants is 4. Should there be only 3 riders, the trek still can be held with the consent of all the participants. This will imply an additional charge of 200 €/riderÂ
The number of single-double rooms is limited. We ask you to book such in advance.
A supplement of 210 € will be charged in a single room and of 70 € in a double double /twin bedroomÂ
5 reviews for Endurance Castles and Vineyards in Aquitaine 2024
Rated 5 out of 5
Greg & Sally – USA –
We thoroughly enjoyed our Landes and Perigord combination ride in France.
Michel & Anne consistently worked to ensure every guests’ experience was optimal. Michel was a terrific guide and horseman! The horses were very comfortable, fit and well adapted to take us across the diverse terrain safely. It was exactly as advertised! Plus we made some wonderful friends through the trip!
We highly recommend this program-trip for advanced riders who enjoy spending an average of 5-plus hours daily in the saddle, seeing/experiencing first-hand the variety of landscapes and the historical beauty (from the mountains to coast) that France has to offer. Meandering through the vast vineyards, to tasting some of the region’s most wonderful wines/food, to high energy gallops up to stately castles and along the Atlantic shorelines, to sharing lots of laughter and stories along the way are now memories that we will treasure for a life-time. Anne was wonderful with coordinating all logistics, details, food/meals and accommodations.
–Greg & Sally – USA
Rated 5 out of 5
Birgit J. –
I can highly recommend and recommend this trip to every passionate rider!
From the beginning to the end the trip was perfectly well organized and executed.
The hosts Michel Girard Mille and Anne Metlov managed to create a family atmosphere of outstanding hospitality.
Anne is an excellent cook, the personally prepared meals were every time a new a poem, which I miss meanwhile at home very much!
Michel is a highly experienced TourGuide and horse connoisseur whose sense of humor kept the group quite entertained and also taught us many helpful tips & tricks riding-wise.
Each day was completely different and allowed the rider to experience entirely new impressions – from the mystical forests, to the impressive vineyards, to the breathtaking beach experience! On the last day we were even surprised with a professional photo shoot, a wonderful idea.
The horses are extremely fine to ride, unusually sure-footed in the terrain and a joy to ride.
We were accomodated in enchanting, family-style accommodations that were full of French charm.
And last but not least, it should be mentioned that the trip was perfect as described in the description – the two hosts have spared elaborate logistics and no effort to offer and show the guests as much as possible. I take my hat off to the performance of the two, who invest extremely long working days for a unique vacation experience of their guests.
I personally have experienced this week as absolutely wonderful and this will remain in my memory for a very long time as one of my personal highlights.
A heartfelt thank you to the hosts Anne and Michel who did everything in their power to make this an unforgettably wonderful week for the guests!
Best regards from an extremely satisfied and excited customer from Austria,
************
Ich kann jedem Reiter diese Reise wärmstens empfehlen und ans Herz legen!
Von Anfang bis zum Ende war die Reise top organisiert und durchgeführt.
Die Gastgeber Michel Girard Mille und Anne Metlov haben es geschafft, ein familiäres Klima der ausgesprochenen Gastfreundschaft zu kreieren.
Anne ist eine herausragende Köchin, die persönlich zubereiteten Mahlzeiten waren jedes Mal auf ein Neues ein Gedicht, die ich mittlerweile zu Hause sehr vermisse!
Michel ist ein äußerst erfahrener TourGuide und Pferdekenner, dessen Sinn für Humor die Gruppe ganz ausgezeichnet unterhalten und uns auch reiterlich viele hilfreiche Tipps & Tricks beigebracht hat.
Jeder Tag war völlig unterschiedlich und hat dem Reiter gänzlich neue Eindrücke erleben lassen – angefangen von den mystischen Wäldern, über die eindrucksvollen Weinberge bis hin zum atemberaubenden Stranderlebnis! Am letzten Tag wuren wir sogar mit einem professionellen Fotoshooting überrascht, eine ganz wunderbare Idee.
Die Pferde sind äußerst fein zu reiten, im Gelände ungewöhnlich trittsicher und eine Freude zu reiten.
Wir durften in zauberhaft, familiär gestalteten Unterkünften bleiben, die voller französischem Charme waren.
Und zu guter Letzt sei erwähnt, dass die Reise perfekt wie in der Beschreibung dargestellt vorzufinden war – die beiden Gastgeber haben eine aufwändige Logistik und keine Mühen gescheut, den Gästen möglichst viel bieten und zeigen zu können. Ich ziehe meinen Hut vor der Leistung der beiden, die hier äußerst lange Arbeitstage für ein einmaliges Urlaubserlebnis investieren.
Ich persönlich habe diese Woche als ganz wunderbar erlebt und diese wird mir noch sehr lange als einer meiner persönlichen Highlights in Erinnerung bleiben.
Ein ganz herzlicher Dank an die Gastgeber Anne und Michel, die alles in ihrer Macht stehende unternommen haben, um den Gästen eine unvergesslich schöne Woche zu bereiten!
Beste Grüße von einer überaus zufriedenen Kundin aus Österreich,
Erik –
Evaluation of your trip
Please consider the following on a scale of 1-5 (5=Excellent; 4=Good; 3=OK; 2=Substandard;1=Poor):
How was the reception: 5
How was the instruction: 5
How was the accomodation: 5
How was the food: 5
The standard of the ranch: 5
The quality of the riding: 5
Did the tour meet your expectations: 5
Julie –
We had a lovely time with Michael, he was a very good host and did his best to make sure everything went according to plan. The horses were very fit, and well behaved, and forward going. We had lots of long canters and rode a lot of miles each day, which was good.
The accommodation was very good, although we had to change rooms at his place as we were put in a large room house with lots of beds and I was expecting to be in a twin room, this was soon corrected when we mentioned it to him and Annette. The food was very good and we ate out in some very nice restaurants. The pic- nics were lovely as well could not fault them.
The whole experience was very enjoyable, we had a lovely holiday so much so that we are thinking of doing another one of his rides, there several other people on the ride, that had returned for and another holidays, so that says a lot about a holidays.
Regards
Julie
Lynn –
Thank you for such a fantastic few days last week. It was really fabulous to ride with you again and stay in the beautiful accommodation. It was a really special few days and both myself and Sean had an amazing time.
Congratulations to you both too, it was lovely to be part of your special moment.
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                                         
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Greg & Sally – USA –
We thoroughly enjoyed our Landes and Perigord combination ride in France.
Michel & Anne consistently worked to ensure every guests’ experience was optimal. Michel was a terrific guide and horseman! The horses were very comfortable, fit and well adapted to take us across the diverse terrain safely. It was exactly as advertised! Plus we made some wonderful friends through the trip!
We highly recommend this program-trip for advanced riders who enjoy spending an average of 5-plus hours daily in the saddle, seeing/experiencing first-hand the variety of landscapes and the historical beauty (from the mountains to coast) that France has to offer. Meandering through the vast vineyards, to tasting some of the region’s most wonderful wines/food, to high energy gallops up to stately castles and along the Atlantic shorelines, to sharing lots of laughter and stories along the way are now memories that we will treasure for a life-time. Anne was wonderful with coordinating all logistics, details, food/meals and accommodations.
–Greg & Sally – USA
Birgit J. –
I can highly recommend and recommend this trip to every passionate rider!
From the beginning to the end the trip was perfectly well organized and executed.
The hosts Michel Girard Mille and Anne Metlov managed to create a family atmosphere of outstanding hospitality.
Anne is an excellent cook, the personally prepared meals were every time a new a poem, which I miss meanwhile at home very much!
Michel is a highly experienced TourGuide and horse connoisseur whose sense of humor kept the group quite entertained and also taught us many helpful tips & tricks riding-wise.
Each day was completely different and allowed the rider to experience entirely new impressions – from the mystical forests, to the impressive vineyards, to the breathtaking beach experience! On the last day we were even surprised with a professional photo shoot, a wonderful idea.
The horses are extremely fine to ride, unusually sure-footed in the terrain and a joy to ride.
We were accomodated in enchanting, family-style accommodations that were full of French charm.
And last but not least, it should be mentioned that the trip was perfect as described in the description – the two hosts have spared elaborate logistics and no effort to offer and show the guests as much as possible. I take my hat off to the performance of the two, who invest extremely long working days for a unique vacation experience of their guests.
I personally have experienced this week as absolutely wonderful and this will remain in my memory for a very long time as one of my personal highlights.
A heartfelt thank you to the hosts Anne and Michel who did everything in their power to make this an unforgettably wonderful week for the guests!
Best regards from an extremely satisfied and excited customer from Austria,
************
Ich kann jedem Reiter diese Reise wärmstens empfehlen und ans Herz legen!
Von Anfang bis zum Ende war die Reise top organisiert und durchgeführt.
Die Gastgeber Michel Girard Mille und Anne Metlov haben es geschafft, ein familiäres Klima der ausgesprochenen Gastfreundschaft zu kreieren.
Anne ist eine herausragende Köchin, die persönlich zubereiteten Mahlzeiten waren jedes Mal auf ein Neues ein Gedicht, die ich mittlerweile zu Hause sehr vermisse!
Michel ist ein äußerst erfahrener TourGuide und Pferdekenner, dessen Sinn für Humor die Gruppe ganz ausgezeichnet unterhalten und uns auch reiterlich viele hilfreiche Tipps & Tricks beigebracht hat.
Jeder Tag war völlig unterschiedlich und hat dem Reiter gänzlich neue Eindrücke erleben lassen – angefangen von den mystischen Wäldern, über die eindrucksvollen Weinberge bis hin zum atemberaubenden Stranderlebnis! Am letzten Tag wuren wir sogar mit einem professionellen Fotoshooting überrascht, eine ganz wunderbare Idee.
Die Pferde sind äußerst fein zu reiten, im Gelände ungewöhnlich trittsicher und eine Freude zu reiten.
Wir durften in zauberhaft, familiär gestalteten Unterkünften bleiben, die voller französischem Charme waren.
Und zu guter Letzt sei erwähnt, dass die Reise perfekt wie in der Beschreibung dargestellt vorzufinden war – die beiden Gastgeber haben eine aufwändige Logistik und keine Mühen gescheut, den Gästen möglichst viel bieten und zeigen zu können. Ich ziehe meinen Hut vor der Leistung der beiden, die hier äußerst lange Arbeitstage für ein einmaliges Urlaubserlebnis investieren.
Ich persönlich habe diese Woche als ganz wunderbar erlebt und diese wird mir noch sehr lange als einer meiner persönlichen Highlights in Erinnerung bleiben.
Ein ganz herzlicher Dank an die Gastgeber Anne und Michel, die alles in ihrer Macht stehende unternommen haben, um den Gästen eine unvergesslich schöne Woche zu bereiten!
Beste Grüße von einer überaus zufriedenen Kundin aus Österreich,
Erik –
Evaluation of your trip
Please consider the following on a scale of 1-5 (5=Excellent; 4=Good; 3=OK; 2=Substandard;1=Poor):
How was the reception: 5
How was the instruction: 5
How was the accomodation: 5
How was the food: 5
The standard of the ranch: 5
The quality of the riding: 5
Did the tour meet your expectations: 5
Julie –
We had a lovely time with Michael, he was a very good host and did his best to make sure everything went according to plan. The horses were very fit, and well behaved, and forward going. We had lots of long canters and rode a lot of miles each day, which was good.
The accommodation was very good, although we had to change rooms at his place as we were put in a large room house with lots of beds and I was expecting to be in a twin room, this was soon corrected when we mentioned it to him and Annette. The food was very good and we ate out in some very nice restaurants. The pic- nics were lovely as well could not fault them.
The whole experience was very enjoyable, we had a lovely holiday so much so that we are thinking of doing another one of his rides, there several other people on the ride, that had returned for and another holidays, so that says a lot about a holidays.
Regards
Julie
Lynn –
Thank you for such a fantastic few days last week. It was really fabulous to ride with you again and stay in the beautiful accommodation. It was a really special few days and both myself and Sean had an amazing time.
Congratulations to you both too, it was lovely to be part of your special moment.