Adventure vacations in Italy

Monti and Mare Trail

Overview

The route of the Monti and Mare trail offers the best of horseback riding in Sardinia, taking you through all of the varied landscape of the island on confident and fine Anglo-Arabians.

The comfort and hospitality of the inn and stable welcomes you each day, while the route you follow on horseback is progressive and takes you over the mountains to the coast through areas that are otherwise untouched by tourism. In this way the trip is a combination of a stationary stay, where you do not have to move your luggage each night, but by leaving the horses at different points you see the greatest amount of country possible.

A love of and commitment to horses and equestrianism runs deep here, as horses graze on the grounds of the inn owned by a 5th generation horseman. The hospitality allows you to fully relax and enjoy generous and delicious Sardinian meals, and the daily riding treks offer adventure with both exciting riding and the fascinating surroundings of this intriguing island.

Your home for the week was a horse farm first, and an inn second, and the commitment to horses is apparent. Rooms are in bungalows or in the main guest house and each has an ensuite bathroom.
There is a partly covered pool and hot tub.

Breakfast is buffet style and eaten on the terraces by the dining room, lunch is typically picnic style, and dinner is served in the dining room at 8pm each evening.

  • Horse Breeds:
    Anglo-Arabians
  • Trip Pace:
    Walk, trot and canters
  • Tack:
    English
  • Weight limit:
    220 lbs

Ride from your hotel and stable over the coastal mountain range to the coast. This is progressive riding of about 150 km total, leaving your horses at paddocks along the way and returning to your comfortable hotel each night.

Any airport on Sardinia (Cagliari, Alghero or Olbia) for transfer to inn at extra cost.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive at your accommodations to enjoy a welcome drink and meet with the other guests and your guide for an overview of the week before dinner is served at its nightly time of 8pm.

Day 2

After a meeting with the the guide you’ll have your first ride in  the countryside around the hotel. On the 2-3 hours ride your guide will check if horses and riders go along or if there are any changes to make before the trail starts. Return to the inn for lunch and enjoy the afternoon at your leisure by the pool.

Day 3

After breakfast start out for the first portion of the progressive trail from the hotel,  climbing up the Montiferru Mountains to reach the top (just above 1000 m.). The day’s ride finishes at a farm called Elighes Uttiosos. During the morning, the countryside will be very similar to the first riding day, with open fields surrounding the group. After 2
hours you’ll stop for lunch in the fields close to San Leonardo, an ancient village built around an old templar church. The second part of the ride offers a completely different
view, with the path entering a national reserve in which forests are growing again after the exploitation of the woods while building the railways. You will catch glimpses of
both the inside of the island (with the view reaching the lake Omodeo – biggest lake in Sardinia – and the Supramonte mountains) and the west coast. (5-6 hrs riding total)

Day 4

You’ll be transferred from your hotel to the Elighes Uttiosos farm, where the horses have spent the night. From here you will ride for 3- 3,5 hours and hours and then stop for the lunch (or dinner according to seasonal changes at the trail’s schedule) back at the day’s starting point, as the horses spend another night here. During the ride you will get a splendid view over the mountains and stony landscape from Sardinia before entering the oak woods leading to the Mont of Seneghe.

Day 5

The goal of the fourth day of riding is to arrive at the stable on the coast. The
ride starts in the morning and for lunch you will stop at the other side of the Mont Seneghe where you will enjoy a picnic with the horses. After the lunch the trail
goes on to its last part where they pass the wonderful beach of Is Arenas, one of the longest beaches in Sardinia with its seven kilometers of sand. After a beautiful sunset you’ll leave the horses and return back to your hotel. (5-6 hrs riding)

Day 6

Today you are transferred for a ride to the south of the Sinis Coast. The trail goes on
travelling back north on the coastline and through the lagoon of Sale Proccus, where during the spring season wild animals will be waiting – flamingos create a unforgettable
atmosphere. If instead you are riding during the summer there will be a spectacular
gallop of 4 km along the salt lake.

Day 7

The last day of this wonderful trail will bring you from Is Benas to the massive cliffs of Capo Mannu. The landscape is a great example of the typical Sardinian terrain. You finish back at the beach and enjoy a meal before being transferred back to the hotel.

Day 8

This morning you bid goodbye to Sardinia as you depart the inn for the airport after enjoying a final breakfast.

Trip Map

Trip Dates & Pricing

This trip can run any Saturday-Saturday from April 7 to November 8 with a minimum of four riders. If there are fewer than four riders, an alternative can be offered; inquire for details!

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Preferred Trip Dates

Monti and Mare Trail
March 27, 2024
January 1, 1970
January 1, 1970
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Do you have questions about this ride itinerary? Do you want to make sure that this it is the right ride for you? Or are you ready to book? Please call or email our experienced and friendly ride consultants for more detailed information. With first-hand knowledge of the exciting tours we offer, the ride consultants at Equitours look forward to answering any questions you might have

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Your host and her staff in Italy are the definition of "hospitality".... We feel as if we left behind a special family - and it was our privilege to have been a part of their lives if only for a week.

Linda Giannino