The Andalusian horseback getaway frequented by European royals
Short of setting up an opera house in your stately home, there are few more effective ways of pouring money down the drain than investing in a horse. And once you’ve bought the first one, the temptation to add to your stable is virtually irresistible.
The owners of Caballo de Hierro have gone further, a lot further. The property has a purpose-built yard with two wide carriage entrances and a row of loose boxes. From these, thoroughbred Arab and Spanish steeds, one a stallion recently gelded, gaze out intelligently at immaculate cobbles and planters filled with vines and clipped box. There’s also what amounts to an equine spa with an immense double shower, for hosing down sweaty horsey flanks, walled with handmade aquamarine tiles. This is the heart of the family’s kingdom, which stretches over almost nine square miles of Andalusian countryside an hour from Seville. The name, Caballo de Hierro, means Iron Horse and is derived from the area’s industrial past. Remains of old mine works – crumbling stone walls and ancient roads – are still visible in the landscape.
A visit here means you can pretend to be a horse owner for a little while without any of the vet bills and hassle that actually having a horse would entail. These mounts share their domain, dotted with olive trees and cork oaks, with fallow and red deer, shaggy mouflon sheep, wild boar, vultures that circle over the deserted hills, mongooses and the occasional lynx. You can ride (or drive in one of the house’s Jeeps, or cycle on its electric bikes, or simply walk) for hours without seeing another person. It’s the kind of emptiness people look for in the Maasai Mara – but only a short hop from Heathrow.
There’s a lot here that’s similar to a safari lodge, although without the perils of black mambas and angry hippos. On fine evenings staff set up directors’ chairs on high hills so guests can sip sundowners as they admire the deer – albeit the drinks on offer include a rather superior sherry that would never survive sub-Saharan temperatures. The main building was finished only in 2019 – but you could never tell, except from the lavish quantity of sunken baths and efficient air conditioning, as it has reclaimed traditional tiles on the roof and is painted white in accordance with local custom. There are log fires everywhere, huge double-height windows in the main entrance hall, antique mirrors and stuffed ptarmigans. Even the Limoges porcelain plates were beautifully hand painted by the owner’s mother.
In the shooting season, the property becomes a hunting lodge that, according to the London-based owners, is patronised by ‘all the royal families of Europe’. The antlers sprouting from the walls of the party rooms are testament to their prowess with a shotgun. More peaceable guests are welcomed in the off-season for family parties that centre on horses, wild swimming in the nearby lake, less intrepid swimming in a large pool cleansed by a natural reed system, long hikes and much lounging around. There’s a steam room and a spa, and local masseurs are on hand to iron out post-gallop shoulder knots. Ramon, the butler, and Elizabeth, the cook, seem to compete to stuff their guests to capacity with home-grown jamón and lomo from pigs that roam wild here, eating acorns from the cork oaks.
This is one of a growing number of holiday properties available only if you take the whole place. If the ultimate luxury is solitude, then this is as private as any desert island. There are 11 en-suite rooms in the main house and a further seven in lodges nearby, so if you really want to get away from it all, you’d best concentrate on the horses and the ham and not fill it with your nearest and dearest.
From €750pp per night inclusive
Retreat further into the wild with these global trails
by Francesca Syz
Iceland
Equestrian Escapes Icelandic riding tours depart every Wednesday and Sunday between May and September, staying in eco-friendly accommodation with its own stables. Take in fast-flowing glacial rivers and hot geothermal streams, wildflower meadows and black volcanic beaches, all while riding famously friendly Icelandic horses.
Four-day trips from £1,240pp, including transfers and full board (equestrian-escapes.com)
Mongolia
Time seems to stand still in the enchanting, untamed Orkhon Valley, home to one of the world’s last surviving nomadic cultures as well as the the city of Karakorum, once capital of the Mongol Empire. On a Genghis Khan Retreat private trip, suitable for all levels of riding experience, you can explore it on foot, on horseback and in kayaks. There is also daily yoga, Mongolian massage and accommodation in yurts equipped with wood-burning stoves. Available June to September.
Eight nights (five of them all-inclusive at Genghis Khan Retreat) from £4,975pp, including flights (theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk)
Botswana
On Scott Dunn’s 10-night riding safari, guests can safely get close to Botswana’s famous animals. Beginning at Macatoo Camp, in the heart of the Okavango Delta, long days are spent exploring the bush on horseback, returning to camp to cool off in the pool. There are also game drives, night drives, boat trips and mokoro (canoe) excursions. The trip then moves on to the Makgadikgadi Pans with the Uncharted Africa Riding Safari, led by one of Africa’s most experienced guides, David Foot, to see everything from cheetah to Kalahari lions. For a back-to-basics experience under the stars, one night is spent at the Xau Xai Fly-Camp, a mobile camp in the desert.
Ten nights from £10,600pp, including flights, transfers and accommodation (scottdunn.com)
Crete
The family-run Velanie Country Hotel in the foothills of the Dikti Mountains in Crete has its own stables and offers seven-night riding holidays. There are just 12 rooms, a large pool and a children’s paddling pool, and there’s an excellent restaurant serving Greek food and wine. Experienced riders can be out all day exploring the Cretan countryside, beginners can do two-hour rides, and there are lessons especially for children.
Seven nights full board from £1,040pp, including 12 hours of riding (inthesaddle.com)
