Brazil Horse Ride

15 – 24 May 2009

Brazil Horse Ride An amazing 5 day horse trek through rural Brazil. En route we will take in rainforests, National Parks and beautiful small villages. We will be riding Mangalarga Marchador horses - an original Brazilian breed who should give you a very smooth and comfortable ride. The ride finishes in Paraty, an unspoilt colonial town which was a key port for the gold brought from nearby Minais Gerais. Free time at the end of the event in Rio de Janeiro to visit the Christ the Redeemer statue, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

ITINERARY

Day 1
Brazil Horse Ride Overnight flight to Rio de Janeiro.

Day 2
Arrival and reception at Rio International Airport. A brief city guided tour by coach, passing through Parque do Flamengo, Botafogo, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches and Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Transfer by coach (approx. 2 hours) stopping for lunch at Casa da Picanha, on the way to São José do Barreiro. Overnight and dinner at Hotel Fazanda Clube, São José do Barreiro. Barreiro is a pretty and old town in the state of Sao Paulo. It has a town square with a church and bars!

Day 3
After an early breakfast at the Pousada we will take a short walk down the high street and meet our horses. Each person will be allocated a horse for the duration of the week.

We set off together and head into the National Park Serra da Bocaina where the scenery is breathtaking - beautiful views and stunning mountains. This will really give us a flavour of what is to come during the week ahead of us. Overnight and dinner at Pousada Campos da Bocaina. Approx. 25kms.

Day 4
Brazil Horse Ride Breakfast at the Pousada and another day of riding deep into the park. We climb steadily all day and at times might need to get off our horses and lead them up steep parts. The last 11 kms from the last town we pass through is a constant but our reward is reaching "heaven" where the horses are turned out for a well earned rest and we stay in the most beautiful log cabin on top of the mountain. Overnight and dinner at Pousada Joaninha. Bocaina. The hospitality is second to none. Approx. 28kms.

Day 5
Breakfast at the Pousada. We set off downhill to start with - again it might be necessary to lead the horses some of the way. The scenery continues to be astonishing and the plants vary from bamboo trees to bougainvillea bushes.
Overnight and dinner at Pousada Estrela do Campo, Campos Novos de Cunha. Approx. 30kms.

Day 6
After breakfast we continue our journey and with the landscape ever changing we ride along tracks and through small villages and wonder at the lifestyle of this rural environment. Overnight and dinner Hotel Fazenda Santa Barbara, Cunha. Cunha is an old town on the gold route that the Portuguese took on their way down to the coast at Parati - our final destination. Approx.40kms.

Day 7
Brazil Horse Ride Our last day takes us from the mountains down to the coast through the rain forest - a truly amazing experience with sounds of wildlife echoing around us. Most of the route is on rough track until we hit the tarmac, which takes us into town along the main streets catching everyone's attention. The last stretch is along the old cobbled streets and we finish at the beach in Paraty. Here we say farewell to our trusty steeds and have a chance to enjoy the buzz of this popular port town where Brazilians come for their weekend breaks. We will celebrate the end of our journey in one of the many restaurants.
Overnight at Pousada Porto Imperial Paraty. Approx.30kms

Day 8
Brazil Horse Ride We can have a leisurely morning exploring the town and doing some shopping before transfering to Rio de Janeiro by coach (approx. 4 hours). Overnight Hotel Miramar Palace.

Day 9
Free day to explore Rio or take an optional tour of the city.

Day 10
Departure for the airport and return flight to the UK.

This itinerary is complex and may be subject to change. Copyright of Classic Tours.

Trip Costs

Registration Fee: £299
To be paid directly to Classic Tours by the participant on registration; is non-refundable & non-transferable, and in addition to the Minimum Fundraising Target

Minimum Fundraising Target: £3000
The Cedar Foundation must receive this at latest 10 weeks before departure.

Please click here to download further information

Please click here to download a registration pack

These are large documents and may take some time to download

Designed and Developed by Biznet Solutions

The Cedar Foundation