Your host and guide

María Elena Dendaluce is the founder and owner of Equiberia – Equitravel, Ltd. María Elena decided to change her job in marketing with an American multinational for her passion for horses and travel. She is fluent in English and French and loves painting too. Before she decided to start this “life adventure”, she participated in riding tours in different parts of the world: France, Tunisia, Argentina, USA, Australia, Botswana... She is a terrific travel companion and knows the customs, natural history and the culture of the regions, what really brings you into the adventure, and helps you reach a unique level of participation.

Equiberia is based in Navarredonda de Gredos, in the Northern slopes of magnificent Sierra de Gredos, in Ávila, in the heart of Castile. Equiberia has its own stables, at the boundaries of the Gredos Nature Park. It is a wild area, very little populated, and the local economy is based on breeding free range cattle. It is a great territory for riding with easy free access to great vast areas of common land and ancient bridle paths. In Gredos, riding a horse is just the natural way to discover this immense land, its great landscapes and its remote medieval villages.

Equiberia team

Dara and Ana work with Equiberia.

Dara is from Germany, and speaks fluent English, as she spent a year working at racing stables in New Zealand. This is her second season with Equiberia. She came last year and fell in love with the Gredos and our horses. In the time she has been in the Gredos, she has rescued a dog and two horses! She has a very special hand with the horses and is in charge of training the young ones.

Ana is from Portugal and one day she would like to start her own riding holiday business in Portugal. She comes from Alter do Chao in the Alentejo, where the unique Alter-Real horses are bred. She trained as an equestrian guide and as an assistant riding teacher. She speaks fluent English and will be accompanying Maria Elena in the week rides.

Equiberia partners

In 2012, Maria Elena organises three rides in other areas of Spain in collaboration with local partners. She accompanies these rides herself and guarantees the standards are up to any previous Equiberia rides.

The rides in Segovia, which started in 2011, will be led by Enrique, owner and trainer of the horses in Segovia. He is an excellent horseman, with a show-jumping and cross-country background, trainer of show-jumping horses and a riding instructor. He is passionate about Segovia, the nature and the history of the region.

The rides in Menorca, which started in 2011, will be led by Toni, owner and trainer of the horses in Menorca. He breeds his own horses and he is an expert horseman who has explored many trails in Menorca He comes from a traditional Menorquín family and he is deeply in love with his island.

The 2012 NEW rides in Sevilla will be led by Alfonso, owner and trainer of the horses in Sevilla. a great horseman, passionate and knowledgeable about the horses, the diverse equestrian disciplines and about the Andalusian traditions and countryside. He is expert in Andalusian dressage or Doma Vaquera and, at present, he is competing in TREC.

“Thank you for all the effort you have put to organise this ride. It was amazing to see the valleys and the villages... It would be difficult to see these without the horses. I’ve been very lucky to benefit from your dedication and imagination.” A.L., USA