Costa del Sol (Spain) > Reviews > Rancho Ferrer Riding Holiday 2006

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Excellent
Sightseeing	Good
Shopping	Good
Nightlife	Good
Ease of getting around	Excellent

Advantages:	Great horses, great staff, lovely food, other activities on offer
Disadvantages:	Very hot in August

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

We took a family holiday to Rancho Ferrer (nearest airport Malaga or Granada) in August 2006. Our party consisted of myself, my wife and two teenage daughters.

The booking was handled direct using their website, and the pre- holiday admin was easy and quick.

We took advantage of a discount to hire a car (also handled through their website, and very efficient).

The directions were sent to us beforehand and easy to follow, and the drive from Malaga very straightforward.

On arrival we were met by our hosts who showed us into a lovely converted Spanish farm building, which was very rustic and simple, but spotlessly clean and well-appointed.

We were shown around the village, the bar, pool, hot tub, and met the horses and the resident staff.

Water supply is a problem in this part of Spain, so we were told all the houses (8 of them) used by the ranch have showers. But as we had the use of the ranch hot tub after a hard ride, that was just fine!

The riding was varied, and rides lasted from between 2-4 hours, leaving us the afternoons free to go to the beach, sightsee (Granada is just one hour away, and a MUST-SEE). The horses were all well-mannered and we all improved our riding skills dramatically during the week amid some wonderful scenery.

The girls particularly enjoyed trying waterskiing, whilst proud parents were busy with the video-cam! We also all enjoyed the use of the ranch sea-kayaks down at the beach. Although there were also mountain bikes available up at the ranch, we decided it was too hot and we were too tired after being on a horse all morning. The highlight though, was spending one afternoon out at sea with some dolphins, quite common in this part of Spain apparently. All these extra activities were included in the price of the holiday, and apart from a small bar bill to settle at the end for incidental drinks, we were pleasantly surprised at the value for money this holiday represented.

The food was simply delicious. One of our daughters is a vegetarian, and nothing was too much trouble for our hosts. Supplies for breakfast and lunch are left in your fridge, and replenished on request, and dinner, the highlight of the day, was served on the terrace outside the bar, with unlimited wine or soft drinks included.

Definately a holiday I would recommend. We are thinking of returning next year and taking some friends too.