Riding in Andalusia in autumn and winter: what the numbers say and what you should ask

What the numbers show

The Spanish State Meteorological Agency AEMET gives these values for the Seville Airport station (normals 1981 to 2010): the mean daily maximum is 36.0 degrees in July, 26.0 in October, 20.2 in November, 16.6 in December and 16.0 in January. Rain rises from 27 millimetres in September to 68 in October and 91 in November to 99 millimetres in December, with 66 in January and 50 in February. The sun shines on average 354 hours a month in July and 154 in December. That means the heat that decides the start time in summer hardly matters in autumn and winter. Instead, rain becomes the planning question. The station is inland near Seville; the coast is cooler in summer. We did not read values for Málaga, Almería and Huelva, nor for the heights of the Alpujarra.

What this means for the areas

Doñana and Mazagón. According to the Junta de Andalucía the national park covers 54,251 hectares in the provinces of Huelva and Seville and was declared in 1969; UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1994. According to the Junta the marsh is a resting, breeding and wintering area for thousands of birds from Europe and Africa. According to the Junta visitors should stay on marked paths. Whether a ride runs inside the park itself is stated by the provider; we found no riding rule. Montes de Málaga. The natural park north of Málaga has been protected since 28 July 1989 and covers 4,995.56 hectares. Ask the provider whether the paths are closed in wet conditions. Alpujarra and Lanjarón. According to the Junta Lanjarón belongs to the Sierra Nevada natural park, and the Junta names rides on horseback between the villages of the Alpujarra as an activity. Altitude and weather in the mountains are not in our sources. Tabernas. The Junta calls the Tabernas Desert, 11,448.49 hectares in the province of Almería, the only desert in the true sense on the European continent. In summer heat is the issue here; in autumn and winter shade is no longer one; the Junta describes gullies (badlands), earth pyramids and deep ravines as traces of erosion by rain. Ask whether the ride goes ahead after rain.

What differs in the season

1. Start time. In summer you ask for early or late; in autumn and winter you ask about daylight: in December the sun shines on average only 154 hours a month according to AEMET.
2. Rain. Ask at what amount the provider cancels, and whether you can move the date free of charge.
3. Ground. Wet paths are slipperier. Ask about the pace and which route is ridden when it is wet.
4. Clothing. Cold and wet, not sun and heat. What the provider supplies is stated by the provider.

Questions for the provider

1. Where is the meeting point, and how long is the journey?
2. Does the ride run in a national or natural park, and which rules apply to horses?
3. What happens in rain, and until when is cancellation free?
4. When does the ride start, and how much daylight is left?
5. What level is required, and is there a weight limit in kilograms?

What we could not confirm

No values for the coast and the mountains. No riding rule found for Doñana, Montes de Málaga and the Sierra Nevada. The statement on erosion describes the relief according to the Junta, not riding after rain.

Read on: Andalusia (region) · Questions for the stable before you book · Reading climate tables for your ride