A horseback tour through rural culture
MEXICO
By Maggie Barnett
RIDE horseback through the historical Iztaccíhuatl region southeast of Mexico City on a weeklong tour Dec. 26. Departures are offered year-round, but the late December tour includes a traditional country Mexican New Year's Eve celebration with fireworks and mariachis, a large banquet in Cuernavaca and a midnight ride by torchlight.
The focus will be on the history and culture of Mexico, said Karen Lancaster, president of Cross Country International, the tour operator. "We take the route through the mountains that Hernán Cortés took through Mexico City as he was conquering the Aztecs," she said.
Riders will stay in bungalows at an upscale family-owned ranch equipped with a covered, heated pool and 25 imported Appaloosas and American quarter horses.
Cost: $1,795 per person (no single surcharge), including accommodations for one or two, all meals, five days' guided trail riding, horse, tack and transfers. Airfare from Los Angeles is not included.
Contact: Cross Country International, Millbrook, N.Y.; (800) 828-8768, http://www.equestrianvacations.com
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