Ride the Continental Divide

• 25 – 30 hours of riding. 
There is considerable mountain trekking that is interspersed with stretches of quiet dirt road appropriate for extended trots and canters.
• Horses: Ride fit, steady horses that love their job! Arabian, Arabian crosses & Mexican Criollo horses.
• Tack: Comfy Endurance and English saddles with sheepskin pads and shock absorbing padded stirrups.
• Trail riding instruction available.
• Weight Limit: 220 lbs./ 100 kilos.
• Minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 riders.
• Alternative dates: Parties of 2 or more, feel free to inquire about alternative dates for suit your travel time.

Day 1 – Arrival at the Ranch

Arrive at Rancho Pitaya by mid-afternoon via pre-arranged transport from the airport or a hotel in Oaxaca City. You might also consider arriving a day early and booking an extra night at the ranch to settle in. Rancho Pitaya is located just 16 km from the city center and 20 km from Oaxaca’s international airport, nestled on the edge of the traditional cheese-making village of Rojas de Cuauhtémoc.

Settle into one of the three individually decorated guest rooms.
Meet Mary Jane, the ranch owner will meet you. After a briefing on the upcoming week of riding, you’ll meet your horse and head out for a short ride through the surrounding countryside. This introductory ride is an opportunity to test the tack for comfort and ensure that horse and rider are well matched.

Dinner at the ranch.

Day 2 – Traversing the Valley

Ride out from Rancho Pitaya heading east-northeast, traversing the breadth of the valley. Mornings are defined by trails shaded by wild cane, passing small plots of farmland and horse-drawn carts.

Enjoy a relaxing tailgate lunch beside a spring-fed stream, where egrets and flycatchers glide through the air and shepherds pass with their herds of goats and cattle.

The landscape shifts to toward the arid foothills dotted with agave plantation, and the route continues along an age-old trail lined with towering candelabra cacti—an iconic welcome to the Zapotec village of San Miguel del Valle. Overnight in the village’s charming eco-tourism cabins.

Day 3 – Ascent into the Sierra

The day begins with a steady climb out of the valley, accompanied by sweeping views and dramatic geological formations. Hardy cattle graze in scattered pastures, and campesinos wave from cornfields as you pass.

Tiny roads weave through preserved oak forests, leading toward the continental divide that runs along the spine of the great Sierra Madre Oriental.

Due to the remoteness of today’s route, lunch is packed in saddle bags.
The landscape becomes surreal—bizarre yuccas reminiscent of Cousin Itt from The Addams Family stand alongside delicate wild orchids clinging to mossy oaks. By late afternoon, you’ll pass apple orchards and flower gardens, signaling your arrival in the mountain village of Cuajimoloyas. Overnight in eco-tourism cabins at the edge of a broad mountain meadow.

Day 4 – Pines and Agaves

From an altitude of 3,000 meters, today’s ride is a gradual descent through well-preserved communal forests of pine, oak, madrone, and mountain laurel. Massive agaves line the quiet dirt lanes. You’ll cross pristine streams and pass small homesteads where cattle graze contentedly.

Lunch is a rendezvous with the support vehicle near ancient aqueducts—an ideal spot to relax and refuel.

Where terrain allows, enjoy trots and canters, but be prepared to dismount and lead your horse down a steep descent on a winding earthen trail. Cobbled lanes and adobe homes signal your arrival in San Miguel Amatlán, a tranquil village perched above a deep river canyon. Unpack your bags for a two-night stay in the village’s eco-tourism cabins.

Day 5 – River Trail & Ruins

Stretch your legs on a gentle trail that winds along a pristine river beginning at the atmospheric ruins of an old silver-mining hacienda. Native amate trees line the banks, and the path crosses two ancient stone bridges that hint at the region’s storied past.

Lunch is served at a peaceful riverside restaurant.
The people of the Sierra Juárez are renowned for their traditional healing practices—massage and limpias (spiritual cleansings) can be booked for later in the day.

Day 6 – Into the High Forest

Today begins on a cobbled road leading into the quaint village of Chicomezúchitl, known for its irrigation canals and fruit orchards. From there, the horses carefully navigate a marked ascent on a centuries-old trail carved into the oak forests.

Meet the support vehicle for lunch at one of the few accessible spots in this remote, forested region. The afternoon ride winds through enchanted forest where bromeliads and orchids drape from the trees. Eventually, the landscape opens up to sweeping mountain vistas. Extended trots and canters bring you to Latuvi, a tiny village clinging to the steep slopes of the Sierra Juárez. Overnight in cozy eco-tourism cabins.

Day 7 – Return to the Divide

As you descend from Latuvi, traditional homesteads dot the landscape. Sturdy plow oxen graze among wildflowers, and you’ll cross the clear mountain stream of Las Guacamayas. The trail then begins its final ascent through forests of massive conifers, including some of the southernmost stands of Douglas fir in North America.

Reaching the continental divide once again, the narrow trail clings to the mountainside. Signs of village life emerge—a potato field, grazing sheep, and the resilient people of Oaxaca’s high mountains.
Enjoy a relaxing tailgate lunch at the divide.

The final hours of the ride follow a dirt road through immaculately preserved forests of mixed conifer, oak, and mountain laurel.
At the end of the ride, the horses are loaded into the waiting trailer, and riders are transported down nearly 1,500 meters back to the valley floor.

Settle once more into your guest room at Rancho Pitaya. A debriefing with detailed topographical maps precedes a delicious farewell dinner.

Day 8 – Departure

Enjoy breakfast on the open-air terrace at Rancho Pitaya before departing with pre-arranged transport.

Note:

This itinerary is a suggested route only. The region offers endless trails, routes, and destinations, with some better suited to particular seasons. The pace of the ride is best suited for confident riders who are comfortable with extended posting trots and canters but also capable of dismounting to lead their horse on steep descents.