The Serranía de Ronda is horse country. This mountainous region in southern Andalucía is just an hour north of the Costa del Sol, but a world away from its high-rise hotels. It is an unspoilt land of pueblos blancos (white villages), where every family keeps a horse in the garden, riding is a way of life and festivals are centred on displays of equestrian skill. A fitting place, in short, for a riding holiday.
Andalucía is also known for its cuisine, notably gazpacho, jamón ibérico, fried fish and, of course, sherry. I was there to experience a new holiday, Gallops for Gourmets, that combines the twin pleasures of riding and food. The trip was based at El Nobo, a stunning Moorish-style cortijo (country estate) in Gaucín, one of the white villages. I had La Bumba all to myself – a little stone cottage perched on the edge of the mountain with views stretching all the way to Gibraltar and, on a clear day, to the Atlas mountains and Africa.
We spent four days out of seven on horseback. My mount was Nube, a beautiful dun-coloured mare who liked to be neck reined; that is, ridden western-style with the reins loose in one hand. For someone accustomed to the more uptight English style, it took some getting used to. But some constructive criticism from my guide, Karen, helped me to get the hang of it eventually. At best, I felt like a cowgirl, galloping after baddies along the old smugglers' trails. In the 19th century they were used to transport contraband brandy and tobacco – now we were in pursuit of some highly prized produce of our own.
We rode out to small farmers dotted around the mountains, who produce some of Andalucía's finest ingredients. Karen is English but has lived in Andalucía for several years, and has befriended every horseman, muleteer and shepherd in the area. Local landowners have given her permission to ride through their property, so she is able to lead her groups to places where no other visitor can go and food producers no one else has access to. She knows the terrain inside out, and frequently plunged down what looked like a sheer mountain drop but turned out to be a wild pig or goat track. This made for nerve-racking but exhilarating riding.
The first producer we visited was a beekeeper, who showed us his hives and gave us gifts of rich, dark honey, fragrant with wildflowers. Later, we ate it drizzled over fried aubergines. Another day we rode through cork oak forests, where the trees' bark was peeled back as if they were slipping off a coat – a hallmark of the still-thriving cork industry. When the rains come, pigs are released to eat the acorns, which contribute to the delicate flavour of ibérico ham. Riders often catch a glimpse of the pigs, but the rains were late this year. We picnicked on a ledge overlooking the valley, listening to the tinkling of cowbells and feasting on goat's cheese and chorizo, chilled fino and refreshing tinto de verano (red wine and lemonade).
We visited Paco and Paca, a wonderful couple whose tiny farmstead housed a traditional bread oven, once used by the entire village. We baked some bread too, and ate it with a stew of pigs' cheeks.
Our final ride was a long one, to groves of oranges and avocados. We picked delicious tangerines from the trees and ate them on the spot, then tethered the horses to trees by the Guadiaro river and had a simple lunch at a rural restaurant, Venta Las Acacias, before riding home.
Usually, we arrived back at El Nobo in the early afternoon, when I would spend the hours before dinner sunbathing and reading on my wraparound terrace, sipping homemade lemonade and occasionally cooling off in my plunge pool (the October sun was fiercely hot), or in the infinity pool in the terraced gardens, among citrus trees and bright flowers. The sound of the horses grazing beyond the screen of olive trees was soothing, and most evenings I lingered there until the sun dropped behind the peaks.
Dinner was prepared by our private guest chef, Neil, using local ingredients, including some from the garden, which was lush with almonds, pomegranates, persimmon and figs. Sometimes, we would have a cookery demonstration or lesson before tucking into nibbles and aperitifs followed by a three-course meal. I picked up tips that I have since tried at home, from the best way to prepare artichokes to a quick and easy recipe for gazpacho. The food was uniformly delicious, but a particular highlight was the Roman barbecue. Inspired by Apicius, a book of Roman recipes, Neil created dishes that the inhabitants of Andalucía might have enjoyed during the Roman empire – barbecued leeks with garum (fermented fish sauce) for example.
Non-riding days also had a culinary theme, such as the one we spent in Ronda, one of the oldest cities in Spain, in a spectacular setting on top of a 100m gorge. After exploring the old town, including the historic bullring, we went wine tasting at a biodynamic bodega, F Schatz (f-schatz.com), whose passionate owner shared a wealth of information about the wine-making process. We spent the last day at La Línea, the town on the border with Gibraltar, where we ate chocolate con churros and bought fish at the market for our final dinner.
On that day, the weather finally broke, and the rain woke up the dusty wild herbs until the air was filled with the scent of fresh mint. I left with aching legs from the long days of riding, a full stomach from the irresistible food, and the firm belief that a horse rider's life is a happy one. And if that's the case, the people of the Serranía de Ronda must be very happy indeed.
• A one-week Gallops for Gourmets break with The Riding Company (01534 745795, theridingcompany.com) costs around £1,800pp, including accommodation at El Nobo (elnobo.co.uk) transfers, guided riding (rideandalucia.com) and excursions, with most meals cooked by a private chef and at least one cookery demonstration, but not flights. The next trip is from 20-27 October. Monarch (monarch.co.uk) flies to Gibraltar, about an hour from Gaucín, from Luton and Manchester from £78 return
