Hípica Can Vila

Who they are

Can Vila is a full equestrian centre founded in 2000 on the road that climbs from Sant Esteve de Palautordera to the village of Montseny, at kilometre 7.5, already inside the Montseny Natural Park and about 35 minutes from Barcelona. As well as horse rides it offers livery, a riding school and horse sales, and next to the stables is the Hotel Rural Can Vila, in an early 19th-century farmhouse restored with its original materials.

Horse rides in the Montseny

Guided rides leave from the club and follow the tracks of the natural park, with a crossing of the river Tordera, at the foot of the massif that UNESCO declared a biosphere reserve. They are adapted to each rider's level, from someone who has never ridden to someone already at ease, and are organised in four formats: as a family, as a couple, as a group or as an individual outing. They also prepare tailor-made rides for celebrations or specific occasions.

The website does not publish the length of each ride, the minimum age, the equipment they lend or the prices. Ask when booking how long the outing lasts, whether they lend a helmet and from what age children can ride on their own; for the smallest, the school has ponies.

School and facilities

The riding school accepts children and adults. It starts with the introductory level, with first contact with the horse, grooming, care of the tack and basic handling, and continues with advanced courses in classical dressage, western dressage or reining, jumping and driving. You can learn with the school's horses, which include ponies, beginners' horses and horses for advanced courses, or with your own.

The facilities have two 20 × 60 m arenas, one 20 × 40 m, a 40 × 80 m reining arena and a covered ring for when it rains. There are boxes and paddocks of several sizes, showers for horses, a bar-restaurant, a social room and a large car park. Livery offers paddock, box, semi-free and retirement meadows.

Hotel and booking

The rural hotel has nine rooms named after plants and woods of the Montseny: five standard doubles, two special doubles, a junior suite and a family suite. It lets you combine a horse ride with a night in the park; you book on its own website.

Rides and lessons are booked by phone or WhatsApp on 609 510 411, or by email, and they answer Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 19:00. The website is only in Spanish; it does not mention other languages or cancellation conditions, so it is worth agreeing them when booking, especially if the weather is uncertain.