Alto Minho Adventures and TREC, Portugal
Horses
Type of horses:
Portuguese bred horses
Nature of horses:
Gentle temperament
Height of horses:
13-16 hh
Weight limit:
90kg
Tack type:
English
Weather
Current Conditions:
Fair, 18 C
Forecast:
Fri - Sunny. High: 32 Low: 16
Sat - Sunny. High: 30 Low: 16
Full Forecast at Yahoo! Weather
(provided by The Weather Channel)
Pricing
3 Day Programme
2010 Prices:
The price for this ride is £309 per person. This includes bed and breakfast, 2 picnic lunches and dinners in a regional restaurant.
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Alta Coura Trail
2010 Prices:
£866 per person. This includes bed and breakfast, 6 picnic lunches and 7 dinners in a regional restaurant.
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Wildlife Riding/ TREC
2010 Prices:
The price for 2 days/3 nights is £284 per person.
6 days/7 nights is £836 per person.
This includes bed and breakfast, picnic lunches and dinners in a regional restaurant. It also covers insurance for personal accidents.
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Availability/Booking Form
Ride Description
This centre is situated in the Alto Minho, Paredes de Coura district, and aims to provide more than just equestrian tourism. The rides here are designed to show the wonderful Alto Minho by using horseback, one of the oldest means of transport in the world, but they also provide the guests with the chance to experience riding classes in a natural environment. With a riding area of 20000m2, as well as a 20x40 uncovered space, the centre also has various wild trails that are suitable for the handicapped. Therapeutic horseback riding is offered, alongside tuition in TREC (techniques of Equestrian Randonée for sports competition) and classes in an array of different related subjects. This wildlife equestrian school aims to educate riders in a range of subjects - riding, grooming, cartography and orientation, basic horseshoeing knowledge, first aid for horses and riders as well as knowledge of the environment. The programmes here are great not only for those who wish to learn, but also for those who simply love horses and wish to be in contact with nature, whilst also enjoying the tourist aspects of trail riding through the beautiful Minho regions. There is a rich rural culture in these mountain lands and what better way to experience it than through the traditional transport of horseback.
See Programmes.
Food & Accommodation
Guests will stay at the rural hotel Casa Paz do Outeiro, a typical Minho accommodation with a rural style kitchen. This is about 8km from the riding stables and about the same distance from "Paredes de Coura", the next small town. The hotel has two twin bedrooms with private bathroom, two double bedrooms with private bathroom and one suite. The rooms have all basic comforts except air conditioning. You may use the pool or play snooker and there are babysitting and laundry services.
Breakfast is usually a homemade meal taken in the hotel's rural style kitchen and lunches are picnic style, eaten in various suitable spots where one can take a break from horseback and enjoy the area. Dinner is taken in a local restaurant where guests can experience regional dishes and traditional Portuguese style cooking.
Further Details
Languages: English, Portuguese
Health requirements: Must be fit and healthy enough to control their horse at all paces.
Age limit: 14-80
Tuition: On the wildlife riding course/TREC
Included: Bed and breakfast, picnic lunches, dinners in regional restaurant
Not included: Airport transfers, these are 50 Euros each.
Travel Information
Flights to Oporto or Vigo with a transfer to the hotel.
Airport: Oporto Airport
Alternative Airport: Vigo-Peinador Aiport
Programmes
3 Day Programme
|
Day One: Transfer from either Oporto or Vigo airport to Paredes de Coura, where you meet your guides and horses. Your rooms at the rural hotel, Casa Paz do Outeiro (a typical Minho accommodation), will be ready for you and dinner will be served at a local restaurant where you can appreciate traditional Portuguese cooking. Day Two: Meet at 9.30am to prepare horses and leave the centre for "Monte São Silvestre", a journey through mountains and heathland where you will observe wild horses, cows and game. You will take your picnic lunch near a chapel at the top of São Silvestre. After lunch you will head for Chão das Pipas, Sete Fontes and then onwards to Serra da Boalhosa and Insalde. You will pass pasture lands and follow large paths that allow for a gallop. This trail distance is about 25km and you will take dinner in the restaurant as before. Then you are free to take your well deserved rest back at the hotel. Day Three: After a delicious homemade breakfast in the hotel kitchen, you meet again at 9.30am and prepare to leave towards "Monte da Senhora da Pena." This trail will take you past ancient oak forests, beautiful views of the village and down to the Coura river teeming with tasty trout which could perhaps be served at dinner. You will take lunch here at this river beach and may choose to have a refreshing bath. Once lunch has been enjoyed, you ride up to "Monte de Alem" by passing through local villages where you can observe their ways of life and absorb some of the culture. Your trail ends in São Bento back at the centre where dinner is as previous nights. Day Four: You will transfer to Oporto or Vigo airport where you will be wished a fond farewell after your taste of Minho life. |
|
| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 6 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate - Rider must be able to control the horse through paces including gallop. |
| Type of ride: | Trail but returning to base in evenings. |
| Total riding time: | Two days riding |
| Departure dates: | All year |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Alta Coura Trail
|
Saturday: Transfer from Oporto or Vigo airport to Paredes de Coura, the place where you will meet your guides and horses. Your rooms in typical Minho accommodation, a rural hotel known as 'Casa Paz do Outeiro', will be ready and waiting for you. Dinner is served in a local restaurant where you can taste the typical Portuguese cooking of the region. Sunday: You meet at 9.30am to prepare your horses and leave the centre at "Venade", taking a journey through mountains and heathland where you will see wild horses, cows and game. During Spring and Autumn the mountains are particularly beautiful with yellow and purple plants growing in abundance. There are spectacular views over the Minho Valley and river and you will take your picnic lunch in the shade of ancient oaks. After lunch you cross back over the hills towards your hotel. Monday: After breakfast you will meet at 9.30am to head for "Valença", the border city to Spain. You will not enter the city but pass the hillsides to see nice views over the Minho River and Northern Spain. Lunch is taken at the top of "Sanfins", a hill near a small Chapel of the shepherds. After lunch you ride across the top of the granite hills towards the hotel. Tuesday: Meet again at 9.30am to prepare your horses and leave Venade for the "São Tiago" Chapel, situated amongst oak forests which dominate this trail. Lunch is taken at the chapel, after which you will pass the residential quarter of farmers from the post revolution era, witnessing views of the "Serra Amarela" and "Serra Peneda". Wednesday: After a delicious homemade breakfast taken in the hotel kitchen, you will meet again at 9.30am to make the preparations for your day. This time you head towards "Monte da Senhora da Pena" and will pass the ancient oaks, enjoy beautiful views about the village and ride down to the Coura river which teems with tasty trout. Perhaps you might taste these fresh fish at dinner! Here you will enjoy lunch on the river beach, maybe taking a refreshing bath before continuing your journey onwards. Now you will ride up to "Monte de Além" and pass through small villages where you can observe their ways of life and absorb some of their culture. Thursday: After your usual meeting at 9.30am, you will leave for "Chão das Pipas" and "Sete Fontes", riding onwards to "Serra da Boalhosa" where you will eat lunch at a restaurant situated in the heart of this natural spot. Here you will enjoy some regional dishes and take a rest before heading for "Eira Comunitaria das Porreiras", the area where cereals used to be dried and stored in the typical corn lofts of the Alto Minho. Friday: Usual 9.30am meeting before leaving towards the Equestrian Centre. You will take lunch at the Centre today and the afternoon is yours to visit one of the forts of Minho or simply to relax by the hotel pool. Saturday: According to your flight you will be transfered to either Oporto or Vigo airport and will bid farewell to your new riding friends. |
|
| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 6 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate - rider must be able to control their horse at paces including gallop. |
| Type of ride: | Trail ride but returning to hotel each night |
| Total riding time: | 5.5 days riding (6-8 Hours a day) |
| Departure dates: | All year |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Wildlife Riding/ TREC
|
The wildlife equestrian school here, associated with the Portuguese Equestrian Federation, aims to teach riders in the practise of touristic horseback riding as well as to offer training in TREC (Techniques of Equestrian Randonée for competition). TREC comprises of three phases - POR (orienteering on horseback), COP (control of paces) and PTV (cross-country and obstacle course). Students are given the freedom to ride alone or in company on various outings and are provided with the comfort they seek in such activities. Subjects covered in the school range from riding, grooming, cartography and orientation, basic knowledge of horseshoeing, first aid for both people and horses and some knowledge of the surrounding environment. The classes suit beginners, advanced riders or those capable of riding at a competition level. The programme will be designed to suit the knowledge and skills of the visitors and can be either 3 nights/ 2 days or 7 nights/ 6 days in duration. Tuition of about 4 hours per day is included in the price but this depends on the knowledge and motivation of the guests. Course Outline: Day 1 - Arrival: - Transfer from Oporto or Vigo airport to the destinations where you will meet the staff and horses - Shown your accommodation at the rural hotel, a typical Minho accommodation. - Dinner at "Caso do Frey", a local restaurant where you can appreciate good Portuguese cooking Day 2: 9:00 - 12:00 - From TREC to Wildlife horseback riding - POR training (orienteering on horseback) using a small trail to get used to the terrain 12:30 - Picnic lunch if the weather is nice. If not, lunch will be in a restaurant. 14:00 - 17:00 - Diagnosis of riding experience - COP (control of paces) and PTV (cross-country and obstacle course) 19:00 - Dinner Day 3: 9:00 - 12:00 - Map reading skills - On foot navigation training for beginners or improvers 12:30 - Lunch 14:00 - 17:00 - Mounted POR training 19:00 - Dinner Day 4: 9:00 - 12:00 - Horse shoeing - Safety rules - PTV (cross-country and obstacle course) 12:00 - Lunch 14:00 - 17:00 - Wildlife riding training trail 19:00 - Dinner Day 5: 9:00 - 17:00 - One day trail towards "Valença", the border city to Spain. You won't enter the city but will pass the hillside, experiencing great views of the Minho River and Northern Spain. You will eat lunch at the top of "Sanfins" Hill near a small chapel of the shepherds. 19:00 - Dinner Day 6: 9:00 - 12:00 - Mounted POR training 12:00 - Lunch 14:00 - 17:00 - PTV training - COP training 19:00 - dinner Day 7: 9:00 - 17:00 - One day trail through mountain and heathland where we can observe wild living horses, cows and game. During spring and fall time the mountains are very beautiful with yellow and purple heath growing everywhere. You will have a spectacular view of the Minho Valley and River. You will eat a picnic lunch under ancient oak treees. 19:00 - Dinner Day 8 - Departure: - According to your flight your hosts will transfer you to the airport of Oporto or Vigo. The programme will be adjusted according to the knowledge and skills of the guests. |
|
| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 6 |
| Ability description: | Is catered to suit the guests - can accept beginners to advanced. |
| Type of ride: | TREC/ Wildlife Riding Course |
| Total riding time: | Tailor made to suit |
| Departure dates: | All year |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |