Description
This beautiful rural hotel and wine estate is set on the edge of the stunning Serra da Estrela National Park in northern Portugal. Offering guests the chance to discover the delights of artisan wine making, the traditions of sheep herding and cheese making in this farming mountain region and the wonders of the Lusitano horse breed - a horse synonymous with Portugal and its history.
The hotel was opened in 2012 by the estate's present owners who purchased the old farm property and its acres of vineyards 5 years prior. The purchase was a culmination of a lifelong dream to return to a simpler and more traditional lifestyle - a project that respects the natural world and ancestral history of the region. The modern realisation of this dream allows for the owners to share their passion for the old wines, delicious produce and sympathetic farming practices that have thrived in this region for centuries. The farm houses not only the vineyards (some dating back 40+ years), but also ancient olive groves, fruit orchards of apple and pear, peacefully grazing herds of sheep and lusitano horses, as well as stray dogs rescued from the local area too.
Riding guests can enjoy the stunning surroundings of the farm while refining their dressage skills, or enjoying a more relaxed combination of dressage lessons and cultural tours within the farm. Riding groups are limited to 3-4 riders at a time allowing for plenty of personal attention with one-to-one tuition available. The ten riding horses are mostly Lusitano purebred, both stallions and mares, at various stages in their training. Three of the lesson horses are trained to Grand Prix level and others are available for less experienced riders too. Lessons are taught by Portuguese dressage rider Nuno Carvalho who competes his own horses at Prix St Georges to international level as well as training young horses and ensuring the continued education of the riding school horses.
