Description
The beautiful Quinta do Almargem has been home to a sport horse stud since 1990. Your host, Luis, breeds both Lusitano and Arab horses, as well as some cross Luso-Arabs. A keen endurance rider, he competes over distances up to 160km on his own horses. He is also a qualified vet and looks after his horses to a high standard - you can be guaranteed a well-cared-for, responsive horse on these fantastic rides.
The Quinta is located only 15km from the sandy beaches of the Atlantic ocean, with a backdrop of the Serra de Grandola hills. This combination of hills with long, sandy tracks and beaches is the ideal training ground for his endurance horses, allowing for long canters as well as strenuous walking terrain to increase their fitness. This is a great option for those who enjoy an energetic ride!
Riding into the hills you pass cork trees which have grown for centuries, as well as eucalyptus and pine forests. In the opposite direction lie the beaches, sand dunes and lagoons of the coast. This riding holiday combines both landscapes, as you spend the first half of the week riding in the hills, and the second half riding along the coast. There are plenty of opportunities for long loping canters as well as relaxing and watching the landscape unfold around you.
Instead of moving on each night, you change hotels just once, so can unpack and relax after each day of riding. There is even a rest day in the middle of the week so that you can really feel like you are on holiday.
This destination was visited by Cathy from Far and Ride in October 2017 and she'll be happy to tell you all about it.
Please note that whilst riding on the beach is always possible, cantering is dependent on tides as the sand is very deep. If you cannot canter on the beach then there are still plenty of opportunities near the lagoon, through the sand dunes and forests etc.
