Alto Alentejo Trail
La Codosera, Spain
0/5
0% of guests recommend
Location
Spain
Description
Ride from Spanish Extremadura to the beautiful region of Alto Alentejo, the northern half of Portugal's largest province. The Alentejo area of Portugal is home to two of the National Portuguese stud farms and is the largest breeding area for fighting bulls in Portugal. This is wonderful horse country with soft trails through pleasant countryside with the upper half (Alto) considered much more appealing by some. The Spanish-Portuguese border offers varied landscapes of unspoilt nature, dominated by olive trees and cork oaks, where tourists rarely venture, making it the perfect, peaceful escape to the countryside on horseback.
Riding in this region of Portugal would not be complete without a visit to a local Lusitano and Alter Real stud farms where you will have the opportunity to admire these beautiful purebred horses which are such an integral part of the country's history and culture.
During this week-long trail well trained, sure-footed horses travel easily over hills and happily canter along the sandy paths. The horses are mostly Arab and Quarter Horse crosses with some English Thoroughbred and Spanish Anglo-Arab crosses, and they all have a friendly nature. Riding is in Portuguese style, with one hand and a loose rein. Special Portuguese saddles are used on this trail, which are perfect for long days in the saddle. An introduction will be given and this style of riding is very easy to learn.
The accommodation on this trail is in an authentic guesthouse in the Spanish countryside and in a comfortable Portuguese hotel.
Guide Languages spoken
Day 1
Arrive at Lisbon Airport in time for a group transfer at 16:30. Transfer by a minibus to your accommodation (approximately 3 hours). There will be a welcome dinner and tour briefing. You will get to meet other guests, your hosts and their team.The night will be spent in a guesthouse in the little Spanish village La Codosera, near the Spanish-Portuguese border.
Day 2
After breakfast, you will transfer to the finca to meet the horses. We will start with a short riding lesson on how to ride with a hackamore and how to position yourself well in the Portuguese saddles. After that we will start the trail, leaving the finca and riding towards the Portuguese border. The landscape of Dehesa Extremeña is hilly. We ride to a farm located in a beautiful reservoir. On the way we will have a chance for a nice canter through an olive field and enjoy our picnic lunch. After about four hours of riding we arrive at the final destination of our first day. Transfer to our accommodation in La Codosera (about 45 minutes by car)
(Approx. 4 hours riding)
Day 3
n the morning we wil transfer back to the farm where we left our horses the previous night. We brush, saddle up, take off and look forward to a ride crossing the green border of Portugal. We ride along a large lake and follow its line until we arrive at the other side of the lake, this is where a car is waiting for us with a our picnic lunch. After the lunch break, we ascend again and ride through the cork oak and holm oak meadows of the Serra de Sao Marmede Natural Park. With a bit of luck we will see vultures circling around. The horses stay overnight on a farm near Arronches. We return to our accommodation in La Codosera.
(Approx. 4.5 hours riding)
Day 4
n the morning we wil transfer back to the farm where we left our horses the previous night. We brush, saddle up, take off and look forward to a ride crossing the green border of Portugal. We ride along a large lake and follow its line until we arrive at the other side of the lake, this is where a car is waiting for us with a our picnic lunch. After the lunch break, we ascend again and ride through the cork oak and holm oak meadows of the Serra de Sao Marmede Natural Park. With a bit of luck we will see vultures circling around. The horses stay overnight on a farm near Arronches. We return to our accommodation in La Codosera.
(Approx. 4.5 hours riding)
Day 5
Today will be the longest riding day. As we ride past huge farm lands we notice how the landscape is slowly changing. After 3.5 hours in the saddle, we'll have a well deserved lunch break near Portalegre. In the afternoon, sandy paths allow us to enjoy a some nice gallops. After a 6 hours ride, we arrive the village of Crato. Our horses will spend the night just outside the village. We are taken to Alter do Chão, about half an hour's drive from the horses. Here we check into our hotel, a former monastery, where we will spend the last three nights of the trial.
(Approx. 6 hours riding)
Day 6
We continue our way through the Alto Alentejo. We cross vast lands of vineyards, eucalyptus and granite rocks, which seem to have been shaped into the landscape by giants. Around midday we arrive at a farm near Aldeia da Mata. The horses go into a corral for a while and we have lunch nearby. In the afternoon, on the way back we stop at the Royal Alter Real Stud Farm which was established over 250 years ago. We return to the same accommodation from the night before (about 25 mins drive).
(Approx. 3 hours riding)
Day 7
Our last leg of this wonderful week of riding takes about 4.5 hours. We start from Aldeia da Mata, we cross a romantic valley en route and our ride takes us to Cunheira. The sandy paths invite you to gallop. The eucalyptus changes the aspect of the landscapes we cross. After the picnic, the scenery changes again. We cross ancient rice fields to Torre das Vargens. At the end of the valley, it's time to say goodbye to the horses; they're going home. We return to our hotel, transfer takes about 20 minutes.
(Approx. 4.5 hours riding)
Day 8
Breakfast and departure to the airport (approximately 2 hours drive).
Please note: All itineraries are given for your guidance only and it may be altered on the ground and in accordance with the prevailing conditions by the organising team.
Accommodation
Price:
£135.00
/night
Trip Dates
Location
Reviews
0/5
Not rated
Based on
0 review
Excellent
0
Very Good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
No Review
Unicorn Trails
Member Since Oct 2022
from
£135.00
Ages 12+
Ages 2–12
Extra prices:
({{type.price_type}})
{{type.price_html}}
({{type.price_type}})
{{ type.price }}%
{{ formatMoney(type.price) }}
- {{total_price_html}}
- {{pay_now_price_html}}
8 Guests in maximum
BOOK NOW Book NowYou might also like
Spain
Not rated
0 Review
Ride through the Asturias region in far northern Spain famous for its apples, cider and regional food. Winding through Picos de Europa National Park, this 8 day/7-night trail brings together the best mountain...
£0.00
/night
Spain
Not rated
0 Review
The Camino de Santiago, or ‘Way of St. James’ is one of the most infamous pilgrimage routes in history, and this holiday offers the chance to cover the most popular route from the Pyrenees...
£0.00
/night
Spain
Not rated
0 Review
Ride beautifully schooled arab and X horses through a very isolated and almost deserted mountain range on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. You'll enjoy thrilling riding here -...
from
£135.00
