There is a farm nestled between the mountains of Galicia and the impressive waters of the Atlantic ocean, where your guide Adrián will show you the most exquisite parts of Galicia, Spain. Besides being an experienced guide, Adrián is also a talented horseman with a true connection to all his horses, but above all a real, authentic Galician! During your stay at his farm, he will take you riding through the mountains where you will see lots of purebred Galician wild horses. Learn about the history of the wild horses of Galicia, their habitat, characteristics, traditional management and their relationship with the people. We went to Galicia for an incredible week of horse riding, and we have now planned several Hooves trips to Galicia in 2024 and 2025!
DATES
12 to 18 September 2024
21 to 27 April 2025
19 to 25 May 2025
1 to 7 September 2025
6 to 12 October 2025
Sign up for your trip to Galicia here!
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Adrián belongs to the fifth generation of a family from the countryside of Galicia. Since he was born he lived with horses that were part of his family, and he will be with you on all the rides. Adrián is currently improving his English, but if there aren't any Spanish speakers in your group he will arrange for a translator to come along on parts of the horse riding holiday. All of Adrián's horses are incredible to ride, very responsive, confident, smart, and above all they are very, very loved! You’ll be bonding with your horse throughout the week. You’ll take your horse in, brush and tack up - meaning lots of one on one time to get to know each other. The rides are slow paced, as the terrain is rocky and steep, but there is the opportunity for the occasional canter.
While riding through the mountains you will even find petroglyphs showing the existence of the wild horses of Galicia in these mountains for more than 5,000 years. There is a figure of a human mounted on a horse which demonstrates the horsemanship of these animals at that time, coinciding with the domestication of the horse in the mountains of central Asia around the same dates!
The food on this horse riding holiday is out of this world, dishes made with local products, in local restaurants and in Adrián’s family home. This really is a unique experience of immersion in culture with the traditional hospitality of a Galician family. On the trail rides you Adrián will take you to stunning places, with incredible views, and countless waterfalls and rivers.
Grelo and Galo are two lovely Galician horses of approximately the same size and colour. They are so insanely cute, and also lovely to ride. I got to ride Grelo on the first day, and loved him. Just like the other horses, he's very responsive but level headed. He keeps an eye out and is very alert, but extremely brave.
Kalimocho is also a Galician horse, he's a quick and forward horse, and can be a bit nervous for the first few minutes. However, once you have his trust he is an incredible ride for any experienced rider, and surprisingly fast in the canters! He was actually one of the wild stallions in these mountains until Adrián trained him when he was 7 years old. He was an absolute pleasure to ride (and extremely handsome).
Mulato is a French trotter x Galician horse. A stunning, and slightly bigger horse, with very comfortable gaits. I didn't get to ride him, but saw him in action several times. Like most of Adrián's horses, Mulato can be ridden both with a bit or without!
Bongo is a Lusitano x Arabian horse, and is Adrián's guide horse. A beautiful and impressive horse with real authority over his fellow horses. He's a fantastic lead horse with a quick walk. All the horses can be ridden next to each other, or easily be kept at distance behind each other, which is really a pleasure, they're very independent and confident.
Located in the southwest of Galicia, surrounded by sea and mountains, we offer you the possibility of getting to know the equestrian culture of rural Galicia from a privileged place. We are committed to promoting and protecting our roots and culture around Galician horses, that is why we want to provide a unique experience in an environment where the protagonist is the horse. - Adrián
This is the perfect experience to disconnect and connect between humans, horses, and nature.
All 2025 trips are from Monday to Sunday. We recommend arriving on the Sunday before, spending a night in Porto, and heading to the farm Monday morning to make the most out of your holiday. Only our trip from 12 to 18 Sept 2024 is from Thursday to Wednesday, so we recommend arriving on the Wednesday before. This itinerary is an example of what your horse riding holiday can look like. Of course we always have to take the horses, their welfare and the weather into account so activities might be moved to different days.
Arrival at the accommodation in the late morning or early afternoon. Adrián will be driving you to the farm after you've settled in at the house. You'll be trying out your horse in the arena to see if you're a good match. Adrián will also assess your riding and check to see if you might need to switch to a different horse. Please keep in mind that this horse riding holiday is only for intermediate and experienced riders. If there is time, and the weather is good, there is also a possibility for a short trail ride this afternoon. You'll head back to the house for hearty dinner.
After a lovely breakfast, you'll be going on a trail ride to the waterfall, this ride is approximately 2 hours, and you'll see and cross plenty of rivers on the way. On this horse riding holiday you'll be fetching, grooming and tacking up your own horse every day, which is a lovely way to bond. The horses are incredibly sure footed and navigate the steep and rocky terrain with ease.
The dogs will come with you on most rides too and they're so funny to watch! Lunch will be served at the house after the trail ride. In the afternoon there is time to explore the town of Baiona, and if you're interested Adrián can also give an Equine Ethology workshop on the behaviour and psychology of the horse, where you'll be learning to interpret the horses' signals for better communication.
The town of Baiona is absolutely lovely, and we walked down to the town center several evenings for tapas, drinks and ice cream!
You'll be riding into the mountains to see the herds of wild horses that live there freely. It's an incredible sight and I don't want to spoil too much as you really have to see it with your own eyes! The ride will be approximately 3 hours with a few opportunities to canter. Lunch will be in the family house, with local products, while the horses have a break and graze in the village.
When we had lunch at the house, we had pumpkin soup, octopus empanadas, and fish that Adrián had caught, and it was delicious! After some fresh fruit for dessert, we tried some (very strong) local liquor. After lunch you'll ride back to the farm, which will take about 30 minutes. Upon arrival at the farm, you'll shower the horses and bring them back to their fields.
During our stay, we had fantastic breakfasts consisting of sausages, local cheese, cake, muffins, delicious bread with butter or oil, yoghurt, coffee, and sometimes leftover from the previous night's dinner! Thursday morning, after breakfast, you'll be going on a trail ride for approximately 2 hours and you'll see some incredible views from the mountainside.
In the afternoon you'll be visiting the natural hot springs. The hot springs are about an hour away by car, and are truly an oasis. There are 5 hot spring of different temperatures, a jacuzzi, and two cold baths for cold plunges. We absolutely loved the hot springs!
On Friday you'll be ride into the mountains again, past waterfalls and large herds on wild horses to a small mountain village. The terrain is varied, and after climbing the first big mountain you'll end up in endless forests and stunning, green plains. The ride is approximately 3 hours.
Lunch will be at an authentic restaurant (with wine of course!) in a small, picturesque mountain village. When we were here we had pork knees for lunch, and even though I initially didn't think it sounded very tasty, it was absolutely delicious. After lunch and a few glasses of wine, you'll ride back to the farm which takes about 2 hours.
The last day of your horse riding holiday will be a ride to the rocky coastline. First you'll ride through the forest, before meeting up with the famous Camino de Santiago. Here there is the opportunity to canter if it isn't too busy with hikers.
You'll ride to an old monastery, and walk on the small beach with the horses. If it's very hot you can even swim with the horses! The ride takes 2 hours, and then you'll stop near the monastery for some tapas (and maybe some home-made sangria!) on the rocks while the horses graze on the lunch grass next to the beach. After tapas, you'll have a 1 hour ride back over the Camino de Santiago and some villages. Sunday is departure day.
Price: 1450 EU
Included: meals, accommodation, horses, transportation between accommodation and stables and other activities, transfer from Vigo
Excluded: flights, transport to Vigo (transfers from Porto airport can be arranged), travel insurance
You can fly or take the bus to Vigo, but I would recommend renting a car at Porto Airport. This way you can drive straight from the airport to the farm, and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. It takes about 1,5 hours to drive from Porto airport to the starting point of the ride: Baiona.
Max. 4 riders
Intermediate and experienced riders only
Helmets are compulsory - you can bring your own or borrow one of Adrián's many helmets.
Weight limit 85 kg
Add-on possibility:
Overnight wild camping, going on horseback deeper into the mountains. (1 night, 200 EU)
There is the option to adapt the program exclusively for couples, maximum 2 people with accommodation in the traditional cabin on the farm. Here, you get to stay together with the horses in a beautiful oasis. In this option, dinner is not included so that you can cook at the house. This option will be available in 2025. There is one double bed in the house, a fully equipped kitchen, modern bathroom, and outside you'll find a fire pit, hammocks, and more lovely places to lounge and relax. Contact me to find out more. Pricing depends on activities, and length of stay.
We had an absolutely incredible stay in the mountains of Galicia, and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of every ride we did. We can't wait to welcome to you to this paradise, so please contact me if you have any questions. To sign up for this trip, click here. For more pictures and videos, check out our "Galicia" highlight on Instagram.
