This September was our first Hooves Around The World group meet-up with A Cavalo in Portugal, and the trip really went above and beyond all expectations. Let me take you to the very start, a few of us were already in Porto - it is such a beautiful city so I highly recommend spending some days before or after the trip here (or both!). We all met on Tuesday morning and made our way to the airport for 1pm to meet the rest of the group that were landing that day. We kept our eyes out for people with riding hats or in horsey attire and soon enough we all found each other and got acquainted quickly. We headed outside to meet Mr Vitor who is our driver from A Cavalo and began our journey. A couple of days prior to our horse riding holiday there had been one of the largest documented wild fires across Portugal, luckily for us where we were heading was far enough away from any of the wild fires. I was accompanied on this trip by Brittany, Lindsay & Johanna who are from the States and Luca from Hungary.
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This article is written by Hanna
We had a 45-minute car ride north of Porto towards the oldest town in Portugal called "Ponte De Lima" which is where the horses are stabled, above the town in the mountains of Serra de Arga. The drive flew by as we spent the whole time chatting and getting to know one another. A Cavalo had asked us if we would like to arrive to our accommodation by horseback ... There wasn't a single hesitation in this answer! We arrived at the horses' stables and met our Guide - Pedro, who introduced us to our steeds for the week. 5 of the horses are Lusitano, one was Lusitano X Quarter Horse, and another was Lusitano X Garrano (wild horses from Portugal). The horses were turned out to perfection, super soft and silky manes and they all had an eager attitude ready to hit the trails! Pedro allocated us all to a horse that was suited to our riding preferences / requests, and we hopped on board! I was paired with Guapo, a handsome bay Lusitano chap whose name literally translates to "handsome" in Spanish! Very fitting. He was super friendly and gave me lots of kisses whilst we waited for everyone to adjust their stirrups and jump on.
Once we left the stables, we set out on a 2 hour trail ride which would end at our accommodation, is there any better way to arrive to where you are staying than by horse?! And the horses were camping right outside!! I'm jumping ahead already ... The trail was absolutely wonderful, along beautiful winding roads with views of the surrounding mountains. We had a few trots up the hills and rode past where we get to enjoy the spa facilities too.
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On the trail ride up to our accommodation, which is located at the highest point of Monte de Santa Justa in Ponte de Lima is the little chapel and its (luxury) 'shelter' "Quartéis de Santa Justa", we learnt that it was formerly a hostel for pilgrims who arrived by horse every year to this chapel to ask for fertility. It is now used by those who have a desire for adventure by foot, horseback or by bike and wish to take refuge in such a beautiful place with so many stories and history to be shared.
We had organised a wine tasting on arrival which is one of the extra add ons provided by A Cavalo, I can confirm this went down as a treat ... need I say more? After, we sat with our legs in the pool watching the sunset with the horses grazing around us and Brittany's tiny "Audio Pet" speaker blasting out some good sing song tunes. It was a fantastic start to our trip together, the A Cavalo team had prepared a traditional cod fish and potato salad dish for us to enjoy at our own leisure, after a few more glasses of wine, deep conversations and an incredible sunset with a moonrise we collected around the dining table and enjoyed our dinner. Full of wine and food we tucked ourselves into our comfy beds and we had the sounds of the horses outside playing, grazing and exploring around at night. I had the most incredible view from my window with the horses grazing outside and often peering through having a nosey in. It was so beautiful I could have stayed awake all night watching them - I nearly did! But remembered we had a big day the next day and best get some rest.
Bright eyed and bushy tailed we woke up on Wednesday to breakfast on the table for 8.30am, we had a lovely slow morning discussing how we all loved hearing the horses' hooves in the night and saw them peeping through the windows, a few of us also had some "crazy" dreams too ... remember I mentioned before that many people would come to this church and pray for fertility? I'm sure you can guess what some dreams ended up being about then!
After our discussions over the strong energy of this beautiful place we put on our riding boots and saddled up our steeds. Today we will be riding to Sao Lourenço da Montaria where we will be having lunch. The trail was along a track that was once used for rally racing as well as a route for cars to pass through, until the council recognised the importance of conservation in the area and declared the pass to be a protected area and preserve the nature and wildlife. So all planning and building to the road stopped and it is now only used for horses and bikes! We eventually went from scenic tracks with mountain views to a quaint little village where we found our local restaurant for lunch. After giving the horses water, Pedro tied them up to a high-line and we watched them from afar whilst enjoying our first plate of Caldo Verde (a green soup made up of chard, cabbage potatoes, sausage, onion & garlic) and a bottle of Super Bock (local larger). For seconds we were served Feijoada à transmontana, a black bean stew that contains various parts of pork and beef.
Once we were successfully stuffed to the brim we apologised to our steeds in advance for the extra pounds on their back and we trooped on up the hill to where the horses will be camping for the night. At the top of Serra d'Arga sits the church "Sentuario de Nossa Senhora do Minho" which translates to "Sancutary of Our Lady of Minho" which is another famous pilgrimage site. Our horses had a little pen built for them just around the corner from the church - far enough to get a quick canter in, we untacked the horses and settled them in with lots and lots of hay. A local farmer & friend in the area was keeping a watchful eye over the horses during the night along with his cows too. As we were about to set off back down towards our accommodation, we had a quick stop off to see if we could find the Garranos - the wild horses of Portugal!
We were successful in our mission, apparently it was rare to see quite so many at once. We found the entire herd together, some were far in the distance amongst the rocks and trees blending in with their environment and a few were not far from us. We slowly and quietly walked over not to fright them and we were welcomed in right away. We had a couple of foals joyfully run down towards us and gave us plenty of entertainment. My heart was so full, we had gotten so close to these totally wild beings, and they were completely calm with us hanging around them.
I would have been more than fine staying here for the night but Brittany and I had arranged to have massages for the evening (another extra add on from A Cavalo). Nancy was the beautiful magician that worked her magic on us. She offered different levels of intensity, and was very attentive when it came to injuries and areas that needed work on. Nancy also brought a crystal bowl with her which helped to clear away any heavy energy that was released from her work. She also explained to me after that the land we are on (Serra d'Arga) is full of quartz in the rock which is also why she loves using it and connecting with it's energy. It also happened to be a full moon in pisces this particular evening too, we shared a few moments of gratitude with each other appreciating the land, the energy it brings and the divine timing of the alignment we were in with the full moon. I slept so incredibly well that night and considering how deep into my muscles Nancy went I was expecting to feel sore the next day however I felt super the following morning!
Each morning breakfast was ready for 8/8.30 and we set off around 9am, this morning with a drive back up the mountain to where the horses slept the night before. We gave the horses a morning brush, saddled up and then set off to spot the Garranos. Within a couple of minutes we were met by a sleepy foal and for a moment we all had our hearts in our throats worrying the worst as she didn't move with us riding near ... A little ear twitch and we could relax, she jumped up and ran towards the herd and we were soon met by the stallion checking us out. All the horses were completely calm and the stallion was also very polite in his invitation for us to keep walking. I've never seen so many wild horses before, they gave us a beautiful show and we continued on our way. Today's trip is to Mosteiro S. João D'arga which also has people pilgrimage to for fertility. Along the way we had lots of trots and canters, these horses are so level headed and felt very safe and controlled which is ideal for people all levels. One member of the group wasn't so confident to canter so our amazing guide Pedro stayed behind in trot with her whilst the rest of us cantered ahead, and to see the happy smiling face of someone trotting towards us who is building their confidence throughout the week is amazing. The horses stayed calm when split up so they really are fantastic for nervous riders too.
After 2 hours of riding we arrived at our lunch spot Mosteiro S. João d'Arga, with a beautiful huge 1000yr old árbol de corcho (cork tree) this beautiful monastery nestled into the rugged, scenic landscape has roots dating back to the medieval period. Every year in late August there is a pilgrimage to this location and it becomes the heart of a lively festival honouring São João d'Arga. It was amazing to see the videos from Pedro who attended the festival just a couple of weeks before as we were sat there enjoying our peaceful lunch.
The route back took us through tunnels of grape vines onto vast open lands where we got to open the horses up for gallops. Through quaint little villages and eventually making our way back down the mountain towards the horses stables. We had been blessed with blue skies all day and felt far away from the smoke filled air that had been left after the forest fires, the mountains in the distance were still hidden by hazy clouds and left us with some mystery as to what they looked like without the smoke. But the air felt clean and we were grateful to be able to explore so much of the area without any risks. The perks of being high in the mountains!
When we got back to the stables the horses had a huge bucket of apples that had been collected from the apple tree in their field, they loved us handing the apples to them and then they equally loved having a big hose down. We made the most of having sunny blue skies and enjoyed the spa facilities that come with the package. We were met down by the pool with champagne and all went for a fresh dip in the infinity pool. The views from this spa location were to die for, under the infinity pool sits a cozy indoor jacuzzi which we warmed ourselves up in before sitting back outside for the sunset with wine and a charcuterie board followed by another delicious Portuguese dinner. We drank wine until the moon rose and the stars came out. Another incredible day deepening our relationships with each other and our horses.
Friday's horse ride took us through beautiful forestry landscapes to our left and the open view of the mountain ranges to our right as we trekked to the "Igreja de Santa Rita" - The Church of Saint Rita. She is a Saint for lost causes and disease known as the "patroness of impossible causes". In Portuguese towns and villages, Saint Rita has inspired many people that turn to her in times of need. As we made our way through the forest trail we were hit by a passing shower and seeked refuge under some trees. Many of us weren't best prepared for the shower but trooped on to the church in hope that some wine would warm our bones back up.
The church sat upon a very steep hill that the horses marched up effortlessly, and once we reached the top the A Cavalo team had set up our lunch under a canopy, and just as we tied the horses to the high-line and sat our damp bottoms down, the rain stoped! The team also brought with them some rain jackets for the girls that were soaked through and with a few glasses of wine and delicious sandwiches & cake we dried off fairly quick! After lunch we rode back the way we came and this time the weather was kinder to us. We had plenty of canters along the trail and this time we all cantered! Our novice rider got her first canter in, a very proud moment to have watched and we all felt very emotional from.
Once we arrived back at the stables, the horses were set free in their large paddock and we made our way down to the dressage stables, as this evening a few of us had booked a dressage lesson! Another extra add on option with A Cavalo. The stables were full of stunning Lusitano horses looking immaculate, we roamed around greeting them all and met lots of tiny kittens too. Soon it was time for us to meet our horse that we would be riding, a big bay Lusitano called Pimcelim and our instructor Fillipe. During our dressage lessons we learnt piaffe and passage, riding in a traditional Portuguese saddle which I cannot express how comfortable it is. For the ones that weren't participating in the riding lesson we enjoyed beers and snacks whilst watching. When I was a child and started competing my instructor would make us watch horse shows before we could compete, as you learn just as much from watching as you do from riding. And this I couldn't agree more with, so it was a very educational experience in Portuguese dressage for us all!
By the time we got ourselves back to our accommodation there was a BBQ waiting for us! It was a late return after the dressage lessons and we certainly had worked up an appetite. After eating our body weight in food we hit a food coma and were all well ready for a rest.
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise with the cloud inversions lifting up through the mountains. After breakfast we set off to the horses and by this time the horses' field was in the cloud and gave a moody mysterious look. The horses look magical walking through the low cloud. Today the horses were being boxed and driven to our starting point, we loaded their tack onto the trailers and joined the horses in tow. Our trail ride took us along the beautiful Rio Lima, a river that would take us to Ponte de Lima.
We rode down quaint streets with grape vines at the right height for a horses to snack on, and through peaceful parks. We also found a spot that was perfect for the horses to have a splash in. Along the Rio Lima sits a beautiful statue inspired by the ancient Roman Legend of the "Rio Lethes" which translates to "River of Forgetfulness". This river is associated with the myth that anyone who crossed it would lose their memory. The statues are of a Roman Soldier sat on horseback calling to his troops on the other side, who are hesitant to cross the Rio Lima for fear of losing their memories. The story goes that after he crossed the river he called his troops names one by one to prove he had not lost his memory.
Just after the statue we approached the famous bridges that span over the Lima River, each bridge represents a different period in the towns history: The Roman bridge and the Medieval bridge. In the middle ages, around the 14th century, the river changed it's course which also coincided with the construction of the medieval bridge. This bridge became an important link on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. We rode under the newer bridge and looped ourselves back up and over the Roman bridge built way back in the 1st century! We crossed the Roman bridge and rode through the little village to the Fonte de São Pedro where the horses had a little drink and my horse Guapo tried to climb into the water fountain! I learnt earlier in the day how much Guapo loved water but I was surprised when he tried to climb into the fountain! The Fonte was built back in the 18th century and has a charming addition of some goldfish swimming in the water. Once the horses were hydrated we rode back towards the Roman bridge and got greeted with champagne! The horses were exceptionally well behaved whilst we drank a couple glasses of bubbles. We then made our way over both bridges and rode into the oldest town in Portugal - Ponte de Lima. We made our way through the town and down to the river where we had a final few canters with the horses. It certainly put on a lovely show for all the locals and visitors, I cannot express how beautifully mannered and polite the horses at A Cavalo are. So calm in everything they do and all their paces, we eventually called it a day after enjoying our final canters together and the trailers were ready to collect the horses. Luckily we didn't have to say our goodbyes as we had one final morning of cuddles and kisses with them before we had to leave.
We explored the town and purchased some souvenirs (as Portugal is renowned for it's cork trees I treated myself to a little cork purse, conveniently mine had recently broken) before heading to a lovely *** restaurant for lunch. We were brought out a traditional Portuguese dish called Bacalhau - a salted cod stew topped with potato. Of course accompanied by a few bottles of wine too! We later went back towards the accommodation and stopped off at the spa facilities, now the view from the indoor pool is something else! Wow, we watched the sunset and soaked in the pool for our last night and as the night sky drew over we got taken back to our accommodation for the last time and enjoyed our last meal together - linguica rice! We enjoyed our last evening around the table together and eventually called it a night.
In the morning we packed our bags, had our last breakfast in the accommodation and made our way to the horses for our goodbyes. We all had a photoshoot with our horses, gave them lots of kisses and thanked them for giving us such a wonderful experience exploring Portugal. The transfer took us back to Porto where some of us flew home and some stayed for a few nights in Porto! It was really lovely to spend an extra night with our new friends exploring the city. It's always bittersweet to say goodbye but these friendships and memories don't ever leave you. Until we ride again, adeus por agora!
