3 Day Horse Riding Holiday on The Spanish-Portuguese Border

Day 1

Arrival at the facilities (start at 09:30). You will begin with a four-and-a-half-hour tour that will take you to Ammaia, a Roman city. To get there, you will follow the Sever Virgin riverbank, a paradise where you will hear nothing but the sound of water and birds. That used to be the historical route from Spain to Portugal, and as such you will arrive at the ancient border with its 15th-century tower and bridge. Next, Ammaia, a 2,000-year-old city where a Roman amphitheater, has been recently uncovered.

You will stop here for a picnic and a quick visit around before hopping back in your horses. You will return home following a medieval cobblestone road. You will enjoy beautiful views, possibly spot some vultures, and of course, more history. Caballos Marvão will show you the early Christian graves and granite sarcophagi located next to the routes as if their inhabitants wanted to keep an eye on the walkers wandering next to their properties.

They then will take you to your hotel for a rest. After that, you will visit Marvão, a medieval town so well-preserved, that you will feel like traveling back in time. Time magazine has chosen it as one of the 100 places you should visit before you die. Sunset here is magic, and after enjoying this spectacle, they will take you to dinner at a local restaurant, before heading back to the hotel.

Day 2 (six hours)

You will follow the historical route linking Marvão and Castelo de Vide, a route that goes through black oak forests and high hills. You will stop in the middle for a picnic and will come back following a trail surrounded by a landscape formed only by rocks, but also the typical Portuguese “montados”.

You will cross a couple of streams and enjoy the imposing view of Marvão. They then will take you to your hotel for a rest. After that, you will visit Castelo de Vide, a medieval town with a lot of Jewish traditions still alive. Its Gothic neighborhood is a beauty, and you will enjoy an artisanal beer at a local tavern before heading to the restaurant and then the hotel.

Day 3 (seven hours)

Smuggling routes! You are going to cross the border (twice!) on a horse. First, you will go to Galegos, the last Portuguese town, and cross on Pitaranha. The only thing that will let you know you are in Spain is a stone with the letter E. You will enjoy beautiful views while descending to the cute village of San Pedro, where you will spot the 15th-century convent where St Peter of Alcantara used to live. Next to it, you will visit a huge testament written on the rock before heading to a fountain where a Roman aqueduct starts.

You will enjoy a picnic here and then follow a path that crosses the typical Spanish “dehesas”, cork trees, and a lot of grass for the cattle to eat. Your picnic will include by the way Iberian ham made from your black pigs. You have never tasted anything alike. After following the aqueduct for a while, you will turn to La Miera to visit two dolmens, 5,000-year-old graves made of huge stones, and have a second picnic.

You will cross the border again at La Fontañera and return home following the ancient route of smugglers that used to go to Spain to sell their products on the black market. You will cross the Sever and go through very narrow trails. You will rest at the hotel before enjoying your last dinner all together, with a local restaurant with great natural food and, of course, a shot of ginjinha.