The variable terrain found in the Algarve provides for a varied selection of horse riding, including hacking, river and beach.
You will find well established riding centres (many are approved by the Association of British Riding Schools) along the entire Algarve from the Doñana National Park on the Spanish side to the "wild" west of Cabo de São Vincente.
On the Spanish Algarve you can ride around the environs of the Doñana National Park with its forests of pine, eucalyptus and cork oaks; beaches and dunes, and salt marshes where thousands of birds come to spend the winter. A trip to El Rocío, named the International village of the horse, is a must. All the houses have stables and all the streets are sand tracks. At the time of the annual pilgrimage, this village hosts thousands of horses. A unique experience!
In the central Algarve region of Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago, the soft sandy soil amidst the pine forests makes for a very comfortable ride. The inland areas of Loulé across to Silves is dotted with valleys, rivers and tracks that take riders into rural areas of countryside where you will experience the real Algarve.
Going further inland towards the northern Algarve, riders can enjoy riding amidst the cool shade provided by the dense eucalyptus, cork oak and medronho trees that dominate the Serra do Caldeirão and Serra de Monchique. To the western Algarve there are large open spaces with rolling hills that seem virtually uninhabited. A ride through the colourful dunes and foothills of this region is an experience you will always remember.
The horses have been carefully bred and trained and the pace can easily be suited to the rider's ability. It is not necessary to be an expert rider but it is essential that you have trail riding experience, can easily manage a horse at all paces and be familiar and comfortable handling a horse on a variety of ground. The pace of the rides varies, but they normally include walking, trotting, cantering and galloping depending on the terrain.
You could spend on average 5-6 hours in the saddle a day.