Atlantic Dolphin Bay

Day Activities
Sunday      Arrival / Introduction / Louro mountain afternoon

  • Welcome at Lisbon airport at around 2 p.m.
  • Head to the accommodation, which is 30 minutes from the airport: the historic hotel of the Castle of Palmela (www.pousadas.pt/en/hotel/pousada-palmela ).
  • Introduction to and distribution of the horses in our farm, which is at mountain “Serra do Louro”, 5 minutes from the Castle of Palmela.
  • Horse ride at mountain “Serra do Louro” during 2.5h. The route’s vegetation consists of Mediterranean maquis, olive trees, cork tree forests and pastures.
  • Dinner at the fishing town of Setúbal at a typical restaurant in the fisherman’s port with dolphin creative sculptures: www.guiadacidade.pt/en/poi-doca-dos-pescadores-284119 . The 7 days “Dolphin Bay Trail” program will be introduced to the horse riders during this dinner.
Monday       Arrabida seaside coast

  • Breakfast at the lodge: Castle of Palmela historic hotel.
  • Transfer to the Arrabida seaside coast.
  • All day horse ride in the umbrella pine forest, going to the beach several times during long periods where galloping is possible.
  • Lunch at a restaurant on the beach, with regional cuisine, preferably with locally caught fish.
  • This first full horseback riding day is an amazing discovery of Albufeira Lagoon coastal region: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JYaps9mlpQ
  • Dinner and sleep at the Castle of Palmela
  • Horse riding times: 2.5h both in the morning and in the afternoon
Tuesday       Louro mountain

  • Breakfast at the Castle of Palmela.
  • Transfer to our farm.
  • All day horse ride in the mountain “Serra do Louro” region:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlpBNm8gEW4 . Here you can see a vegetation in a special combination of Mediterranean and Atlantic flora always inside the extraordinary Arrábida Nature Park: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIq6aanwJRg ; www.youtube.com/watch?v=26hgMnNPTeA
  • Lunch on the “Quinta de Alcube” farm (www.quintadealcube.pt) is in the middle of this tour. This historic farmhouse has traces of the Neolithic, the Roman period and the foundation of Portugal (XII century). Nowadays, it is famous for its wine and cheese. A light lunch is served with regional specialties and wine tasting of the wines from the farm.
  • Dinner and sleep at the historic hotel of Palmela Castle.
  • Horse riding times: 2.5h in the morning and 3h in the afternoon.
Wednesday       Move from Arrabida to Grandola / Seaside

  • Breakfast at the Castle of Palmela.
  • Dolphin watching, during the morning, in a large sailing boat: www.vertigemazul.com/en.
  • Lunch at the beach of Comporta with a wide view to the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Back again to the horses in the afternoon, the same of previous days, and ride about 2.5h at Grandola / Melides  seaside dunes with galloping in the beach.
  • Head to a wine tourism farm of Grândola mountain, surrounded by cork woods, where riders will sleep: www.serenada.pt .
  • You may refresh by the sunset at the lodge swimming pool.
  • Dinner and sleep at the new lodge: “Serenada”.
  • The horses also stay at the lodge “Serenada”.
Thursday       Grandola mountain

  • Breakfast at the lodge – “Serenada”.
  • Horseback ride across Grandola mountain on the way to the heart of this Mediterranean vegetation forest in face of the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Riding in the morning through green and flowering valleys and hills by the shadows of cork oak woods.
  • Pick-nic lunch at a shadow close to the mountain stream.
  • After lunch horseback ride following the main stream of this mountain, on the way to the coastal hillside with a wide Atlantic bay view.
  • Before arriving to the lodge, a refreshing break snacking at a mountain shelter restaurant.
  • Dinner and sleep at the lodge.
  • The horses also stay at the lodge “Serenada”.
  • Horse riding times: 2.5h in the morning and 3h in the afternoon.
Friday      Grandola – Melides seaside

  • Breakfast at the lodge – “Serenada”.
  • This almost last day, the horses leave the mountain slope where is Serenada logde and rided by the one week experienced riders group everybody go to the seaside coast through a relaxing wide forest of giant umbrella pines and coark oaks.
  • Spaceous and safe canter and gallops happen frequently under these flat sandy forest of high trees.
  • The lunch is in a restaurant at the end of this forest.
  • In the afternoon horseback ride in the seaside woods on the way to the beach dunes where their rare flowers are in their more spectacular blossom month: May.
  • In the beach horses and riders finally feel the excitement of galloping breathing the fresh air coming from the wild Atlantic ocean waves.
  • The ride day finishes at a horse farm near the dunes where our friends happilly rest till next day close to others of the same species in large paddocks in the wood.
  • Dinner at Melides traditional village in a typical restaurant on the way back by car to the lodge.
  • Sleep at the lodge – “Serenada”.
  • Horse riding times: 2.5h both in the morning and in the afternoon
Saturday      Melides lagoon and beach

  • Breakfast at the lodge – “Serenada”.
  • Transfer to the beach farm where the horses have overnighted.
  • Horseback riding 2.5h during the morning till the Atlantic beach crossing pine forests and Melides Lagoon. In this lagoon you may see several aquatic bird species, as white stork and ducks.
  • On the way, we will also horseback ride across green rice fields.
  • Lunch at a restaurant in Melides Lagoon facing the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Head to Lisbon to the last accommodation of this 7 days trail: the historic hotel of the Castle of Lisbon (www.solardocastelo.com/en/gallery ) !!
 Sunday       Breakfast at Lisbon Castle / Departure

  • Breakfast at the Castle of Lisbon.
  • Free day (the airport is 20 minutes from the centre of Lisbon by táxi).

Price: 1690€ / person (in a double/twin bedroom)
Minimum and maximum number of people: 4 and 6
Dates:

2022

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