Horse riding in Portugal: Albufeira Riding Centre at Vale Navio in the Algarve

Many people will be going on holiday to the Algarve in Portugal which is really popular with tourists. For those keen on horse riding while they're on holiday, it's well worth taking your boots because there are plenty of great places to go for tracks, hacks and rides out.

The moment that my bus parked outside the hotel in Albufeira there were signs at an excursion shop advertising horse riding at the Albufeira Riding Centre.

There was a poster for one other riding school in the day-trip shop but I booked with Albufeira Riding Centre - also known as Vale Navio stables. They had a phone number that the hotel's receptionist could ring and book for me which made things much easier. The owner of the riding school is English, too, which helps with communication and a general feeling of safety and well-being.

In general, this is a great riding centre for holiday and local residents. It's well worth visiting to go for a hack through the Portuguese countryside or take a longer ride along the beach.

The prices for hacks - or trail ride as they're known in Western Riding - were 30 Euros for an hour, 50 Euros for two hours or 70 Euros for a three hour long beach ride. I picked the two hour ride and although I thought that seemed expensive ( horses cost a lot more to keep in Portugal because it doesn't rain much there which means there's very little grass for the horses to graze on) I was definitely not disappointed. The ride was fun and we saw a lot of the countryside. The yard owner, Georgie, was also the escort on the hack and she talked about the wild area's wildlife, history and also advised me with my riding.

Albufeira Riding Centre

Tel.: +351 289 542870

Vale Navio, Albufeira,

Algarve, Portugal

The riding centre is close to the centre of Albufeira and an area known as 'The Strip' which is popular with tourists. This means that the stables are easy to reach but thankfully they're also far enough from the town centre to be secluded and set in stunning Portuguese countryside.

I drove through a couple of quaint Portuguese villages before reaching Vale Navio and the turn off for the stables. The riding school is nestled behind a former time-share resort which went bankrupt. There are currently dozens of derelict apartments with empty swimming pools and run-down sports facilities which makes it an eerie scene. I'm sure that it won't be long before the area is redeveloped.

We only rode through around the outskirts of the derelict resort for a couple of minutes before reaching the countryside so it wasn't at all a problem. In fact, I liked it and it's probably safer because there are fewer people and cars now that the resort is gone. In fact, I would have had a good snoop through some of the derelict buildings if I'd had more time.

The owner of the stables is called Georgie and she moved to Portugal 16 years ago after becoming tired of the rat race in England. She took on the yard within three weeks of arriving and has turned it into one of the best riding schools in the Algarve. Georgie used to compete at eventing in England and Portugal and she really knows her horses. She's a British Horse Society qualified instructor so she knows all the textbook rules of riding. But she's also really knowledgeable of Natural Horsemanship and applies this to the way she keeps her horses. For example, she made me mount my ride, Joe, on a mounting block to help keep his back in good condition. One of the best things about her style of teaching and horses in general is that she explains everything in plain English (or Portuguese if the person speaks thet language). No complicated jargon or fancy horsey terms. Just simple, common sense advice.

The stables are set in around five acres of land and, compared with other yards, they're quite small. There are around a dozen paddocks where the horses are turned out and a yard with the usual things like stables, a tack room and reception. There's also a good sized menage which is used for lessons, which I'm told are very effective.

All of the horses are very well schooled and it's said that they're the fittest in the Algarve - which I definitely beleive. They're excercised every day and they are all full of energy and look muscular. There are around 16 horses and ponies at the stables ranging from tiny Shetlands to larger and heavier horses. They're excercised every day and they all have tons of personality.

Georgie introduced me to my ride, Joe, a 16hh2 Dutch warmblood horse and said that he was as lazy as the rider - so I made sure to give him plenty of leg when I mounted and started the walk down the drive. He was very calm and to this day nobody has fallen off him. In fact, when I was riding him it was the first time that he's ever bucked. But that's because I whipped him up with plenty of energy throughout the ride.

We walked for a couple of miles and Georgie and me chatted about Portugal, riding, horses, our jobs and lives. Having a friendly hack escort was really pleasant ands especially important for people who are on holiday and want to have a fun, relaxing time. Georgie talked about the history of the area and pointed out cork trees which have their bark harvested every seven years to make the cork in wine bottles. There were also banana, fig, almond, orange and the trees where carrot seeds come from on the hack. It was really lovely to see this natural part of the Portuguese countryside away from the tourism districts. Some people even go on the horse rides there once a year there just to see the ''real'' Algarve.

There were plenty of chances to trot and Gergie showed me how to get Joe, the horse, on the bit. I really liked this because it felt a bit like a lesson. She's passionate about riding and will help anybody. She also showed me how to ride with still hands and turn by opening and closing my fingers - all really helpful.

There wasn't much cantering on the two hour ride but I didn't mind. It was so relaxing and enjoyable to see the countryside that I just made the most of taking the scenic route and being on the horse. There's a bit more cantering on the one hour ride and lots of galloping and/or cantering on the three hour ride along the beach so if that's what you want then go for those.

If you're going on holiday to the Algarve then I would definitely recommend riding here. The yard owner is really friendly and helpful and the horses are some of the best in the region. Make a day of it and go for the beach gallop - which includes a stop for breakfast - and have a look around Albufeira. It's well worth it.

 There wasn't much cantering on the two hour ride but I didn't mind. It was so relaxing and enjoyable to see the countryside that I just made the most of taking the scenic route and being on the horse. There's a bit more cantering on the one hour ride and lots of galloping and/or cantering on the three hour ride along the beach so if that's what you want then go for those.

 If you're going on holiday to the Algarve then I would definitely recommend riding here. The yard owner is really friendly and helpful and the horses are some of the best in the region. Make a day of it and go for the beach gallop - which includes a stop for breakfast - and have a look around Albufeira. It's well worth it.