Riding the Shores of the Great Lake

The story

Above the great lake, the land falls in gentle slopes of cork oak, scrub and wildflowers towards the widest water in the Alentejo. Ride out from a country estate on calm, well-schooled horses, following shepherds' paths that climb to the water's edge — where the trail opens onto the lake spread below, its islands and far shores held in the evening light. The silence is part of the ride: no roads, only hooves, birdsong and the breeze off the water. The guide matches each horse to its rider, so the outing suits first-time riders and experienced hands alike, and finishes back at the estate as the lake turns copper.