We set out from the stables through the rice fields. Our group ranged from first-timers to lifelong riders, and our guide had a gift for matching each of us with the right horse. The horses were impeccably mannered. Our most experienced rider was given a horse that, we were told, once belonged to Madonna, who sold it to the stable when she left Lisbon.
Then the trail climbed into high, rugged dunes. From the crest, they fell away to white sand and clear water, and the beach lay empty. The only other soul we saw for miles was a lone rider from our own stable, enjoying a morning ride. This stretch of coast is often called the longest beach in Europe, and that day it felt entirely ours.
Those of us with some riding experience were invited to gallop along the water’s edge, with nothing ahead of us but miles of open sand. Total freedom.
