Quinta do Archino

Guest accommodation are in a traditional main farmhouse with a very pleasant outdoor area for guests to gather and a great place to spend the mornings, or simply view the sunset. Several twin rooms with ensuite facilities are available and one single room with a bathroom across the hall. A communal dining room and sitting room with wireless internet access, cable TV and a log fire welcome you on colder winter nights. The atmosphere is relaxed and dress informal.

Three meals a day are provided and will be served in a dining room located off the riding hall. Red and white wines are provided during the meals.

• Overview:

  The horses are purebred Lusitanos, trained from a medium to an upper level dressage standard; able to do everything from a Shoulder In to Half Pass to Flying Change to Piaffe and Passage. The Lusitanos, which have the same origins as the famous Andalusians, are considered some of the finest horses in Europe. Together with their Spanish brothers, the Lusitanos were the first horses to be brought to the New World and are the ancestors of most American breeds. Classic dressage saddles with snaffles and/or double bridles are utilized.

• Horse Breeds:

  Lusitanos

• Trip Pace:

  To suit riders

• Tack:

  Dressage saddles

• Weight limit:

  180 lbs

• Hours of Instruction:
  1 or 2 lessons, depending on ability
• Instruction and Training:
  Your Classical Dressage lessons will be individual and take place either in the shade of the indoor school (15m x 30m) or in the fenced outdoor school (20m x 60m). There are two main instructors at Quinta do Archino and it is likely that you will have lessons alternating between the two, however one of them will most likely be more present throughout your stay for continuity and consistency in your training. Taking benefit from Francisco’s experience and the Stud Farm, the horses are regularly ridden to ensure that they remain unspoiled schoolmasters. Proud and sensitive, the Lusitano horses are finely tuned to the lightest aids, allowing you not only to feel how to ride all the school movements, perhaps for the very first time, but also to help you to improve any horse you ride in the future. All are trained in the lateral movements, and the more advanced horses offer piaffe and passage. Horse riders of all ages and abilities are welcome to come here to learn from these beautiful schoolmasters.
• Types of Instruction:
  Clinics and Lessons, Dressage Training

While riders are on horseback, there are no separate activities planned for non-riders, who can enjoy the accommodations and region independently.

Well-suited for sightseeing, some of the most popular destinations are all within a 1 hour drive from Quinta do Archino:

Óbidos - a century’s old, well-preserved medieval town with castle, cobbled streets and annual festivals.
Nazaré - a traditional fishing town with a spectacular view of the beach.
Lisbon - the capital city on the banks of the river Tejo, plenty to do and see here day or night.

Tours to Alenquer (a historical town about 12 km from the quinta, framed by the hills of the Serra de Montejunto and the Ribatejo plain), Santarem (as capital of the Gothic boasts an interesting historical center where you can explore monuments and enjoy a calming stroll through quiet streets), or to the Equestrian Portuguese School morning training sessions can be booked locally.

Guided by Maria, one of the owners of the quinta and with small groups of 2- 6 guests, the tours create a unique experience for those who prefer authenticity to big crowds.

Lisbon airport for added transfer cost.