3 Epic Horseriding Adventures In Europe To Live Out Your Beyoncé Cowboy Fantasy

29.03.2024 - 10:08 / forbes.com

After set-jetting and gig-tripping, Beyoncé’s eighth studio album Cowboy Carter is now inspiring travel. If it has motivated you to get in the saddle, here are three European equestrian adventures to live out a horseriding fantasy this summer.

Monte Velho is famed for its bucolic landscapes of gentle hills, cork oak forests, vineyards and olive groves. Just an hour from Lisbon, it’s the ideal escape from the freneticism of the city. In Monte Velho, visitors can experience riding the famous Lusitano horse through this unspoilt area of Portugal including in the ecological reserves of Alentejo.

You can also combine the trip with a visit to the historic town of Golega with its annual horse fair and time-honored horse-breeding traditions. The UNESCO World Heritage site of Evora with Roman ruins and a Gothic cathedral is located just 30 minutes away.

The most common way to travel to Monte Velho is by flying to Faro, the nearest major airport. From Faro, you can take a bus to reach Monte Velho. Another option is to take a train from European capitals like London to Lisbon or Faro. From there, you can take a bus to reach Monte Velho.

To make the most of the spectacular surroundings of the Alpujarra hills and Sierra Nevada mountains, try an epic horse riding holiday in Spain. Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in the region of Andalusia in Spain renowned for its wild landscapes and rich biodiversity. Populated for more than 2,000 years, it is also the perfect place for witnessing humans and wildlife co-existing in the high mountains.

The quickest and most convenient way to get to Sierra Nevada is to fly. You can book a flight to Granada Airport, the closest airport to Sierra Nevada located approximately 40 kilometers away. From there, you can take a taxi, shuttle or rent a car to reach Sierra Nevada. Another option is to take a combination of train and bus. You can take the train from European cities to Madrid, then take a bus to Granada and then transfer to a bus to Sierra Nevada.

Exploring Tuscany on horseback is an experience everyone should try at least once in their life. Find the right rhythm with your horse, take in the clean fresh air of the countryside, and gallop along freshly tilled fields amid patches of sunflowers. Many horseback riding tours in Tuscany include visits to local vineyards, where you can learn about the region's winemaking traditions and sample some of its award-winning wines—just make sure you can still get back in the saddle!

The most convenient way to reach Tuscany is by flying to Florence and then taking public transportation to your final destination in Tuscany. Another option is to take the train from Paris and then transfer to a high-speed train to reach cities in Italy such as