The Feira Nacional do Cavalo (National Horse Fair) is held at Golega during the first two weeks of November. The fair incorporates celebrations for St Martin’s Summer on 11 November, when there is a running of the bulls and a grand parade in which red-waist coated grooms mingle with gypsies.

The entire town of Golega is taken over for the fair. The narrow cobbled streets are filled with stalls selling everything equine from mechanical toy horses to traditional riding attire.

In the centre of town is the main arena where national and local riders show off their prowess in a selection of events including dressage and show jumping. A warm up circuit surrounds the arena, where you can enter into the spirit of the event with high speed trap rides.

The fair is predominantly an opportunity for local studs to sell some of the impressive Lusitanian horses and many are on display in specially designed ‘horse hospitality units’ around the arena.

Though the weather may be a little nippy you can keep warm with a cone of hot-roasted chestnuts and a glass of ‘agua-pe’, which literally translated means foot-water but is in fact watered wine.