Golegã

Golegã is a town and municipality in the Santarém district, situated on the Tagus floodplain in the Ribatejo region. The town is best known for the Feira Nacional do Cavalo, the national horse fair held each November around the feast of São Martinho, which draws Lusitano breeders and equestrian enthusiasts from across Portugal and internationally.

The Lusitano horse, one of the oldest breeds in the world, has been bred on the Ribatejo plains for centuries. The Golegã fair is the principal showcase for this breed and the mounted bullfighting and dressage traditions associated with it. The town has a traditional Ribatejo character with an equestrian culture deeply embedded in its public spaces and festivals.

For pilgrims on the Camino Português, Golegã is a distinctive cultural stop that grounds the route in the regional identity of the Ribatejo plain.