Beira Alta
The rough and beautiful granite landscapes with embedded valleys mark almost the entire route through this region of conquests and reconquests that are lost in time. As a result, magnificent villages and towns founded in strategic locations. From the mountains to the streak zone between morning mist landscapes, oak and beech forests.
A rich and strong gastronomy with an emphasis on cheeses and food based on what nature offers us.
Serra da Estrela
The municipality of Manteigas is the ideal setting to discover the Serra da Estrela. The Zêzere Glacier Valley which stretches for thirteen kilometres from the Massif Central to the town of Manteigas is one of the ex-libris of the region. On the slopes of São Lourenço you can be dazzled by an extensive forest of beech trees that in this season exhibits its golden tones of autumn.
At this time of the year you can find the first chestnuts, taste a good cheese from Serra da Estrela and taste the stewed beans with pork meat and the trout from the river Zêzere and finish with a juniper brandy.
Where to stay | Vila Gale Serra da Estrela 4*
This hotel in Serra da Estrela has 91 rooms, including nine family rooms, two outdoor pools - one for adults and one for children, with slides - and also an outdoor hydromassage pool in which you can relax while enjoying the green landscape and breathing pure air.
Guarda, Sabugal and Almeida
Following towards Guarda, one feels the clean and pure air of the highest city in Portugal. Its Tower of Menagem and its imposing Gothic Cathedral in granite are reasons to visit.
As for the gastronomy, its continental climate and cold winters allow you to obtain high quality cheeses and smoked food. Chestnuts are also part of the gastronomy of Beira and we highlight the chestnut soup. As for other typical dishes you can taste the grain broth, trout and codfish “à Conde da Guarda”.
In Sabugal council you can choose to visit one of the five medieval villages and their castles: Alfaiates, Sabugal, Sortelha, Vila do Touro and Vilar Maior.
In Serra da Malcata, where the Côa River is born, it offers river beaches and dams, allowing the practice of sport fishing or leisure and enjoying the natural landscapes with a typically Mediterranean fauna and flora.
Take the opportunity to taste its gastronomy rich in sausages, game dishes and trout from the river Côa.
Another outstanding place in the district of Guarda is the walled town of Almeida with its hexagonal walls, an excellent example of Portuguese military architecture. Also the historical village of Castelo Mendo overlooking the river Côa and its quintessential Manueline houses and pillories are places to visit. The hunting dishes are the highlight of the gastronomy and you can't miss a ginjinha in the "Casa da Amélinha" in Almeida.
Where to stay | Casa da Lagariça
Rural tourism houses in Sortelha. Enjoy your free days, come and visit the historical village of Sortelha and stay comfortably at Casa da Lagariça or Casa da Calçada!
Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo
Towards Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, a visit to the authentic village of Castelo Rodrigo is a must. To the north where the river Águeda flows into the river Douro the landscape is rough but beautiful and with an endemic fauna and flora. Here the Douro River becomes navigable downstream from Barca d'Alva.
A region of excellence for tasting olive oil, honey, smoke and almonds. In the gastronomy also highlight the "lamb of Marofa
Highlights include the Beechwood Reserve of over 800 hectares, which was classified by the Institute for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (ICNB) as the first Private Protected Area in the country and is currently also a pilot area for the European Rewilding project.
Where to stay | Colmeal Countryside Hotel 4*
On a farm spread over 650 hectares, lies the historic and uninhabited village of Colmeal. Hidden in the Serra da Marofa, municipality of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, the Colmeal Countryside Hotel is more than a rural hotel.
Located in a rural area, it respects in its architectural design the local characteristics. But it also respects the tradition of welcoming with a new look - the silence.
Vila Nova de Foz Côa
In Vila Nova de Foz Côa highlight the area of Alto Douro Vinhateiro classified by UNESCO, which presents a rich landscape and culture, with several walking trails to know the region better.
In the Archaeological Park of the Côa Valley the largest open air museum of the Palaeolithic in the world where you can visit the engravings of the cave nuclei of Canada do Inferno (from Vila Nova de Foz Côa), Penascosa (from Castelo Melhor) and Ribeira dos Piscos (from Muxagata).
Between Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo and Vila Nova de Foz Coa we find Almendra where we can get to know the 18th century manor house of the Viscounts of the Bath, a characteristic Baroque manor house.
In the gastronomy highlight the full-bodied wines of the Douro. The dishes based on pork, kid and game are typical of the region. Don't forget to taste the almond sweets and the begging.
Where to Stay | Casa do Rio Wine Hotel - Vallado 4*
Located next to the vineyards that Quinta do Vallado planted in the Upper Douro - in organic farming - it is a place of great beauty, where the state of conservation and the strength of nature, isolation and silence stand out.