Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês

In all shades of green, the lush vegetation includes a holly forest, unique at national level, and endemic species such as the Gerês lily, which brightens the fields with its blue-violet tones. In the Peneda, Soajo, Amarela and Gerês Mountains, which are part of the Park, rivers and streams run that cascade and then spread into reservoirs. The landscapes are stunning.

Sometimes you can see a roe deer (symbol of the Park) or its predator, the Iberian wolf. Most common are the garranos, small wild horses that run freely through the hills. You can also find barrosã cattle and Castro Laboreiro's dogs, with dark fur, guarding the herds that, at the rhythm of the seasons, move between the brandy and the greenhouse. These are villages and mountain areas related to the old transhumance, where people today only move cattle: valleys and low altitudes in winter, higher places in summer, according to the existing pasture.

On an itinerary through the Park, Soajo, with its ancient set of granaries made of stone to store grain, can be the starting point to the west. We can also see granaries in Lindoso, where it is worth climbing the castle overlooking the Lima River valley. A little further north, we can take a trip to the village of Castro Laboreiro, where the region's sheepdogs are raised.

The mountain to the south is Gerês, whose door to the Park, in Campo do Gerês, is the closest to Braga. In this mountain are the reservoirs of the Caniçada and Vilarinho das Furnas dams, places of great beauty, the latter having submerged the village that gave it its name, and whose estate is now on display at the Ethnographic Museum of Terras de Bouro. In the vicinity of this town, the Sanctuaries of São Bento da Porta Aberta and Senhora da Abadia are centers of great pilgrimages and pilgrimages.

Departing from Campo do Gerês on foot, you can leave the car at the entrance to Mata da Albergaria and follow the river to Portela do Homem. On the way back, we can rest at the thermal spa of Caldas do Gerês. Another sure bet is to follow the well-preserved route of the Roman route, with milestones that are almost two thousand years old.

The Cávado River, which delimits the Park to the east, indicates the way to the Paradela Dam. A horse ride or a bath in the river is an invitation to relax. For those who really like hiking, visit Pitões das Júnias, a village where old community customs are kept. It is at the end of the road and from here on foot. But the walk is worth it, for the waterfalls and small streams that cross the path or for the surprise of the ruins of an old Monastery appearing in the middle of the landscape.

Source: https://www.visitportugal.com