this excellent footpath down the valley for about 1km to a T-junction with a rough cart track and turn left with an old stone wall to the right. The route becomes a cobbled road; go straight through the village of Curveira, cross over a tarmac road and then immediately fork left onto a cart track.
Cross over a dirt road a couple of minutes later to walk along another lovely section of footpath through an oak copse with the castle of Castro Laboreiro visible to the right. About 500 metres later, take a footpath coming off the left of the cart track. Caution is required at the end of the copse; the route to follow goes right (west) and downhill (while the footpath goes straight ahead). Go over another impressive bridge after 5mins and turn right to head upstream. Cross over another stream via a little bridge, and then go straight over a tarmac road to a footpath heading upwards.
After a couple of minutes the footpath arrives at a cobbled road; turn left and continue uphill to the village of Assureira. The cobbles become tarmac, which ends in the middle of the village. Go straight ahead down a small footpath to a pretty river. Cross the river then walk on stepping-stones on its left-hand side, heading downstream, and take the next footpath going up on the left.
After 100 metres this leads to the village of Podre, where you continue straight ahead. Reach a tarmac road, follow it and go downhill, heading north-west. Just before a concrete bridge, turn left onto a footpath through the woods, walk past an old bridge on the right and follow the river upstream, keeping it to the right.
Cross over an ancient bridge to the village of Barreiro. In the village, on a tarmac road, fork right and downhill, and then go left at a T-junction with another tarmac road. Zigzag uphill and just before a building at the end of the road, turn right onto an old way lined with a massive wall.
Follow this straight ahead and uphill for 250 metres, ignoring the many turnings, and then at a three-way fork take the middle option, which is a calçada (stone-built pavement). Cross a beautiful double stone-walled dam 500 metres later and ascend an equally beautiful footpath to reach a T-junction with a dirt road. Go right, then ignore a turning to the left (this is PR Trilho Interpretativo, also waymarked red/yellow).
The path becomes cobbled 5mins later. Enter Castro Laboreiro, go straight over the tarmac road and back onto cobbled road, and follow signs for ‘Centro’, leading back to the church where the walk began.
Castro Laboreiro as seen from the castle
To visit the castle
From the church, go south past the town cross and pelourinho to the tarmac road and turn left, then immediate right on a cobbled road, following a sign for the museum and castle. Walk up the cobbled road, past the museum to the summit (1036m) and castle.
The Romanesque castle was built in the ninth century and Iron Age remains have been found there. Later occupied by the Moors, it was then retaken by Afonso Henriques (Afonso I, the first King of Portugal) in 1144. It was the scene of many a battle and became a National Monument in 1944. (Closed Mondays and on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December.)
Return by the same route after exploring.
WALK 3
Peneda circuit
| Start/Finish | Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Peneda (N41°58.456’ W08°13.395’) |
| Distance | 24km |
| Total ascent | 1200m |
| Grade | Challenging |
| Time | 9hrs |
| Terrain | Granite stairs at the start, then proper footpath, some ancient granite shepherds’ paths, some very rough dirt tracks and a short, quiet section of tarmac road |
| Map | Adventure Maps Peneda-Gerês; Carta Militar 1:50,000 sheet 1-2, 1:25,000 sheet 9 |
| Refreshment | A selection of cafés and restaurants in Peneda; two cafés and a seasonal restaurant (July and August) in São Bento do Cando |
| Toilets | Main square in front of the sanctuary |
| Access | Follow signs on the N202 from near Soajo to Melgaço |
| Parking | Main square in front of the sanctuary |
A long walk through some of the most dramatic scenery that Portugal has to offer. It encompasses an infrequently walked hidden valley with views that have to be seen (and earned) to be believed. It also provides the opportunity to see four different brandas (summer grazing villages) and a santuário (sanctuary). The brandas are still occupied: Branda da Aveleria is the most picturesque. All this is seen from the old shepherds’ paths, hand-built from granite over millennia.
By following this route in a clockwise direction you will be heading up the steep granite steps at the beginning in the cool of the morning and mostly in shade, whereas the final section is gentler and in the afternoon is shaded by the mountain. The very last few kilometres are downhill along a road, giving your joints a rest after a day’s walking on granite.
With almost no signposting throughout – despite being a combination of the official routes of Trilho da Peneda, a small section of Pertinho do Ceu (Walk 4) and Trilho de Aveleira – this is a walk where navigation would be difficult without GPS. The very rough dirt tracks and hard granite underfoot plus an ascent of over 1000m make this a difficult yet very enjoyable experience.
The monumental flight of steps leading to Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Peneda
The santuário is an interesting architectural structure – especially the stairs leading up to it with little chapels containing sculptures of 14 stations of the cross plus six more biblical scenes such as the nativity and the last supper. According to legend, Nossa Senhora da Peneda appeared to a shepherd girl in 1220, telling the locals to build a hermitage, although the current church was not completed until 1875. The annual Feast of the Lady of Peneda is in the first week of September.
The official start of the walk is to the left of the toilet block behind the sanctuary. Walk up the well-made granite steps behind it, waymarked yellow/white/red. There is a sign for Escala da Meadinha, a climbing zone on the impressive slab of rock under which the sanctuary lies. Follow the granite steps to the top then cross the stream over a clapper bridge. Go right at a fork 100 metres after the bridge.
Arrive at a dam 1km from the start; do not cross it but follow red/white waymarking and turn left. The path then loops upwards and to the left away from the lake, rather indistinct for the next kilometre or so. This section is marked roughly with cairns, but if these have tumbled then head south from the dam, towards and through a small valley between two smooth hillocks composed of boulders, after which turn immediately right.
Next head west, with no distinguishing landmarks except the village of São Bento do Cando, visible in the distance across the valley. Follow sporadic red/white waymarking with some cairns; the path bears right across naked rock, heading north-west in the direction of some large wind turbines. Go over the crest of a hill, continuing to head north-west. After about 15mins, just before reaching a gully that blocks the route, follow the cairn-marked path as it loops round to the left and downhill. This path is manmade of vast slabs of native granite. Do not be tempted to make up your own descent; there are far too many sheer drops and impassable fractured rock fields.
Reaching the bottom of the valley, cross the Rio Pomba via some large stepping-stones.