Walking in Portugal

A very pleasant tour with 226Km (+/-140mi) of secondary roads, some dirt roads and also crossing some small fishing villages.
This time I did it in 4 days but it can be done in more days in case one wants to be more relaxed and enjoy the landscape or spend some time having a drink somewhere nice.
The route is mostly flat. All the Algarve region is knowned to be quite flat with some exceptions, naturally.

David Monteiro

It may seem strange to include a walk in the Douro Valley within the set of unknown places but there is a strong reason to do so.

As you may know, the Douro Valley is classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is also the oldest demarcated wine region in the world.

After being demarcated was required to the farmers that were planted here vineyards which would produce port wine. Nowadays only the fortified wine produced in this region, according to the certified method and with certain grapes can be called port wine.

So, it is no wonder that within the demarcated region the landscape is dominated by the vineyard.

However, the geographic region of the Douro Valley is more extensive than the demarcated region and beyond the demarcated region the landscape is more diverse and it is here that we can find a small place called Porto Antigo (old Port), where the river Bestança meets the River Douro.

The landscape of the Porto Antigo is dominated by a beautiful hotel with the same name and located in anchorage that you can find here, composing an idyllic setting.

Over the past years I have been developing a set of routes along River Bestança and I believe that these routes are among the most interesting hiking I know in Portugal.

The River Bestança is considered by many to be one of the cleanest rivers of Portugal, is a hidden gem with abundant waterfalls, medieval stone bridge and villages that retain the naivety of authentic locations.

Definitively: to be visited!!!!!

David Monteiro

In a territory with such ancient boundaries, such as Portugal, and where the human presence is almost everywhere, there are not frequent wildlife sightings and when that happens, as this is the case, it is always an exciting moment.

Garrano is a breed of Iberian horses. We often tend to refer them as being Portuguese but the fact is that the animal knows no boundaries and they can be seen both on the Portuguese side and on the Spanish side because. On the Spanish side the Gerês is called Xures, very similar.

There are horses of small stature, often referred to as ponies, adapted to the harsh conditions of the Gerês and with working horse characteristics.

Is difficult to find the word to express how much I love seeing these animals in the wild, free as birds that fly over our heads or as the wind that sweeps these hills.

It's good to know they are no longer in danger of extinction as once they were, it is a sign that there is hope in the future of coexistence between humans and wildlife.

This was a moment to remember.

David Monteiro

What is the Way of Saint James? How did it appear? Why is so important?

More than a pilgrimage is a spiritual journey within us, steps towards to self-knowledge.

The History of the Way of Saint James dates back to the time of the birth of Christianity.

In the middle ages pilgrims came from all over Europe on the road to Santiago de Compostela with the intention to pay a promise or any other religious intent. In this way they contributed to what would later be called the Way of St. James or, as it is known in Spain, "El Camino".

After an impressive growth over the centuries it felt abruptly to the point of to be counted 40 pilgrims, during the 19th century.

But something happened that made the flame burn again and in 1999 an impressive number of 155,000 pilgrims were counted.

What happened?

This is a long story that I will tell in a few posts.

Keep tuned.

David Monteiro

At the mouth of the river Alva, and near Penacova, there are a number of small dams that allow a very interesting walk where we can cross the river several times from one side to the other, as we can see in the photographs of the various walks I led there.

With a good knowledge of the region, it is possible to predict the level of water passing over the dams in such a way that it becomes possible to do the crossings without remove your boots off.

An unknown location, which does not come in tourist guides but well worth a visit and the hiking is fabulous, especially if it's finished with a typical regional dinner with dishes such as “Chanfana” or a Lamprey Rice. I will write about theses dishes later.

Let's walk?

I will be expecting you.

David Monteiro