Porto & Peneda-Gerês National Park
- Follow pilgrim paths, shepherd trails and Roman roads
- Jagged mountains, high plateaus, glistening lakes and untouched forests
- Experience warm hospitality in isolated highland villages
- Explore the medieval coastal town of Viana do Castelo
- Wine tasting in the historic cellars of bustling Porto
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Ponte de LimaThe tour starts in the charming riverside town of Ponte de Lima, located in the heart of Portugal's Minho wine region and surrounded by vinho verde vineyards. On arrival you can settle into your 4-star hotel and stroll around the medieval town centre and riverside gardens, before settling down with a glass of vinho verde or two in one of the many squares. Highlights of the town include the Arnado Park, the Gothic parish church, a riverside walkway and cycle path, and the Roman bridge. There are plenty of excellent restaurants to enjoy the local cuisine from this region.
Macs Adventure can arrange private transfers to your accommodation in Ponte de Lima. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.
A 4-star hotel located by the historical centre of Ponte de Lima. The property features a spa area with massage services, and a lush garden to relax in. Rooms have a private balcony overlooking the river.
After breakfast, your private driver will meet you in the hotel lobby to drive you to the remote village of Castro Laboreiro. After leaving your luggage at the hotel, you will walk out of the village into the rugged hills and gorgeous countryside full of quirky rock formations. Once in the valley, a pleasant area of woodland leads to an ancient bridge. Enjoy the shade of the trees and the sound of the stream as you climb steadily to the plateau, full of smooth granite boulders and sweeping views across the valley to other hills, valleys and ridges. The trail ends back in Castro Laboreiro.
Ascent/Descent:Â 453m/453m
Castrum Villae is a welcoming hotel in the small mountain village of Castro Laboreiro (at 1000m altitude) in the Peneda-Gerês National Park. The hotel’s mountainous location makes it a stunning place for your journey, enjoying the fantastic views of the surrounding landscape. The hotel has 32 rooms and suites with air conditioning, a TV, wifi access, minibar and en suite bathrooms. In the evening, relax in the communal living area or enjoy an aperitif at the bar.
Set off from your hotel, through the village, and cross wild rocky highlands with glorious views over the surrounding mountains on the way to Lamas do Mouro Park Gate. From here, the enchantment of the forest takes over as you make your way towards the sanctuary at Peneda, at times following ancient stone paths built for local pilgrims. On arrival in Peneda, you will be transferred back to Castro Laboreiro for your overnight stay due to limited services in Peneda.
Ascent/Descent:Â 282m/552m
Situated directly at the Santuary da Peneda, this rustic 3-star hotel offers renovated rooms in an ancient building where the curators of the Santuary used to live. Relax in the cosy lobby by the open fire, and enjoy the onsite restaurant, which serves typical dishes and wine from the Minho region.
Leave Peneda Sanctuary by walking down the valley along a centuries-old pilgrim route used by people from surrounding villages to attend religious festivals at the religious complex. Dramatic mountain scenery and enormous rock faces surround you as you follow the Peneda river through the small village of Tibo and continue down the valley to a place where two rivers converge. At this point, the river forms the frontier with Spain and it is easy to imagine the considerable flow of contraband that crossed this remote border. From the village of Várzea it is an easy walk along a paved road beside the spectacular dam across the River Lima to nearby Lindoso, where the castle stands as testimony to its former importance. Spend the night in a beautifully restored traditional village cottage and take a while to examine the traditional tools and examples of embroidery on display.
Ascent/Descent:Â 377m/603m
A comfortable country house located in the village of Lindoso. The house was recovered and beautifully restored and you'll have you'll have a fully-equipped kitchen and living room with a fireplace. It also has a laundry area with a drying rack shoudl you need to wash your clothes. Enjoy the views of Lindoso Castle and its famous granaries, and relax in the outdoor garden space after a long walk.
Walk through the ancient streets of Lindoso village and through a forest to follow an unpaved road that leads gently uphill, offering spectacular views of the Soajo Mountains opposite. Once you begin your descent, the views get even better! Enjoy the utter peace and quiet and pure mountain air as you make your way downhill to the village of Cidadelhe. At this point, you have walked 15.5km. If this is enough for the day, you can take a taxi back to your lodgings (payable locally). For those who want a longer walk, complete the circuit and walk all the way to Lindoso
Ascent/Descent:Â 732m/732m
A comfortable country house located in the village of Lindoso. The house was recovered and beautifully restored and you'll have a fully-equipped kitchen and living room with a fireplace. It also has a laundry area with a drying rack should you need to wash your clothes. Enjoy the views of Lindoso Castle and its famous granaries, and relax in the outdoor garden space after a long walk.
A scenic drive via private transfer takes you from Lindoso to Avelar, a small village of shepherds in the heart of the spectacular Soajo Mountain. Your reward for a rather steep start to today’s walk is striking views of unparalleled landscapes; the peaks and dips of the Peneda and Soajo Mountains and the lush Ramiscal Valley. You will also see rare examples of local heritage in the form of wolf traps and shepherd shelters. As you make your way down to the Mezio Park Gate, the going gets considerably easier and you'll be rewarded by some enchanting pools in a crystal-clear river. Make your way to Soajo through mixed woodlands and natural and semi-natural mountain meadows. The finest views on this section extend across the Lima Valley to the Amarela Mountains opposite. The trail ends in the village of Soajo. While you wait for your transfer to Viana do Castelo, you can pop into a local café or visit the collection of espigueiros and the unique pillory. End the day in the small, attractive city of Viana do Castelo and explore the medieval town centre in the evening.
Ascent/Descent: 571m/753m
Built in the 16th century, this beautifully restored manor house offers individually styled rooms, where no two rooms are the same. The hotel has retained its rustic Portuguese styles, from the neoclassical through to baroque. Located in the historic centre of Viana do Castelo, this boutique hotel features a cosy piano bar and a garden, and Viana do Castelo train station is located only 150 yards from the hotel.
You can choose to spend part of the day discovering the charms of Viana do Castelo, which has several interesting sights including the Santa Luzia Basilica, the Costume Museum and the Gil Eanes Hospital Ship. When you are ready to leave Viana do Castelo, take the train or bus to Porto for the last stop on this Northern Portugal adventure (alternatively we can arrange a private transfer for you with an extra cost). In Porto we have arranged a visit to a Port wine cellar, where a tasting session awaits. With a plethora of restaurants to choose from, you can end your holiday with a fine dining experience or in a more traditional setting.
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A 4-star hotel overlooking the banks of the Douro, and part of the Madre Deus de Monchique Convent. The building was beautifully restored to maintain the original design of the convent and the building's history. The onsite restaurant serves authentic cuisine with produce from the region and the season, and the bar boasts a panoramic view over the Douro River.
The tour finishes after breakfast but Porto is a fantastic city to spend a couple of days. We recommend adding an extra night here so that you can explore both the historical and edgy sides of the city, as well as its world-class cuisine.
Macs Adventure can also arrange private transfers to Porto or Lisbon Airport. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.
This trip has a carbon score of 6kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 6kg is equivalent to 4.5 ham and cheese sandwiches from the store. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?This tour includes 5 days of moderate walks. The circular route on Day 5 is the most strenuous, but you have the option to shorten this to 15.5km once you reach the village of Cidadelhe by taking a taxi back to your accommodation (payable locally). The walks take you through mountainous terrain and remote highland villages, and you will stay in a mixture of 4-star hotels and village guesthouses. The tour finishes in a comfortable 4-star hotel in Porto, with time to explore the city.
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.
National Parks, Off the Beaten Track
The minimum age for this tour is: 18 Years
This tour is graded moderate to strenuous and includes daily walks of 12-19km. It is suitable for most people that are in good physical condition. Some of the walks are not well way-marked but you will be supplied with GPS tracks so you will have no problem following the route each day. The terrain on this route is varied and you will follow a mixture of shepherd trails, Roman roads and pilgrim paths. It can be rocky underfoot at times and there are some exposed sections, so a head for heights is needed. The route is mainly undulating, but there are steep ascents and descents, which require a good level of fitness.
We use handpicked accommodation in Ponte de Lima, Castro Laboreiro, Peneda, Lindoso, Viana do Castelo and Porto, which are a mixture 4-star hotels and comfortable village cottages, where the warmest of welcomes and traditional hospitality will make your stay extra special. All rooms are comfortable and have a private bathroom.Â
Single rooms & solo walkers
If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable. This tour is not available for solo walkers.Â
Meals
All breakfasts and 5 packed lunches are included (due to limited lunch options on the walks). Packed lunches usually include sandwiches, fresh fruit and a snack, and are sourced locally. For dinner, you have the choice of eating at local family-run restaurants in the towns and villages, or at the hotels and guesthouses. You can also purchase souvenirs or snacks in village shops, such as cheese, sausages, olive oil, jam, honey, cookies, herbs and wine.
This route isn't well way-marked and you will not see many walkers on this route. You will have access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App, enabling you to follow the route using your phone's GPS so you will have no problems finding the way. You can simply download the GPS tracks to your phone for offline use and off you go!Â
- 7 nights in hotels and village guesthouses
- All breakfasts and 5 picnic lunches
- Wine tasting in Porto
- A detailed information pack
- Access to maps, GPS tracks and daily route information with the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
- Door to door baggage transfer of one bag per person
- Emergency telephone support from our office in the event of a problem
- Flights to and from Porto
- Travel insurance
- Dinners, snacks and drinks
- Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage
- Arrival and departure transfers
- Travel between Viana do Castelo and Porto
- Taxi from hotel in Porto to Wine Cellar
- Additional nights during the holiday
- Arrival and departure transfers
This trip is available from 1st March to 31st October. The summer months of July and August can be hot, making walking quite uncomfortable, so we recommend travelling outside of these months. In the spring there will be lots of wildflowers and snow on the highest peaks, creating a perfect backdrop for photographs. It's also a time of enormous agricultural activity, with villagers preparing their fields for crops and herdsmen walking their flock through the mountains. Autumn sees the grape and corn harvest, as well as the change of colour in the trees. Both spring and autumn offer excellent conditions for walking. This trip is not available in the winter months as some of the hotels and guesthouses are closed.
By Air - Porto Airport (or Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport) is the most convenient airport for this trip, with regular flights from and to almost all major European cities. Â
Getting to Ponte de Lima
From Porto Airport, you can take a Barquense bus directly to Ponte de Lima. Or if you're already in the centre of Porto, you can make your way via a Rede Expressos bus to Ponte de Lima from there, which takes 1.5 hours.
If flying into Lisbon Airport, you can take an airport shuttle bus to the Santa Apolonia Train Station and then a train to Porto (approx. 2.5 hours), to then make your way to Ponte de Lima.
Macs Adventure can arrange private transfers to your accommodation in Ponte de Lima. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.
Porto Airport is approximately 11km from the city centre. From Porto, you can use the metro, bus, shuttle or taxi to reach Porto Airport terminal.
If you're flying home from Lisbon Airport, take a train from Porto (approx. 2.5 hours) to Santa Apolonia Train Station in Lisbon, then an airport shuttle bus, metro or taxi from there.
Macs Adventure can also arrange private transfers to Porto or Lisbon Airport. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation, giving you the freedom to walk each day with just a day pack. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person. Please ensure that you do not bring more than one bag of 20kg as if this occurs, the luggage transfer company will ask you to pay an additional fee for an extra bag.
The distances and ascents/descents are approximations of the recommended routes.
Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and trousers), sun hat and sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.
This is a moderate graded tour and includes 5 days of walking, with 5-6 hours of walking a day on average. The terrain is undulating, mostly off-road and on rugged terrain, with a few steep ascents and descents as described in the itinerary.
The routes are not well waymarked, but you will be provided with detailed route notes and maps on the Macs Adventure Smartphone App to help you find your way.
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