Spots of Local Interest

No visit to the beautiful Alto Minho region is complete without taking in the panoramic views from Serra d'Arga . And getting there is easy. Excellent roads wind through the mountain villages, including the famous "argas”: Arga de São João, Arga de Baixo and Arga de Cima. Climbing these granitic mountains perched at  just over 800 meters above sea level, between the Lima and Minho Rivers, leads visitors through a veritable museum of human history and an evolving natural landscape. 

Many vestiges of human activity throughout the centuries are still visible here. Among them are remote megalithic monuments, remnants of Iron Age villages, and  traces of the period when the area was heavily populated by corn farming communities. Here you will still find beautiful granite corn cribs (espigueiros), houses made of schist, and ancestral traditions such as linen craftwork and the matança do porco (annual pork slaughter), a deeply rooted celebration of rural heritage. All of this is nestled in a landscape set amid crystalline mountain streams, freshwater coves, green fields, oaks, cork oaks, pine trees, alders, and chestnuts. Visitors just might catch sight of elusive, wild animals such as otters, the petite roe deer, or even the indigenous toupeira d'água, or water mole. 

Whether travelling by car or on foot, over asphalt or dirt roads, or even traipsing over shepherds' trails, visiting the Serra d'Arga is the perfect opportunity to see the Alto Minho from an angle that is both distinct and surprising.

The Portuguese have an expression that reads "Os homens não se medem às palmas”, which literally means "a man cannot be measured in hands”. In other words, "good things come in small packages”. So it is with mountains. Serra da Aboboreira occupies just 100 km2, but it has much to offer. This ancient granite formation stretches across three municipalities—Amarante, Baião and Marco de Canaveses—climbing as high as 1000 m in altitude. 

The charm of Serra da Aboboreira lies predominantly in its natural wonders. Shrublands typical of higher altitudes include gorse, heather and broom plants interspersed with oaks, cork oaks, chestnuts, and stone pines—and then there’s the beauty of the holly. Rivers, brooks, and streams cross this striking landscape. Birds of prey fly overhead, while reptiles, felines, and countless other species find shelter here.

One of the main attractions of the mountain is its remarkable megalithic necropolis, one of the largest in the country. Most of the monuments are to be found on plateaus, with roads that are not always obvious to the unaccustomed eye. The mountain villages, though, are more readily accessible, perched on slopes or in narrow valleys. Here, despite the migration of many residents to centers of greater opportunities, many farmers can still be found herding and practicing subsistence agriculture. All of this and whatever else your curiosity might seek out is awaiting your visit to Aboboreira. 

Serra de Freita rises above the region between Entre Douro and Vouga. It is a favorite getaway for the residents of local cities and towns who, especially in the hot summers, enjoy an afternoon spent amid pristine views. For those coming from further afield, the main attractions tend to be a few emblematic villages and two captivating natural phenomena, the Mizarela waterfall of more than 60 meters, and the so-called parideiras, or birthing stones. 

Yet Frieta has much more to offer than the breath-taking Frecho da Mizarela, and the strange stones that spring forth from their mother stone. There are also steaks from the native Aroquesa cattle breed with its own Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status that can be eaten thick-cut and seared on the grill (posta arouquesa) or as the renowned Alvarenga steak, fried or grilled and served with a rich, secret pan gravy. What is more, the mountain is rich in waterways. The Paiva is a typical mountain stream that tumbles through narrow valleys until it broadens out to indulge the enjoyment of bathers on quiet river beaches.  Walking the roads and paths will bring visitors to rustic villages wedged into the mountainous terrain where residents still resist the lure of out migration, seeking to maintain their ancestral lifeways.

Serra da Freita is an austere plateau with sparse low-lying plant-life that stands in stark contrast with the deep river valleys wrapped in dense vegetation. The mountain also shelters ghost mining operations, like that at Rio de Frades, where, during World War II, highly sought after tungsten was hotly contested between the Allies and the Axis powers.

Supposedly described once as the "least well-known mountain in Portugal”, Serra de Montemuro is no longer such a mystery. It is bordered on the north by the Douro River, by the Paiva on the west, and on the southern and eastern edges by a straight line that passes through the municipalities of Lamego, Castro d'Aire and Régua. It is well worth a visit—not only for its natural wonders, but also to see the vestiges of human labor.  

Awash in natural viewpoints with panoramic views of the valleys of the Bestança and the Douro rivers, the landscape here is adorned with granite boulders where erosion has formed whimsical shapes. Higher elevations are dressed in heathlands with heather, broom plant, gorse bush or the indigenous Iberian carqueja, sometimes called a  three-toothed broom plant. Lower slopes sport patches of pine, oak and chestnut, while along the riverbanks willows, ash, and alders decorate the shore.

As for fauna, partridges, Eurasian woodcocks and blackbirds, owls, and nightingales may be spotted, as well as weasels, hares and wild boars. And people, as in the

typical villages like Boassas, Gralheira or Vale de Papas, with their flocks of sheep and goats, or in the small Mezio Museum, where artisans keep alive local basketry, weaving, and clogging traditions.

Not to be forgotten are those people of old whose work can still be appreciated in the ruins of the walls of Portas de Montemuro, remnants of a pre-historic Castro culture hillfort. 

This is a striking rugged mountain range with vast horizons. Northeast of Vila Real, the mountain itself would be sufficient to convince unbelievers of its strength and majesty. Yet, were visitors to climb to Alto do Fojo and take in the magnificent rocky escarpment, they would find the famous Fisgas de Ermelo, where the Olo River cascades down rocky slopes. This is a stirring and mysterious place with a special magic inviting contemplation. It is a must for first-time visitors to Alvão and irresistible even for local residents. 

Yet, Alvão has many more sights to offer. Granitic mountains are bordered by plateaus and a Quartz-rich landscape marks the transition between mountain and valley. The steep valleys, with their abundance of water, attract exuberant life. Further down, pasturelands and lime meadows nourish indigenous Maronese cattle. Mountain villages such as Lamas de Olo, Barreiro, and Ermelo have schist and granite houses, some of them still thatched. Time runs slowly here, and traditions still remain, such as the smoking of sausages, and the kneading of bread. Summer is the usual tourist season, though Alvão is equally delightful in the winter when the white mantle gives it a special charm, or in the autumn when the trees are decked in warm colors.

You're invited to an unforgettable experience

Gerês is another world. It is both immense and powerful. Its beauty is sublime. It is close, calm and accessible on many occasions, and yet distant, abrupt and mysterious on many others.

It is bright and colorful. Grim and gray. A day or even a week is not long enough to discover the matchless experience of Peneda-Gerês National Park. For many people, Gerês is the destination of a lifetime.

And even a lifetime is not enough to savor all the mountain’s treasures. The suggestions offered here should be regarded as just the first steps toward many other, future visits.

The primarily granitic mountains of Gerês, Soajo, Peneda, and Serra Amarela are all part of the National Park created in 1971. The highest point, at 1,500 meters, is to be found in Gerês. Oaks predominate in the forests, but it is on high that Gerês stands out, sheltering species found nowhere else: Gerês's indigenous lilies, ferns, and the famous St. John's wort. And then there are the ancient forests, such as those of Albergaria or Cabril. Fauna make their homes in the water, the land, and in the air. There are vestiges of thousand-year-old hamlets . And signs of Imperial Rome. And then there are the villages—Castro Laboreiro, Pitões das Júnias, Lindoso, Soajo, and Tourém. The rivers crisscross it all, the Lima and the Cávado are the principal ones, plus the smaller Vez and the Arado. Wait no longer. Welcome to the stunning world of the Peneda-Gerês mountains. 

Contacts :

Peneda-Gerês National Park

Avenida António Macedo -

Braga

Tel: 253203480 - Fax 253613169

Branches

Arcos de Valdevez

Rua Padre Manuel Himalaya

Arcos de Valdevez

Tel: 25865338 - Fax 258522707

Terras de Bouro

Gerês - Vilar da Veiga - Gerês

Tel: 253391181 - Fax 253391496

Montalegre

Rua do Reigoso - Montalegre

Tel/Fax 27652281

Lamas de Mouro Campgrounds, Entre-Ambos-os-Rios, Vidoeiro,

Cerdeira-Campo do Gerês,

Trote-Gerês

Vilarinho das Furnas Youth Hostel

Campo do Gerês

Tel: 253351339

Reservations

Adere-PG

Largo da Misericórdia, nº 10

Ponte da Barca

Tel: 258 452 250/258 452 450

Fax: 258 452 450

email: aderepg@mail.telepac.pt

Pousada de São Bento

Vieira do Minho

Tel: 253 649 150 /253 649 151 /253 649 317 Fax

253647867

Alto Minho Tourism Region

Santiago de Barra Castle

Viana Do Castelo

Tel: 258 820 270

Fax: +351 258 829 798

Email: info@rtam.pt

For centuries S. Martinho de Tibães was one of the most influential monasteries in Northern Portugal. Mother house of the Benedictine monasteries, from the sixteenth century onwards, it became a center of excellence in the arts and in Portuguese aesthetic thought. Founded roughly 1000 years ago, the building that has come down to us resulted from reconstructions carried out in the monastery's golden age when it was a hub for art and culture in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. 

Yet throughout its long history, the monastery has also undergone periods of obscurity and even fallen into ruin and abandonment. With the national suppression of the religious orders in 1834, it was closed and its goods sold. Approximately two decades ago, the Portuguese government took ownership of the privately owned parts of the building and began major restoration and rehabilitation. 

In the beautiful Monastery and Church of Tibães, stylistic elements range in style from late Mannerism to the Rocaille. Imperative attractions include the main cloister formed by round arches, the huge sacristy covered by wooden ceiling painted in the form of coffins, the extraordinary Rocaille woodcarvings, the sculpture of Christ on the Cross, and the high choir with the magnificent set of Baroque stalls. Across the public square facing the monastery stands the imposing Tibães stone cross.

This tenth century monastery was transformed in the thirteenth century to become home to a group of Cisterian nuns. This came about due to the influence and the inheritance left to Dona Mafalda, one of the daughters of Portuguese king D. Sancho, who chose to enter her religious life at Arouca. 

Suppressed in 1836 and with the death of the last nun, the monastery's valuable estate has been preserved and can be seen in the Museum of Sacred Art. 

Another famous legacy of the nuns' labor throughout history is the mouthwatering collection of conventual sweets that might make a saint lose their head.

As per the Cisterian philosophy, the current monastery is quite somber in style, which is particularly curious considering it coincided with the exuberance of the Baroque period. 

The Museum of Sacred Art holds in its collection, magnificent Gothic sculptures, including a likeness of Saint Mafada made for her funerary ark and a beautiful, yet simple piece of 13th century goldsmithing. Moreover, the church itself merits a long and attentive visit. Of note are the chapels inside the church, one of which holds the urn of Santa Mafalda in ebony worked with silver and copper; the intricate wood carving on the organ loft gallery; the 104 Baroque choir stalls in the high choir, the extraordinary statues of saints, and the two-story cloister. 

The sisters of Arouca’s conventual sweets include: pão de São Bernardo, which must broken by hand to preserve its delicacy; sweet morcelas, made with bread crumbs and almond dough stuffed into pig casings and looking exactly like blood sausage; almond rings; sweet chestnuts, pastries made of egg yolk and almond paste and molded to imitate chestnuts; and manjar de lingua, a medieval sweet invented here that mixes almonds, sugar and rice flour and is thickened with ground cow's tongue.These are among the conventual sweets bequeathed by the Cistercian nuns of the Monastery of Arouca, which have brought acclaim to the village and great pleasure to all who taste them.

The Monastery was not the only place in the sweet village of Arouca where sweets were crafted. Popular tradition set out to continue the nuns' legacy, inventing the famous pão de ló húmido, a moist sponge cake, melindres, a ring-shaped crunchy cookie, cavacas, a hollow, crunchy cake, charutos de amêndoa, almond-egg creme wrapped in communion wafers and molded to look like cigars, and barrigas de freira, or nun's double chins, a spoonable platter dessert made with the requisite egg yolks, almonds, and sugar and thickened with white bread.

In downtown Santo Tirso, the São Bento Monastery was founded by a local lord in the last quarter of the tenth century. At the end of the following century, it came under the jurisdiction of the Benedictine order, becoming one of the most influential and powerful monasteries in Portugal.

Upon the national suppression of the religious orders in 1834, the monastery, which had already been secularized, and its grounds became the birthplace of the future municipality of Santo Tirso.

With the exception of a few 12th century tombstones, none of the older structures remain. Nevertheless, the architecture, the gilt work and the sculptures that have been passed down, dating mostly to the 17th and 18th centuries, are of inestimable value. The monastery's church was built over a period of 20 years, between 1659 and 1679. The interior is magical in atmosphere, due primarily to the sumptuous Rocaille gilt work and the barrel-vaulted ceiling embellished with stucco plaster work. The altars, the Baroque sculptures, the Sagrada Família, the sculpture of the Virgin with Baby Jesus, and the magnificent choir stalls, all of it demands our careful attention.

Inside the monastery, highlights include the monastic chapel, the 15th century galleries, and the 14th-century cloister surrounding an elegant granite fountain dated 1649.

Jesuits of Santo Tirso

It is not the monks of the São Bento Monastery who created the local sweets. That genius is rightly attributed to the Benedictine nuns of the Santa Escolástica Monastery in Roriz. The nearby Monastery of Singeverga is associated with a famous liqueur with its secret and hundred-year-old recipe.

And still, perhaps under the influence of its religious heritage, Santo Tirso is particularly famous for a much sought-after specialty: os jesuitas, or the Jesuits. Irregularly rectangular in shape, these pastries are sold by the hundreds in pastry shops like Pastelaria Moura, in the center of town. Finally, before moving on, the São Bento tarte at the Confeitaria S. Bento is not to be missed.

The Monastery of São Miguel de Refóios is a beautiful example of Baroque architecture in the heart of Cabeceiras de Basto. In its better days, it was one of the richest convents in the Minho region. The date and circumstances of its founding are surrounded by legend and a touch of controversy. It is thought to have been built in the 7th century by local men of means from the Basto lands. Paying allegiance to the Benedictine order, it underwent total reconstruction in the 17th century, works which were not completed until the end of the following century, when the monastery took the shape that we see today.

The church has two imposing bell towers and life-size statues of the order’s founder, Saint Benedict of Nursia, and Santa Scholastica. Noteworthy are the demonic and gargoyle-like figures lined up just past the church entrance, the magnificent gilt carvings with astonishing imagery, the 17th century sacristy, the four galleries of cloisters built on full arches with Doric columns, and the huge, 45-seat choir stall. 

What is quite remarkable is the stark contrast between the exuberance of the Baroque church and the sober convent quarters, suitable for introspection and recollection.  

The Convent and Church of São Gonçalo are breathtaking indeed. But it is the entire setting, the religious monuments, together with the bridge over the Tâmega River, the houses and the historic downtown of Amarante that all come together to form one of the most charming cities in the region. Intended to honor the town's patron saint, the construction of the Dominican convent and church began in the middle of the sixteenth century under the reign of King D. João III. 

This stunning historical monument is the ex libris of the beautiful city of Amarante. 

Mannerist in style, the complex took eighty years to be built, meaning it was subject to Baroque influences in the sixteenth century. Evidence of this can be found in the portal that incorporates both architectural styles. The bell tower, on the other hand, is pure Baroque. Particularly noteworthy is the so-called Varanda dos Reis, which is composed of arches supported by strong pillars with statues of the four kings associated with the project, from D. John III to Philip II of Spain.

Inside the church, highlights include the altars, for example the Santa Luzia altar, and the chapels, including that dedicated to Santa Rita Cássia, with its gilt wood carvings  Also worthy of note are the Baroque saints’ statues, the barrel-vaulted ceiling above the sacristy, the exquisite Renaissance lavabo, and the first cloister in the former living quarters.

The Sweets of the Poor Clare Nuns

Gastronomy is one of Amarante's greatest attractions. The egg-based conventual sweets born from the culinary wisdom of the former Poor Clare nuns are famous. Some of the delightful specialties in the city's best pastry shops include papo de anjos, a delicate egg-and-almond pocket, foguetes, long, glazed cylinders filled with egg custard and almonds, lérias, flat coin-like crunchy disks, and brisas do Tâmega, boat-shaped pastries with an almond crust filled with egg yolk cream.

The Poor Clares' legacy extends beyond conventual sweets. They are also known for their hearty chicken and rice stew, for example, which is believed to have developed  from their unique method of preparing poultry.

This monastery is of great historical importance, linked to the foundation of the Portuguese nation in the 12th century.  Nobleman D. Afonso Ansemondes, lord of the lands of Refoios commissioned this convent in honor of the Virgin Mary in gratitude for his military victories. It was destined for the Augustinian Canons.

The magnificent convent and church that visitors admire today are the result of work that began in the 16th century and finished with the building's recent adaptation as the home of the current Escola Superior Agrária, the School of Agriculture of the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo. In addition to the monument’s architectural legacy, its renovation into a polytechnic college is equally noteworthy—responsiblity of architect Fernando Távora. 

The imposing ochre-colored building is set amid a bucolic landscape on the right bank of the Lima River. Close attention to the building yields an artistic journey through a range of architectural styles: Baroque, Renaissance, Rococo, Neoclassical and ending with the separate new modernist buildings, yet all of which form one harmonious whole.

Visitors will also enjoy seeing the cloisters, the ancient kitchen with its magnificent chimney, the magnificent stucco ceiling in the music room, the refectory, and the azulejo-clad Prior's quarters. 

Other sites in Refóios do Lima

In addition to its monastery, Refóios do Lima is rich in history. Places worth visiting include:  the Romanesque chapel of Santa Eulália, the Chapel of São Sebastião, the Solar Tower of Ansemondes, founder of the monastery (which later became known as the Torre dos Malheiros), the Penedo de S. Simão, a grave carved into a granite boulder surrounded by legend, the river beach, and the Vacariça viewpoint.