North of Porto, not far from the Spanish border, is the only national park in the country. Home to a wide variety of trails, the mountainous Peneda-Gerês National Park is a great spot for hikers. We explored two of the hiking trails in the park and were rewarded with wonderful views of the landscapes in northern Portugal.
Often shortened to Gerês, the park is set on the edge of Caniçadato Reservoir. This pretty feature can be seen from many angles. Our first glimpse was from the highway, just before arriving in the town of Rio Caldo. We looked down to see the blue waters of the reservoir meandering between the lush hills. At that point, we knew we had made a good decision to come.
Here is what you can see when you hike in Peneda-Gerês National Park.
São Bento Trail (São Bento Trilho) PR7 TBR
This relatively easy hike begins on the edge of Rio Caldo town and climbs up through a forest of eucalyptus, pine, ephedra (called joint pine) and ferns. As we got higher the trees thinned out and the hills were covered in flowering heather.
At the highest point of the trek is Miradouro de São Bento (Viewpoint) with a sweeping view of the rocky mountains across and Caniçadato Reservoir below. A giant swing allows you to have fun while enjoying the views.
Hike details
Distance – The 14 km (8 ¾ miles) trail has two parts; one on either side of the highway. Elevation Gain – 880 m (2,560 ft) if you do both sides. We did the west side because it offers better views of the reservoir. The west trail is 8 km (8 ½ miles) with roughly 600m (1,970 ft) gain.
Access – The trail head is in the town of Rio Caldo, not far from Church São Bento da Porta Aberta. The trail was mostly on a gravel road and is well marked with red and yellow paint on the rocks. It can be found on Mapy.cz, AllTrails and the Gerês Tourism website.
Viewpoints Trail (Trilho dos Miradouros) PR-6 TBR
With a name like Viewpoints Trail, we had high expectations for the hike and we’re happy to say that it didn’t disappoint. This loop hike begins by climbing up through a dense forest of pine and oak. It took us closer to the rocky peaks we saw from the São Bento Trail the day before.
Miradouro translates in English to Viewpoint or Lookout.
As we got higher we could look down to see two of the arms Caniçadato Reservoir (Albufeira da Barragem da Caniçada) below. It really is pretty from every angle.
Once the trail reaches the mountain ridge, it moves back and forth between the viewpoints on the ridge and the plateau top. Our first viewpoint was Miradouro da Junceda. It is located near the highest point on the ridge at 920 m (3.020 ft) and offers a closer look at the other rugged mountains in the park. You can actually drive to this viewpoint, but if you did you would miss out on the other views along the way.
In between the the viewpoints, the land is wild. Small pines, heather and thorny bushes poke up between the mounds of granite. It’s difficult to leave the trail in this rough terrain.
Miradouro da Boneca (750 m/2,460ft) is a little further down the ridge, but its location put us right above Gerês town.
Miradouro da Fraga Negra (585 m/1,920ft) is the lowest viewpoint but offered yet another magical view of the blue reservoir.
Hike Details
Distance – 12 km (7 ½ miles); Elevation Gain – 796 m (2,610 ft)
Access – The trailhead is in Gerês town. It’s is a great little town where you can enjoy a drink or meal after your hike. The trail is a bit rough with roots and rocks as frequent obstacles, but it’s not too difficult. It is well marked with red and yellow paint on the rocks. It can be found on Mapy.cz, AllTrails and the Gerês Tourism website.
Varzeas Waterfall
There are quite a few waterfalls in the park so we wanted to see at least one. Cascata de Varzeas is a multi-tiered waterfall with large soaker pools on many of the tiers. The pools make it a popular spot with locals. It is pretty, but not as spectacular as we had hoped.
You don’t have to hike to see Cascata de Varzeas (Varzeas Waterfall), but you do have to walk down a steep, rocky embankment.
Set on the edge of Caniçadato Reservoir, Gerês is also popular in the summer for water sports. You can rent SUPs, kayaks in the calm waters of the reservoir, or swim from one of the many river beaches.
When to visit Peneda-Gerês National Park
Known for its heavy rains, we considered ourselves very lucky to have three sunny days in mid-September. The best weather is between May and September. With its mountain location temperatures are usually more moderate with average highs in the low 30s or high 20s during the summer months. Rains usually begin in October and continue until March.
How to get to Peneda-Gerês National Park
Located only 100 km north of Porto, you can easily drive to the park. The nearest train station is in Braga, but buses travel between the two. Once you’re in the park though, it would be very difficult to reach most of the trailheads without a car.
Where to stay and eat Peneda-Gerês National Park
There are quite a few different resorts and hotels within or near the park. We stayed in Rio Caldo and found it to be very convenient, but lacked in a lot of choices to eat. Gerês town is a busy, but cute town with more choices for both. There are also a lot of campgrounds throughout the park. We didn’t explore the eastern end of the park where there are more trails and towns.
We’ll link this post to our friend Jo’s blog, Restless Jo. She has a weekly post entitled Jo’s Monday Walks. She’s not posting until the New Year, but I’m sure she’ll be happy to include a link to the hikes then.
To read more of our hikes from around the world go to Treks.
To read more of our adventures in Portugal, click here.
Coming Next – Hiking in Serra da Estrela
For pictures from other blogs go to Gallery at monkeystale.ca
To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
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