Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hiking is the principal activity in this end of the park, but there's a certain amount of old-
world history to explore on these trails, too. The easiest walk can be found opposite the
Lamas de Mouro gate. This
interpretative trail
winds past watermills, stone churches and
community ovens, and along a stream for 4km.
Driving from here, bear right at the intersection and you'll head into the somewhat
sprawling village of
Castro Laboreiro
, named for its endemic sheepdogs but more notable for
the picturesque ruins of its 16th-century
castle
, built in 1505 on the foundations of a 12th-
century Moorish castle. You can access it from a short and faint 800m trail. Views from
the castle are stunning.
Castro Laboreiro has three other trails to explore. The shortest is a moderate 3km
inter-
pretative trail
, but more strenuous and spectacular is the
Trilho Castrejo
, a 17km ramble over
some of the oldest trails in these mountains. The there's the equally beautiful but less de-
manding
Pertinho do Céu
from the village of Gavieira. Maps and brochures with trail de-
scriptions are available in Lamas de Mouro, but you can also download the brochures for
free from the website
www.cm-melgaco.pt
.
Further south, almost halfway between Lamas De Mouro and Soajo, is one of the park's
most stunning mountain villages, and the
serra's
namesake. Set on both sides of a deep
ravine, and backed by a domed mountain and gushing waterfall,
Peneda
is a stunner. The
village's only hotel, a former pilgrims' lodge, is set next to the
Igreja Senhora de Peneda
. This
historic church is the centre of the
Festas de Nossa Senhora da Peneda
, which takes place during
the first week of September when villagers converge on the plaza for candlelit processions
and long nights of music, dance and prayer.
It's possible to
climb
the face of Peneda's gorgeous domed peak, but you'll need to bring
your own climbing gear. Otherwise, a short but steep
1km trail
begins from behind the
church and winds past, up and over the dome to an artificial but still scenic
lake
high in the
hills where wild horses graze the savannah. If you stay on the trail past the lake you can
make an 8km loop that leads back to the main highway just uphill from Peneda.
Sleeping & Eating
Parque Campismo
Lamas de Mouro
(
CAMPGROUND
$
251 466 041;
www.camping-lamas.com
;
Lamas de Mouro; per adult/tent/car €4.20/3.70/3, bungalow for 2 people
Jul-Sep)
This tremendous private campground near boulder fields and flowering
€65;
