Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
basin. It sees more hikers than shepherds once the weather turns warm, thanks to easy ac-
cess to some spectacular trails.
Coming from Vila do Gerês, you first arrive at a little traffic circle. The tiny village
centre is another 1.5km straight on, while the youth hostel is 1km up the road to the left.
Sights
The neighbouring village of
Vilarinho das Furnas
was for centuries a remarkably democratic
and fiercely independent village, with a well-organised system of shared property and
decision-making. But the entire town was submerged by the building of a dam in 1972. In
anticipation of the end of their old way of life, villagers collected stories and objects for a
moving memorial that is on display at the
Museu Etnográfico
(
www.visitgeres.com
; adult/student €2/1;
10am-7pm Tue-Fri, 10am-5.30pm Sat-Sun mid-Jun- mid-Sep, 10am-12.30pm & 2-5pm Tue-Sun mid-Sep-mid-
Jun)
, located at the park gate. The museum also offers exhibits on local flora and fauna.
All exhibit explanations are in Portuguese.
In late summer and autumn, when the reservoir level falls, the empty village walls rise
like spectres from the water. You can visit the spooky remains about 2.5km beyond the
dam, which is a comfortable three-hour return hike.
Activities
There are several well-marked hiking trails around Campo do Gerês; hikes last from three
to six hours. You can pick up maps and trail information (€0.90 to €1.50) at the informa-
tion desk of the Museu Etnográfico.
Trilho da Cidade da Calcedónia
A narrow, sealed road snakes over the ridge from Vila do Gerês to Campo do Gerês, offer-
ing short but spectacular high-elevation walks from just about anywhere along its upper
reaches. One of these is the Cidade da Calcedónia trail, a moderate, signposted, 7km
(four-hour) loop that climbs a 912m viewpoint called the
Cabeço Calcedónia
, with views to
knock your socks off.
HIKING
Trilho dos Currais
The 'Corrals Trail' is a moderate 10km loop that takes about four hours to complete.
Along the way you'll wind beneath oak and pine and glimpse boulder fields, sublime val-
HIKING
