Walking holidays, tours and vacations in Northern Portugal

The hill country of Peneda Geres

Northern Portugal is relatively little known and has only recently been discovered by walkers. Hidden away in the golden hills and lush green valleys of the Peneda-Gerês national park are delightful villages where rural communities continue a lifestyle that is centuries old. These villages, where the farmers keep long-horned cattle fed on maize, grown on ancient terraces and stored in distinctive granite espigueiros, are linked by old paved tracks and footpaths that penetrate wild uplands reaching up to 1500m. It is these footpaths that you will use.

There is a wonderful sense of remoteness here, even though you are never more than a couple of kilometres away from a village or hamlet, and you may walk for hours without seeing anyone else. But feast also on bacalhau at the remarkable Restaurant Abocanhado (Night 4), visit Lindoso Castle, walk a day’s march along a Roman road high above the valley, and end with a stay in a magnificent old monastery, now converted into a top quality hotel.

While in the region, stay a day or two in enchanting and historic Porto at On Foot’s hotel choice, a short bus ride from the centre at quiet Foz do Douro.