Santarém, Serra da Estrela & Piodão, 5 Days

The meeting point in the morning is Santarém, with transfers from local hotels and railway stations available. After the briefing and kitting out, very easy tracks lead into a nearby forest, where the rest of the day belongs to the fundamentals – around 60 kilometres. In the evening the group heads back to the hotel for a shared dinner.

Eastward the way runs onto the fast tracks of the Alentejo region, surrounded by pastures and small bucolic villages. Depending on the season there is time for a swim at one of the many river beaches along the route. The night follows in Castelo de Vide or another place near the border, around 180 kilometres.

Northward the way climbs to the highest range in Portugal, reaching 1,993 metres at its highest point. The landscape shifts from the dry plains south of the Tagus to greener forests. The destination is Piodão, a World Heritage village built entirely of slate and hidden in the valleys, around 180 kilometres.

Southwest the way heads toward the sea. Today too the landscape changes noticeably as the mountains fall away and the more densely settled coastal region begins. The day ends near Fátima, a pilgrimage site known the world over for the Virgin Mary, around 160 kilometres.

The last day runs along the Atlantic coast through Nazaré and S. Martinho and past Peniche. Lunch is grilled fish from the local catch. On the way back come the castle of Óbidos and a coffee at the salt mines by the Rio Maior, and the day ends around 5 pm in Santarém, around 180 kilometres.