Gerês Park Tour small group, Culture, Nature, Waterfalls, Viewpoints & Lunch

From your hotel in Porto, you’re picked up in the morning for the drive to Braga. We will stop at the city of Braga to visit the city center. The Braga Diocese is the oldest in Portugal and, in the Middle Ages, the city even competed with Santiago de Compostela in power and importance. You will have the opportunity to taste some delicious sweets at a well known cake-shop.

After Braga city center we will proceed to visit Tibães Monastery. Founded by Saint Martin of Dume in the 6th century it became the Portuguese and Brazilian headquarters of the Order of Saint Benedict em 1567. The current building, one of the most grandiose in the country, was built In the 17th century.

We will stop for lunch in Covide already at Gerês National Park. The lunch includes several tasting starters (pataniscas de bacalhau, chouriço assado and local cheese), loin of veal with a special rice with red beans and a

Crème Brulée dessert. White or red Vinho Verde or Douro wines are served.

In the afternoon the tour continues through Gerês, starting at Mata da Albergaria along one of the most beautiful sections of the Via Nova XVIII, a roman road built at the end of 1st century AC that connected two important iberian cities: “Bracara Augusta”, present city of Braga, and “Asturica Augusta”, present city of Astorga, in a distance of 215 miles (~318kms). Then, we will descend from the Spanish border of Portela do Homem to the village of Caldas do Gerês for a short stop. We will proceed to Pedra Bela a view not to be missed at the most beautiful and sought-after viewpoint of Peneda-Gerês National Park. From this viewpoint, located in a mount, one can observe the whole of Caniçada reservoir, a part of Gerês valley, as well as the mountains all the way up to Portela de Leonte.

In Gerês the mountainous terrain is cut across by rapidly flowing rivers and streams, including many waterfalls. In the surroundings of Ermida village we will visit the Arado Waterfalls. They can be reached by the road and a staircase that leads to the lake rising above the waterfalls. Your Gerês Park full-day tour ends with return transport to your Porto hotel.