Portugal road trip: 8 days through medieval villages and the Aldeias Históricas

Day 1: Departure to Porto - Viseu

Pick up your rental car and head towards Viseu, where the famous Dão wine is produced. Viseu is a pleasant town that has been a strategic location for centuries: a crossroad of transit routes halfway between the Serra da Estrela and the Douro Valley. Gourmets are definitely in for a treat here with regional specialities such as 'cabrito assado' (grilled lamb) and local sweet treats.

Day 2: Viseu

You will explore the sights in Viseu on foot, all of which are within walking distance: the Igreja de São Francisco with beautiful azulejos, the town hall and courthouse, the cathedral, Rossio square with numerous terraces and a magnificent long azulejos wall with scenes of everyday life. It is mainly the Museu Grão Vasco, the former archbishop's palace, that is the main attraction. Vasco Fernandes, better known as Grão Vasco, and the school of Viseu (16th century) were particularly influenced by the Flemish primitives, so the resemblance is very noticeable.

Day 3: The impressive heart of the Serra da Estrela

On the programme today is Portugal's largest protected nature reserve with its highest mountain (1993 m) and highest road. Via Mangualde to Celorico da Beira, the first fortified town on your journey with a huge square keep of the old castle. Afterwards, you will continue to Linhares, another fortified town with a magnificent rampart in a mighty castle on a protruding granite rock and via Folgosinho, an ancient village towards Gouveia. Soon you reach the high mountain plateau which is full of impressive granite blocks, some with surprising shapes such as the 'Cabeça do Velho', 'the head of a greybeard'. You then set off towards the beautifully located Seia and a diversion past the 'Cabeça da Velha' - or 'old woman's head', towards Loriga and Unhais da Serra, a small spa town in stunning surroundings. Then you'll head up to Covilhã, a university town renowned for its wool industry and its street-art, ideal for a stop. Via Penhas da Saúde, you will travel on towards the Torre, Portugal's highest mountain. Soon a landscape appears in which eroded granite blocks are scattered. The view of a reservoir and the high glacial valley of Zêzere is simply spectacular. Your route continues along that glacial valley to the mountain town of Manteigas, where you will stay for 3 nights.

Day 4: Hiking in Portugal's purest air

Together with an experienced mountain guide, you will hike into nature with impressive granite blocks against which houses were built. Here, in primitive conditions, the first patients were brought by Dr Sousa Martins with spectacular results. Enjoy the silence and sheer beauty of this pristine landscape here.

Day 5: The route of the medieval fortified villages

These fortresses were built in the 17th and 18th centuries to guard the border with Spain. The first stop is Belmonte, an ambient town, birthplace of Pedro Álvares Cabral, discoverer of Brazil. Make sure to visit the Igreja de São Tiago, the pantheon of the Cabral family and the Jewish quarter with its synagogue and the 'Museu Judaico'. The centre 'A Descoberta do Novo Mundo' is also intriguing. Via a narrow road with colossal granite boulders, you reach Sortelha, a world of granite, but unimaginably beautiful and picturesque. After this, you will drive on to Monsanto, with its giant granite boulders that even incorporate some houses.

Day 6: The Aldeias Históricas

On the sixth day of your trip, you will pass through Guarda, to Castelo Mendo, a fortified town on a rocky hill among the remains of a Gothic rampart with some interesting buildings from the time of Spanish rule, a 17th-century church, a pillory and granite farmhouses. Continue via the picturesque fortified town of Castelo Bom to Almeida, some 6 km from the Spanish border. The gigantic dimensions of the defences capture everyone's imagination!

Day 7: From the eagle's nest to mystical prehistory

Castelo Rodrigo is also called the eagle's nest of eastern Portugal with beautiful views of the surroundings and with an impressive ruin. Through Pinhel with a landscape full of olive trees and vineyards, to Trancoso with a fully intact medieval ring wall. The journey then takes you to Marialva with remains of a castle on a rocky ridge to the interesting Parque Arqueológico do Vale do Côa. A visit to the Museum of Art and Archaeology is not only a must because of its location and architecture, you will discover priceless collections of prehistoric finds and explanations of open-air Palaeolithic engraving art. Return via Castelo Melhor, the final walled fortified village of your trip.

Day 8: Going home

Passing the Douro Valley and Amarante, a pretty town terraced against the idyllic banks of the Tâmega River, you will depart for Porto. You will drop off your rental car at Porto airport and take your return flight home. Prefer to enjoy beautiful Portugal a few more days? We will be happy to help you!

Frequently asked questions about the Aldeias Históricas road trip

Do you need a rental car for this trip?

Yes. The fortified villages are spread across the inland region of central Portugal and are difficult to reach by public transport. With a rental car you can explore the region flexibly and easily stop at viewpoints and small villages along the way.

What is the best time to visit for this trip?

April to June and September to October are ideal. Temperatures are pleasant for walking in the Serra da Estrela and for exploring the villages without the heat of summer.

What makes the Aldeias Históricas so special?

These villages were built as a defensive line along the Spanish border. Many houses are entirely built from granite and sometimes even constructed against or beneath massive rocks. This gives them a unique and almost timeless character.

Is this trip suitable for hikers?

Yes. The Serra da Estrela offers beautiful hiking trails through glacial valleys and granite landscapes. You can also explore the area with a mountain guide for a more guided walk.