Porto & Gerês National Park: A Breathtaking UNESCO Journey with a Local

We will meet in Porto, at a suitable location for everybody in the group. For those of you coming by plane, I'll pick you at the Francisco Sá Carneiro airport (OPO - Porto). If you are already in town, we will meet in Porto. If there are other transportation needs, we will adjust accordingly and make sure everybody is included. We will visit an attraction in town, chosen by the group, (my suggestions would be Palácio da Bolsa or one of the world-renowned wine cellars) and try Porto's most iconic dish, Francesinha, in one of its best restaurants, Casanova, for lunch. For those whose diets do not include meat (like me), there are fortunately vegetarian and vegan options. After lunch and a stroll through the historical centre, we will travel by (rental) car to our accommodation in Arcos de Valdevdez (1h30).

After lunch and a stroll through the historical centre, we will travel by (rental) car to Arcos de Valdevez (1h30), reaching our accommodation for the remaining nights, with the possibility of visiting Portugal's second most famous pilgrimage site, the idyllically placed São Bento da Porta Aberta. This will be our basecamp for the remainder of our trip, from which we will move to the nearby waterfalls, miradors, and nature treks.

During our second day, we will visit a few nature spots! We will have breakfast in town, either at home or in one of the local “padarias” (bakeries). After breakfast, we will visit the Pedra Bela mirador, with stunning scenic views of the surrounding mountains and rivers. We will then visit the nearby Arado Waterfall, one of Gerês’ highest and most impressive, before embarking on a hike to Poço Azul (9km roundtrip), a fantastic trek through one of the park’s most beautiful canyons, the impressive Rio Conho Valley. Lunch will be prepared beforehand, as there are no options during the trail. Vegan, vegetarian, and any other options can be arranged, depending on the whatever needs anyone might have. I am myself vegan, so feel free to ask for whatever you need! In case we have time and energy after the hike, we can visit some nearby waterfalls and rivers, depending on whatever the group prefers doing, or return home and enjoy each other’s company after a satisfying day out and about in nature! We will then drive back towards our accommodation and have dinner either at home or in town.

On our third day, we will blend in some beautiful nature spots with one of the parks most iconic villages, Castro Laboreiro. We will again have breakfast in town, either at home or in one of the local “padarias” (bakeries), or even on the road, according to whatever the group prefers. We will then drive to and hike through the Mata da Albergaria, one of Portugal’s best preserved broadleaf forests, a magical woodland crisscrossed by streams and rivers, wild horses, waterfalls, and even an old Roman road, which connected Asturica Augusta (present-day Astorga, in Spain) to Bracara Augusta (present-day Braga, in Portugal). During this walk, we will visit the stunning Cascata de São Miguel, known to many as Cascata da Portela do Homem, a crystal clear waterfall, with the magnificently blue water of the river Homem carving a deep pond within the mountain, with great views from the nearby bridge. We will then cross the nearby border into Spain, in order to visit Os Baños, a small Galician village on the other side of the mountain, home to one of the regions best hidden gems! A publicly open and free open-air hot spring, where locals go daily for their spa session, where we can enjoy the magnificent scenery, chatting while halfway deep in balmy, soothing warm waters in peace, regaining our strength. We will then have lunch either on sight (prepared lunch or at the nearby restaurant) or in Lobios, the closest village, a short drive away. After lunch, we will visit Castro Laboreiro, back in Portugal, one of the region’s most beautiful villages, perched atop a cliff overlooking a deep valley, with waterfalls abound and a medieval castle with great views and steeped in history. After this visit, we will drive back to our accommodation, with a final stop at the same hot springs, if the group so desires. We will then have dinner at home or in town.

On our last day, besides the usual bemoaning about having to leave, we will, after breakfast in town, much like the previous days, visit the village of Soajo, with its stunning "espigueiros", stone-carved granaries dotted across the landscape, and one of its most beautiful waterfalls, Poço Negro! We will then visit Lindoso, the last stronghold town before the Spanish border, with its magnificent medieval castle, overlooking the Serra do Soajo and some of the parks best landscapes. We will have lunch in town, if the group so chooses, before driving back to Porto (1h30), with the possibility of stopping along the way and visit another historic site, such as the world heritage site of Guimarães or Braga.

We will return to Porto by car, dropping each TripMate at a place of their choosing, be it at the airport or downtown, at some point in the afternoon, according to everybody's plans and needs.