Varanda dos Carqueijais and other Serra da Estrela, Portugal Things to Do Tips

This belvedere is near Covilhã, just a few km away. The view is fabulous, and if weather allows you will see the surroundings for km. We were quite lucky as the sky was blue and the sun shining so we managed to enjoy ourselves for a while admiring the surroundings - both gorgeous mountainous landscapes and tiny villages spreading on the slopes of the mountain. Behind you and to the left is the mountain and it will provide you with a first impression of what you are about to find. To the right and down is the bottom of the mountain and you will have a view over Covilhã as well as other villages that from this distance look like white dots.

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Things To Do: Vale Glaciar do Zezere

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Updated by micas_pt

on Feb 18, 2004

Vale Glaciar do Zezere could be translated as Glacial Valley of the Zezere (River). As we were driving from Covilha to Torre we stopped in a small viewpoint by the road and enjoyed the magnificent views over this valley (when this photo was shoot). Also, driving from Manteigas to Covilhã we drove through the valley, enjoying the fantastic surroundings – the road that can bee seen on the right side of photo. This valley dates from the glacier epochs and it is said to have been formed about 20.000 years ago when a major glacier was sliding down towards Manteigas and made this canyon. Some people think that on one of the sides of the canyon that are still traces of this erosion. Notice that on the left side there is almost no vegetation, while the right side has trees.

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Things To Do: Nave de Santo António

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Written by micas_pt

on Feb 17, 2004

Nave de Santo António is often compared to a lunar landscape since it is arid with sand, little rocks and some holes (craters). The vegetation is very very sparse and limited to a few bushes spread around this 1550m high place. Driving from Covilha to Torre you will sure notice it by any viewpoint on the road. While we stopped here to enjoy the view, we were also able to notice some ponds and lagoons nearby.

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Things To Do: Covão de Ferro

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Written by micas_pt

on Feb 17, 2004

Covão de Ferro is a lagoon that can be seen from that same road we were following. It is situated on a high hill and if you watch the photo closely you may notice that is has a wall on the left side. This lagoon usually freezes in colder days. But in sunny days such as the one we visited it provides beautiful scenery on the rocky and somewhat arid mountains that surround it. When you reach this point of the road there is not much vegetation around, and the highest spot in mainland Portugal is near - Torre.

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Things To Do: Torre

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Written by micas_pt

on Feb 17, 2004

Torre is the highest point in this mountain and in mainland Portugal. It is about 2000m high (above sea level). The "original" height of the mountain is 1993m, but in 1817 King D. João II ordered that a 7m high tower was built so that this location would reach 2000m. The referred tower no longer exists, but nowadays there are other constructions on this spot, such as an observatory and a shopping centre. Torre is the Portuguese word for Tower.

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Things To Do: NATO Observatory

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Written by micas_pt

on Feb 17, 2004

There are two identical structures on Torre. These structures are an observatory and they belong to the Portuguese Air Force. Between 1957 and 1971 NATO had some radars installed here. These yellow round “roofs” are taller than the original tower built in 1817, but officially this place is still 2000m high.

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Things To Do: From Torre to Seia

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Written by micas_pt

on Feb 17, 2004

On the way down from Torre, and as it was lunchtime, we headed to Seia - a town about 15km away. Actually, I must confess that among all the roads I travelled in the mountain, this particular trek was the one that pleased me the least. I found it somewhat badly taken care off, with some trash along the road. The trees are burnt (fires are frequent in Portugal during the summer) and the small villages we saw on our way to Seia have ugly architecture (or no architecture at all!!). Between Torre and Seia is situated Sabugueiro, classified as the "highest village" in Portugal.

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Things To Do: Seia

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Written by micas_pt

on Feb 17, 2004

Seia is a mountain town, with a few interesting buildings in the historic centre, such as the church or the town hall. I didn't visit the town with much detail, as I headed there just for lunch. In Seia, however, I would highlight: the dark bread, the white cheese with pumpkin jam - both are delicious! In Seia we had some difficulty in parking the car, as the parking spaces are few and police fines cars parked outside the parking spaces. Some streets are going through refurbishment. I have no photos from Seia, the photo show is from the mountain.

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Things To Do: Gouveia

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Written by micas_pt

on Feb 17, 2004

Gouveia is another of the mountain towns located on the south side of Serra da Estrela. Again, the interesting places to visit are located on the historic city centre. Here you may visit a beautiful church covered in azulejos (Portuguese tiles) painted in blue or admire the nice Town Hall building, both situated along a street, that I assume it's the main street. If you follow that street you will come into a park with children's playground and opposite a nice small church. If you stand in front of that church, which is elevated concerning the street, you will enjoy a nice view over the city centre and its surroundings.

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Things To Do: Manteigas

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Written by micas_pt

on Feb 17, 2004