Visit Portugal - A Family Trip to Gerês

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A Family Trip to Gerês /

Prepare yourself for two days of fun and excitement for all the family.

Make your way into the Peneda-Gerês National Park through its northernmost tip at Lamas de Mouro (Melgaço), where the visitor centre will provide you with a number of interesting suggestions for different places to see. While you enjoy your visit to the park, keep your eyes peeled for the “Garranos”, the wild horses of the Gerês mountains, which will certainly be the delight of the younger members of your family.

In Castro Laboreiro, show them the famous sheepdogs that are bred here. In this area, which was already inhabited long before the Roman occupation, take your children to see the remains of some dolmens. Make sure also to visit the Santuário da Senhora da Peneda, a shrine surrounded by majestic mountains, and the castle of Lindoso that once guarded the border with Spain.

Discover all about the region’s ancient villages, such as Soajo, with its granite houses and “espigueiros” (small granaries used for drying corn) and its longstanding rural traditions. In the reservoir formed by the dam of Vilarinho das Furnas, there is an old village – now submerged under the water – which reappears above the surface in years of drought, offering a curious spectacle. Take advantage of the fact that you are in a region of communal villages and fantastic natural surroundings to enjoy a different kind of sleep for the night. You can choose between the campsite, the park’s “Casas de Abrigo” (shelters that were previously used by shepherds) or a “Casa de Aldeia” (one of the guest houses in the villages).

On the second day, take advantage of your stay to enjoy a ride on the water-powered funicular taking you up to the Santuário do Bom Jesus de Braga, so that your children can enjoy a physics lesson without getting bored. Take some time to appreciate the view and then make your way down the enormous staircase, challenging your children once again by getting them to count the number of steps. While you’re in Braga, make sure to visit the country’s oldest cathedral and the truly original municipal sports stadium designed by Souto Moura. Thousands of years separate this remarkable work of architecture – built to host matches at the Euro 2004 football championships – from the Iron Age settlement of Citânia de Briteiros, which your children are also bound to love. When you arrive in Guimarães, the city that was the birthplace of the Portuguese nation and is now classified as world heritage, take some time to get to know the castle and the city’s historic centre. Finally, take the cable car up to the top of the Monte da Penha, from where you can enjoy a spectacular view over the city, the park and the shrine.

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