Portugal's historic villages itinerary

In the heart of Portugal, between the Serra da Estrela and the Spanish border, lies a land of granite mountains, windswept plateaus and villages left outside time. To save them from depopulation, in the early 1990s Portugal chose twelve, the most beautiful and historic, and restored them with care: these are the Aldeias Históricas de Portugal, the historic villages. There are walled towns, clifftop castles, a star-shaped fortress, a village of schist houses with blue doors, and a village where for centuries a Jewish community kept its faith in secret.

This six-day itinerary visits all twelve: Piódão, Linhares da Beira, Belmonte, Sortelha, Castelo Mendo, Almeida, Castelo Rodrigo, Marialva, Trancoso, Monsanto, Idanha-a-Velha and Castelo Novo. It is a slow journey through the most authentic and least touristy Portugal, with mountain cheeses, Romanesque churches, almond blossom and starry skies.

The frontier villages

The Beira Interior was a frontier land for centuries: first between Christians and Muslims, then between Portugal and Castile, then during the wars with Spain and the Napoleonic invasions. That is why it is full of castles and walled villages. It was also a refuge for the Jews expelled from Spain in 1492, many of whom, forced to convert, went on practising their religion in secret. In the 20th century emigration to the cities and to France emptied many villages. The Aldeias Históricas programme, launched in 1991, restored houses, streets and monuments and created hotels and trails, including the GR22, a path of about six hundred kilometres linking the twelve villages. See the historic villages and the Beiras.

Day 1: Piódão

From Lisbon drive to Piódão (about three hours), the last stretch on a mountain road through the pine forests of the Serra do Açor. The village appears suddenly, like a nativity scene set into the valley side: dark grey schist houses with slate roofs and blue-painted doors and windows, rising in tiers around the small white church. Until the 1970s no road reached it. Wander the stone lanes, take a short hike on the trails nearby to the village of Foz d'Égua with its bridge and natural pools, and dine on kid and mountain cheese. See Piódão.

Where to stay: in Piódão.

Day 2: Linhares da Beira and Belmonte

Cross the Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain range in mainland Portugal, to Linhares da Beira (about an hour and a half): a granite village beneath a 13th-century castle with two towers and views over the Mondego valley. It is a famous paragliding launch site. Buy creamy Serra da Estrela cheese, eaten with a spoon. See the Serra da Estrela.

In the afternoon drive to Belmonte (about an hour), a village with a unique story. Here a community of Jews, forced to convert at the end of the 15th century, secretly kept the rituals of their faith for over four centuries, until they were "discovered" in 1917 by a Polish Jewish engineer. Today Belmonte has a synagogue and a Jewish Museum telling this extraordinary story. Belmonte is also the birthplace of Pedro Álvares Cabral, who reached Brazil in 1500: visit his family's castle and the Museum of the Discoveries. See Belmonte.

Where to stay: in Belmonte or Sortelha.

Day 3: Sortelha, Castelo Mendo and Almeida

Sortelha (about half an hour) is a medieval granite village enclosed by walls, built on a huge rock, with its castle at the top and stone houses that seem to grow out of the mountain. Outside the walls, a rock shaped like an old woman's head, the Cabeça da Velha, is at the centre of many legends. See Sortelha.

Continue to Castelo Mendo (about three quarters of an hour), a small walled village on a hill, with two pre-Roman stone boars, the berrões, flanking the gate, and a square with a medieval pillory. Then reach Almeida (about half an hour), one of the finest star fortresses in Europe: a twelve-pointed star of bastions and moats built in the 17th century against Spain. In 1810, during the siege by Napoleon's troops, a spark set off the powder magazine in the castle, which blew up. Visit the military history museum in the underground casemates and walk the bastions. See Almeida.

Where to stay: in Almeida.

Day 4: Castelo Rodrigo, Marialva and Trancoso

Castelo Rodrigo (about three quarters of an hour) is a walled village on a hilltop above a plain of almond trees that are covered in white and pink blossom in February and March. At the top are the ruins of the palace of Cristóvão de Moura, a nobleman who had served the king of Spain, burned by the townspeople in 1640 when Portugal regained its independence. From the hill you can see Spain.

Then on to Marialva (about three quarters of an hour), a ruined medieval citadel on a crag, with its castle, pillory and abandoned houses among which olive trees grow: a place full of atmosphere, especially at sunset. The modern village lies at the foot of the crag. Finally reach Trancoso (about half an hour), a walled town with a castle and a Jewish quarter, where in 1282 King Dinis married Isabel of Aragon, the future saint queen. Bandarra, a 16th-century shoemaker-poet whose prophecies had great influence, also lived here. See Trancoso.

Where to stay: in Trancoso.

Day 5: Monsanto, Idanha-a-Velha and Castelo Novo

Drive south through Guarda, Portugal's highest city, with its Gothic cathedral, to Monsanto (about two hours). In 1938 Monsanto won a national contest as "the most Portuguese village in Portugal": its houses are built among and beneath huge granite boulders, which serve as walls and roofs. Climb to the Templar castle at the top of the hill among the rocks, with an immense view. See Monsanto and Guarda.

A few kilometres away, Idanha-a-Velha was a Roman town and a Visigothic bishopric: today it has few inhabitants but keeps its early Christian cathedral, walls, Templar tower and an old olive press. In the afternoon drive to Castelo Novo (about an hour), a granite village at the foot of the Serra da Gardunha, with its castle and the Chafariz da Bica, a Baroque fountain bearing the arms of King John V.

Where to stay: in Castelo Novo or Castelo Branco.

Day 6: back to Lisbon

Drive back to Lisbon (about two and a half hours), perhaps stopping in Castelo Branco for the Baroque garden of the Episcopal Palace. See Castelo Branco and Lisbon Airport.

How much it costs

To save money: the Beira Interior is one of the cheapest regions in Western Europe; most castles and villages are free to visit, and lunch in a village restaurant costs €10-12.

Practical information

• Roads: distances look short, but mountain roads are slow and winding; allow more time than your satnav suggests.
• Services: the smallest villages have few shops and restaurants, and some close early; fill up and stock up in the towns.
• The GR22: walkers can follow the trail linking the villages in stages, or cycle it; a passport is stamped in each village.
• Winter: it can snow on the Serra da Estrela from December to March, and some roads close.
• Documents: EU citizens only need a valid identity card. See getting to Portugal.

Variations

• Torre: the summit of the Serra da Estrela, almost two thousand metres up, the highest point in mainland Portugal; see Covilhã.
• The schist villages: a network of more than twenty schist villages between the Serra da Lousã and the Serra do Açor; see Lousã.
• The Templars: Tomar and Almourol castle; see the Templar itinerary.
• The Douro: from Castelo Rodrigo you can head down to the Côa valley and the Douro; see the Douro itinerary.

What to read before you go

José Saramago's Journey to Portugal, written after he travelled through these villages in the 1980s; for the history of Belmonte's Jews, a book on the crypto-Jews of Portugal. See also natural parks and Portuguese cuisine.

Final tips

• Pace: twelve villages in six days is a lot; if you have time, add a day and spend two nights in the same place.
• Combinations: from Monsanto you can link up with the Templar itinerary; from the Beira head south to the Alentejo castles itinerary.
• A tip: arrive in Marialva an hour before sunset and climb among the ruins of the citadel: the silence, the golden light on the granite and the swallows above the castle are worth the journey.

See also our other itineraries in Portugal.

Beira Interior on the map

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