The Serra da Estrela is the highest mountain range in mainland Portugal: its summit, Torre, reaches 1,993 metres (it is said King John VI had a stone tower built on it to reach 2,000 metres). It spans the districts of Guarda and Castelo Branco and is protected by the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, the country's largest, and since 2020 it has also been a UNESCO Global Geopark. Its rounded granite peaks bear the marks of glaciation: U-shaped valleys, lakes, erratic boulders and polished rocks.
The Zêzere valley and Manteigas
The most spectacular landscape is the Zêzere glacial valley, a long U-shaped valley carved by ice, between rock walls and meadows, followed by the road down from Torre to Manteigas. This mountain village in the heart of the range is the ideal base for hikes. Nearby are Covão d'Ametade, a meadow among birches at the source of the Zêzere, and Poço do Inferno, a waterfall in a wooded gorge.
Torre and the lakes
You can drive up to Torre: at the top are shops selling local produce and, in winter, Portugal's only ski resort, with a few runs. Along the road are glacial and artificial lakes, such as Lagoa Comprida, and curious rock formations such as Cântaro Magro. Winter snowfall draws thousands of Portuguese who come to see the snow. Sabugueiro, the highest village in Portugal, is known for mountain produce.
Cheese, shepherds and dogs
The range is a land of shepherds and bordaleira sheep: their milk, curdled with cardoon flower, makes queijo Serra da Estrela, Portugal's most famous cheese, with protected designation of origin, which when young has a creamy paste (amanteigado) eaten with a spoon. The flocks were guarded by the Estrela Mountain Dog, one of the oldest dog breeds in the Iberian Peninsula. The area also produces cured meats, honey and hand-woven wool blankets.
Getting there
The main gateways to the range are Covilhã, Seia, Gouveia, Manteigas and Guarda. They are about three hours from Lisbon by car (A23 or A25) or by train to Covilhã and Guarda. Mountain roads can close for snow in winter: check before setting out.