Your itinerary
Day 1
Adventure begins in the medieval town of Belmonte
Begin the adventure in Belmonte, a granite-built town beneath the Serra da Estrela with a 13th-century castle and deep Sephardic Jewish heritage.
The group transfer from Lisbon Airport should arrive around 5pm (depending on traffic), providing a little time to settle in or take a first look around the town before we meet as a group.
Around 6.30pm, say olá to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.
Your tour leader then ensures a big Portuguese welcome by arranging a group dinner.
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Meals: Dinner
Day 2
Hike from the boulder homes of Monsanto to Idanha a Velha • Enjoy an expert-led olive oil tasting
Drive (one hour) to Monsanto, a wonderfully unique hilltop village where centuries-old homes incorporate the giant granite boulders that populate the slopes.
Starting high on the hill, we follow the Rota dos Barrocais past some of the village’s iconic buildings, before descending through cork oak woodlands, weaving between massive, individually named granite boulders.
We’ll then cut through the traditional villages of Afonseanes and Amial, before our final stretch follows the gentle Ponsul River, crossing a bridge first built during the rule of Roman emperor Augustus to enter the historic village of Idanha-a-Velha.
Upon arrival, follow our tour leader for a guided tour of the village. We then visit Egitânia olive grove for an expertly led tasting and introduction to olive oil production.
Returning to Belmonte, we stop in walled Sortelha, where our tour leader leads us on a short walk among granite houses and castle walls.
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Meals: Breakfast,Lunch
Day 3
Cross into Spain • Follow rural tracks to San Martín de Trevejo
We cross the border into Spain today, transferring (approximately 1hr 30min) to the village of Eljas, one of only three communities where fala, a locally rooted Romance language, is spoken.
Here, today’s picturesque trail begins. Leaving the village, rural tracks climb between olive groves and dry-stone walls into Pyrenean oak woodland. Reaching our highest point for today, Puerto de San Martín pass, at close to 3,280ft (1,000m) above sea level, we descend on a stone-paved route through chestnut woods to the village of San Martín de Trevejo.
Here, water channels thread between timber-framed houses before our walk ends at our accommodation for the next two nights: Hospedería Conventual Sierra de Gata, a 15th-century convent transformed into a spa hotel.
The afternoon is free to explore independently and enjoy the hotel facilities.
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Meals: Breakfast,Lunch
Day 4
Walk through Villamiel • Climb to Trevejo Castle
Today’s hike begins at our hotel, as we walk into San Martín de Trevejo to see the Fuente Chafaril before joining the Camino del Payo. The trail climbs above the village, opening views across the Sierra de Gata, then descends between dry-stone walls to Villamiel.
Passing through the historic centre, we see the 16th-century Church of Santa María Magdalena and stone houses bearing carved coats of arms. We then leave the village through vegetable plots, vineyards, olive groves and chestnut trees.
After crossing the Arroyo de los Lagares stream, the final ascent follows an old stone path through granite country to Trevejo. Crowning the hamlet are the ruins of its castle, where we finish with far-reaching views across the mountains. The surviving keep dates from the period when military orders controlled this frontier territory.
After a 15-minute transfer back to the hotel, the afternoon is free to revisit San Martín or enjoy the hotel facilities.
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Meals: Breakfast,Lunch
Day 5
Explore the village of Castelo Mendo • Hike with a rewilding expert in Ermo das Águias
Return to Portugal and drive (one hour) to the medieval village of Castelo Mendo, where our tour leader shows us the highlights.
After, we continue (30 minutes) to the village of Vale de Madeira, the start point of today’s nature-focussed hike in the Ermo das Águias nature reserve. To enhance our experience, we’re joined by an expert from Rewilding Portugal, who will share their deep knowledge of the region’s flora and fauna and the on-the-ground impact of their rewilding project.
The hike itself begins along a rural track, before turning onto a dirt path descending toward the Gaiteiros Stream. Crossing through the Ermo das Águias entrance gate, the route transitions into a network of moderate trails winding through a rugged landscape. Along the way, we keep our eyes peeled for a herd of semi-wild Sorraia horses.
After the hike, we drive (one hour) to our final base: Longroiva, where we have free time to explore. In the evening, you could join an optional guided visit to the prehistoric rock art of Foz Côa, thought to be 25,000-30,000 years old.
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Meals: Breakfast,Lunch
Day 6
Follow the Camino de Hierro through tunnels and across bridges
Today, we hike the Camino de Hierro, a spectacular route set within the Arribes del Duero Natural Park in Salamanca, Spain. Renowned for its bold engineering, the route traverses 20 historic tunnels and 10 iron bridges, blending industrial heritage with untamed nature.
We begin at La Fregeneda’s former station, following the old railway through almond, olive and oak country. Within the first 0.6mi (1km), we enter Tunnel 1, the route’s longest at more than 0.9mi (1.5km), carefully crossing its sleepers and gravel (remember to bring your head torches today!).
Beyond the tunnel, the railway descends into a gorge, clinging to sheer cliffs and crossing the Pisco, Morgado and curved San Antonio bridges. The skies are populated by protected raptors, including griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures and golden eagles, while black storks nest in the sheer rock crevices.
The middle section alternates between dark tunnels and exposed ledges, while Tunnel 3 protects one of Europe’s largest breeding colonies of bent-wing bats, so we need to bypass that during summer (adding 0.6mi/1km of hiking).
The route ends at Vega Terrón, where we transfer (one hour) back to Longroiva for our final evening together.
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Meals: Breakfast,Lunch
Day 7
Adventure ends in Longroiva
You’ve walked from boulder-built Monsanto to Roman-rooted Idanha-a-Velha, explored Ermo das Águias with a rewilding expert and followed a railway through tunnels above the Águeda River, but now it’s time to begin your return journey home.
Alternatively, if you’d like to extend your adventure, speak to your sales representative to discuss our large range of extension options.
Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Food
Food traditions shift as we travel through the borderlands. Around Monsanto, Idanha-a-Velha, Belmonte and Sortelha, regional cooking draws on local sheep and goat cheeses, game and dishes prepared with Beira lamb or goat. Near Castelo Mendo, Pinhel and Ermo das Águias, look out for smoked sausages, game, local olive oil and wines from the Beira Interior region. Further north, around Longroiva and the Côa Valley, Douro influences become more prominent, with freshwater fish and meat dishes accompanied by Douro wines and port.
Vegetarian and most standard dietary requirements can be managed. More complex requirements may require advance coordination due to the rural nature of the area so please make sure to let us know of dietary requirements at the time of booking.
Castelo Mendo Medieval Village Walk
Visit Castelo Mendo, a fortified hilltop village where concentric walls encircle narrow lanes and stone-built homes. Enter through a medieval gate to find quiet squares, rustic granaries and centuries-old churches shaped by frontier life.
Hear how customs posts and border vigilance defined this community, and pause by the granite stone pillory—a symbol of local authority in Portugal’s interior. The setting distils the character of the Raya’s watchful past.
Ermo das Águias Rewilding Hike with Expert
Explore Ermo das Águias on foot as you join a rewilding expert to read the landscape’s returning rhythms. Paths dip toward the Gaiteiros stream through scrub oak, broom and granite outcrops alive with birdsong.
Along the way, watch for semi-wild Sorraia horses and tauros cattle shaping habitats through natural grazing, and learn to identify native flora that thrives in this mosaic of Iberian habitats. Conservation comes to life in the field.
Camino de Hierro Railway Trail Hike
Hike the Camino de Hierro through the Arribes del Duero Natural Park, crossing 20 tunnels and 10 iron bridges clinging to cliffs above the Águeda gorge. Old sleepers and cuttings reveal 19th-century engineering amid wild river scenery.
Carry a torch for the long first tunnel and pause where raptors—griffon and Egyptian vultures—spiral on thermals while black storks nest in rock crevices. Industrial heritage and raw canyon drama combine on one unforgettable traverse.
Côa Valley Prehistoric Rock Art Guided Visit
Visit the Côa Valley Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape preserving Europe’s greatest concentration of open-air Palaeolithic engravings. Guides illuminate aurochs, horses and ibex incised into schist panels along the river terraces.
This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour. Travelling from Longroiva, learn how artists working 25,000–12,000 years ago used stone tools and natural contours to animate herds across the valley walls—an extraordinary dialogue between Ice Age minds and modern eyes.
Portuguese Welcome Dinner in Belmonte
Taste the borderland’s terroir as you meet your tour leader and travelling companions over a convivial dinner in Belmonte. Expect country cooking shaped by the Serra da Estrela: artisan cheeses, slow-cooked lamb or goat, and Biera Interior wines, shared in a friendly local setting near the hilltop castle.
Gain a first feel for Belmonte’s Sephardic Jewish heritage and mountain atmosphere while your leader outlines the days ahead. It’s a relaxed introduction to the frontier’s flavours and stories, perfect for comparing notes and planning tomorrow’s walks.
Monsanto Boulder Trails Hike to Idanha-a-Velha
Hike the Rota dos Barrocais from the boulder-built Monsanto heights into a landscape of cork oak, granite tors and herb-scented paths. The route winds between colossal stones and farm hamlets, opening wide views across the Beira Interior.
Approaching the Ponsul valley, stride toward a crossing aligned with a bridge first laid out under Emperor Augustus, entering peaceful Idanha-a-Velha. This varied descent blends geology, traditional agriculture and classical echoes in one rewarding point-to-point walk.
Idanha-a-Velha Walking Tour & Egitânia Olive Oil Tasting
Explore Roman Egitânia at Idanha-a-Velha with your leader, tracing layers from milestones and walls to a Visigothic cathedral adapted across centuries. Quiet lanes and granite arches reveal the rise and retreat of empires on the Portugal–Spain frontier.
Continue to Egitânia’s groves to learn professional olive oil tasting techniques—assessing fruit, bitterness and peppery finish—while hearing how local soils and climate shape each press. It’s cultural archaeology and living agriculture in one flavorful stop.
Sortelha Walled Village Walk
Walk the cobbled lanes of walled Sortelha, where granite houses cluster beneath ramparts and alleys twist toward the castle rock. Photogenic viewpoints frame serrated ridgelines and the pale tones of the Beira Interior.
Climb to the hilltop castle to read the landscape as medieval sentries once did, scanning old routes between valleys and passes. Your leader’s commentary brings frontier life into focus amid weathered stone and timeless silence.
Eljas to San Martín de Trevejo Mountain Trail
Follow ancient stone paths from Eljas, one of the few villages where the fala language still rings out, climbing between olive terraces and dry-stone walls. The route crests the Puerto de San Martín for big-sky views over the Sierra de Gata.
Descend beneath chestnut canopies to San Martín de Trevejo, where water channels thread between timber-framed houses. The walk fuses living traditions with mountain scenery, finishing at the village’s historic quarters.
Villamiel Heritage Walk & Trevejo Castle Ascent
Walk village-to-village through orchards and stone-walled lanes, pausing in Villamiel’s historic core to note heraldic facades and the Church of Santa María Magdalena. Trails then rise through granite country toward Trevejo’s rocky spur.
Gain the ruins of Trevejo Castle, a frontier stronghold of medieval military orders, and scan ridges and passes used by watchmen for centuries. It’s a blend of gentle ascent, history-rich hamlets and wide Sierra de Gata panoramas.
