Pilgrim Trails, Castle Towns, and Douro Valley Vineyards
Hiker’s Journey to Portugal
Overview
In Portugal’s varied rural landscapes, our hikes bring us into the craggy Serra da Estrela mountains, through Douro wine country, across the fragrant forests of Peneda-Gerês National Park, and along part of the ancient Camino Portugués pilgrim trail. Along the way, we’ll taste wines in a family-owned quinta, explore 13th century castle towns, take an incredibly scenic train ride along the Douro River past age-old vineyards, and, of course, try the velvety port wines. Our lodging is a delight, including a converted wine warehouse in picturesque Pinhão, a restored mansion on the Lima River, and a spa hotel set among the verdant Galician hills of Melgaço.
Arrive: Porto, Portugal
Depart: Porto, Portugal
Highlights
- Hike on the Camino Portugués, the famed medieval pilgrim trail to Santiago de Compostela
- Meet a Douro Valley vintner, ride the Linha do Douro (Portugal’s historic river-hugging train), visit medieval Guimarães, discover castle-topped towns
- Taste delicious port wines and vinhos verdes
- Enjoy unique lodgings that reflect the character and heritage of the region
Itinerary
Arriving in Porto, our first hike takes us down a glacial valley through rich grazing pastures that sustain the local hardy sheep. Another hike leads through forests in Serra da Estrela Natural Park.
In castle-topped Belmonte, our explorations include the Jewish Quarter, dating to the 13th century, and we take a scenic rail journey along the Douro to the wine town of Pinhão. In the Douro Valley, we hike through vineyards, taste wines at a family-run estate, and take a boat ride.
After exploring medieval Guimarães, Portugal’s first capital, we hike along the Lima River right to our hotel in the pilgrim town of Ponte da Barca, with its arched 15th century stone bridge. The next day we hike a pilgrim route to the splendid Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Peneda, a 19th century hilltop church. To approach the sanctuary, we ascend the “staircase of virtues,” lined on either side by chapels.
On the trails of Peneda-Gerês National Park, we’ll probably see no one else, except perhaps a herder and his castro laboreiro (Portuguese watchdog). Another hike follows an ancient pilgrim route to the Nossa Senhora da Peneda church, after which we head to the lovely town of Ponte de Lima.
Our last hike is on the Camino Portugués, used by pilgrims going to Santiago de Compostela since medieval times. Our trail brings us through forest and orchards, ending with a lunch hosted by the Count of Calheiros in his mansion. We finish in Porto, with a festive Farewell Dinner accompanied by a live show of soulful fado music. Depart on Day 10.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated a Level 3+, Moderate, according to our trip grading system. You will need to be comfortable hiking 8.5 miles a day and being on your feet for up to 7 hours a day. Trail conditions, weather, and the group's level of fitness can affect hiking times and pacing.
Average Hiking Day
Review Trip Level Details
Average Hiking Day
- 6 miles
- 3-4 hours
- 1,100-1,200 feet gain/loss
- Day 6 - 9.5 miles, 6.5-7.5 hours, and 3,000 feet gain/1,500 feet loss
Despite its small size, Portugal packs in a lot of varied scenery and rich history. Our hikes guide us through picturesque slate villages in the Serra da Lousã, the scenic Zêzere Valley, pilgrimage routes in the Peneda-Gerês National Park, and vineyards of the famous Douro Valley. Some trails have wide, gravely paths with moderate elevation change and some have steep, narrow, and uneven terrain involving downhill sections over loose scree.
Temperatures are generally mild in Portugal, reaching the mid-70s°F during the day in most locations on the trip. When we are in the mountains, daytime temperatures can be slightly cooler, and nighttime temperatures are typically in the 50s°F. April is the start of the dry season, but rain and cool weather are always a possibility, so raingear and warm layers are necessary items to carry with you on every hike.
The hotels we’ve chosen are charming, well located, and comfortable, and include a hotel with a spa, a converted pilgrimage hostel, a revamped wine warehouse, and a lovely restored mansion. Since they are in historic buildings, the rooms are not always of uniform or international size. Our leaders do their best to assign rooms in a fair way so that all participants experience an equal advantage throughout the trip as a whole. Single rooms can be requested but are not always available, due to the limited space in the hotels. If you prefer a single room, please make your request as early as possible.
Portugal has excellent cuisine. Portuguese specialties include locally-caught octopus, sardines, bacalhau (salted cod, said to be prepared in 365 different ways!), and vinho verde (green wine). Lunches are taken at local restaurants or hotels or served picnic-style during one of our hikes. Dinners will be at the hotel or a local restaurant and are accompanied by local wines, and we’ll become connoisseurs and ambassadors of Portugal’s distinguished products! Please note that in Europe, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the US. We do our best to secure early reservations for our groups, but most often the evening meal will be at 7:30 pm.
Our van will transport the group's luggage, so you only need to carry a daypack for items you need during the day (rain gear, sweater, camera, water bottle, etc.). Trip members are always free to skip a day's hike and travel to the next destination in the support vehicle (or remain at the hotel if we are not transferring that day).
Client Testimonials
"This was a very enjoyable trip that provided interesting cultural features as well as a good range of challenging hikes."
Allan C.
Chapel Hill, NC
"The perfect amount of hiking, cultural immersion, and comfort—having a bus whenever tired feet needed it was great!"
Anna K.
Northfield, IL
"Portugal is a lovely destination and we very much enjoyed the trip."
Becky Z.
Northfield, MN
"I feel like I truly experienced the countryside of Portugal. Especially satisfying were the small villages that I couldn't even find on a map."
Carol C.
Natick, MA
"A well-designed itinerary with varied trails, exposure to different areas of northern Portugal, great lodging choices, excellent food, superb leaders. Great food and wine, too!"
David F.
West Stockbridge, MA
"This is a comprehensive, well-designed, and expertly executed journey through Portugal. It provides beautiful hikes, unique experiences, and interesting insights into this enchanting country."
Diana R.
Laguna Beach, CA
"The varied and interesting itinerary, the cultural and historical experience, the excellent guides (incluing the local guides), the food and accommodations came together for a rich and overall pleasurable experience."
Edith Z.
Boulder, CO
"It was a very satisfying blend of substantive hiking in interesting, off-beat locales and cultural activities that provided a glimpse into the people and life of the country."
Ellen R.
New York, NY
"This trip was amazing! One of the best. The varied hikes, accommodations and foods was like having a new surprise around every corner!"
Joni H.
Evergreen, CO
"This was one of the best designed WT trips I have ever taken, with a great balance of hiking and cultural experiences."
Kitty L.
Chicago, IL
"I love Wilderness Travel and how the hikes are arranged and led by the local guides. It gives me an in-depth experience of the country in ways that are delightful and memorable. I love the beautiful country we covered and feeling so safe and cared for (and pampered!) all along the way. Many people love coming to Portugal these days, but I feel like I got the best of Portugal by being out on the trail with our guides and the rest of our group."
Mary G.
Redwood City, CA
"Another wonderful Wilderness Travel trip, with hidden gems in the rural countryside and well thought out touches at every turn. Full of pleasant surprises!"
Michael M.
Madison, NJ
"Wilderness Travel is good at what they do. This was my third trip with you and I was not disappointed. The destinations, sights (especially the countryside), tours, hikes, and other activities were great, as were the accommodations and meals. I particularly appreciated the fact that all the guides were local to the area and they shared their love of their homeland and its natural beauty, its people, and its culture."
Molly S.
San Carlos, CA
"This was my first Wilderness Travel adventure and what a rich, enlightening, varied, educational, fun experience it was. Every aspect was managed to the detail and the trip was perfectly balanced with an emphasis on hiking but so many additional learning, cultural, and historical opportunities. It was one of the best trips of my lifetime and I have been on ~20 active, adventure trips with other organizations. I am a huge fan of Wilderness Travel. I especially enjoyed and appreciated the quality and challenge of the hikes and in particular our guide David. Great job! Great company! Amazing experience."
Pam F.
Hermosa Beach, CA
"A good variety of experiences—cultural, social, culinary, nature—that allowed an excellent introduction to northern Portugal."
Patricia M.
Asheville, NC
"The leaders were terrific...experienced, caring, organized, able to adjust as necessary and to accommodate widely varying tastes. The trip was well organized and closely followed the promised program. "
Patricia W.
Norfolk, VA
"Really good trip with a nice balance of hiking and culture."
Polly V.
Chapel Hill, NC
"Georgia is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking, and the hiking was the right level of challenge. The food was fabulous, especially some of the home-cooked/friend-cooked meals we enjoyed. It was a great opportunity to learn about Georgian culture and history and what makes them unique."
Wendy F.
Afton, VA
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Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult.