Private Serra da Estrela Gastronomy & Snow Tour from Porto

(Optional Experience · Add-on)

In Pinhanços, tradition remains alive through a traditional Serra da Estrela cheesemaker who continues to work entirely by hand, following methods passed down through generations.

She began this craft in childhood, learning from her mother, and today represents one of the last guardians of this practice in the village, where nearly every household once produced cheese. Today, only two producers remain active.

With roots dating back to the Arab period, evidenced by Moorish burial remains, Pinhanços retains a discreet identity deeply connected to the land and pastoral life.

(Optional Experience · Add-on)

Seia is one of the main gateways to Serra da Estrela, where urban life blends naturally with the surrounding mountain landscape. The ascent to the site of the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation, formerly the location of Seia Castle, offers a privileged view over the town.

The Bread Museum presents a journey through the history, culture and symbolism of bread in Portugal, exploring the bread cycle from grain to table, including techniques, tools, social rituals and religious meanings.

Located at approximately 1,200 metres above sea level, Sabugueiro is officially the highest village in Portugal and an essential stop in Serra da Estrela.

Granite houses, local products and seasonal rhythms reflect a way of life shaped by altitude. Here, visitors may find Serra da Estrela cheese, traditional cured meats, local handicrafts and the imposing Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog, historic guardian of flocks and people.

You will marvel at the surrounding traditions and natural surroundings of this ancient village and must try the famous Serra cheese.

You can visit the river beach, the Ethnographic Museum, water mills, the Parish Church of Sabugueiro, among other beautiful and unique views this town has to offer.

Lagoa Comprida is one of the most emblematic landscapes of Serra da Estrela. In the 20th century, the construction of the dam transformed a small lagoon into the largest water reservoir in the mountain range.

Surrounded by high plateaus and silence, the lake offers a serene and expansive mountain setting.

(Optional · Hiking)
Carried out only if time allows and conditions are suitable.

Covão dos Conchos is one of the most distinctive places in Serra da Estrela. At first glance, it appears to be a mysterious natural formation: a large circular funnel set in the centre of a mountain lake.

In reality, it is a remarkable work of hydraulic engineering — a tunnel approximately 1.5 km long, built to channel the waters of the Ribeira das Naves into Lagoa Comprida. Access involves an optional hike of around 5 km (10 km round trip), through a high-altitude mountain environment.

At 1,993 metres, the Torre da Serra da Estrela is the highest point in mainland Portugal. In winter, it becomes one of the country’s most visited locations and hosts Portugal’s only ski resort.

Outside the cold season, wide views stretch across plateaus and glacial valleys and, on particularly clear days, the Atlantic Ocean may be visible on the horizon.

In the heart of Serra da Estrela lies the highest river beach in Portugal, located at approximately 1,400 metres above sea level, historically linked to transhumance and mountain pastures.

The Mondego River, the largest river entirely within Portugal, rises in Serra da Estrela at around 1,525 metres above sea level, beginning here its journey across the country towards the Atlantic.

Cabeça do Velho is one of the most distinctive rock formations in Serra da Estrela. Its natural profile resembles a human figure, adding a symbolic and almost mythical dimension to the landscape.

This is a natural rock formation that our brain, sees the face of an old man through a phenomenon called pareidolia.

The view has, of course, incited the locals' imagination and a folk legend was born.