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 rustic former pilgrims' hostel in a lovely rural setting.
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, including a renovated pilgrim's rest house
Itinerary
Starting in Porto, we head to the Serra da Estrela mountains to hike the Trilhos Verdes (“green trails”) into forested glacial valleys. We’ll visit the medieval Jewish Quarter in castle-topped Belmonte, take a scenic train ride to the wine town of Pinhão, then hike through vineyards in the Douro Valley, with a tasting at a family-run estate and a boat ride along the tranquil Douro.
After a visit to the medieval gem of Guimarães, Portugal’s first capital city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, our hikes take us along the Lima River and up to the revered sanctuary at Peneda. 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). One hike follows an ancient pilgrimage route used to this day by the Portuguese for religious festivals.
Our last hike is on the Camino Portugués, which has brought pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela since medieval times. This historic path brings us through forest and past orchards and we’ll enjoy a barbecue lunch along the way. We end in the historic quarter of Porto, listening to soulful fado songs before our Farewell Dinner. 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
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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.