Getting to the Summit
The
starting point for the climb of Poios Brancos lies on the
main road that crosses the
Estrela National Park. This road starts at the village of
Manteigas and finds it's way trough the
Zezere valley, where it finally starts a climb up to
Torre (1997m). When you follow this road (by car is easiest, but it can also be done by bike), at the end of the
Zezere valley (west side) the road makes
a sharp corner to the right (the first corner when the road is
gaining elevation), this is the point you should start. The description sounds a little vague, but since there are no other
sharp corners before it, it
simply cannot be missed. Another easy pinpoint is that in this corner a side road starts (to the south-east)
The location of the starting point for this route can also be seen as
point '1' on the map below.
From this point, start by following the road that starts in the corner of the main road. At your right hand you are able to see
the summit of
Poios Brancos at all time. It is as easy as heading towards it. There is
no main route leading towards the summit, since the ascent is not very steep you can
find your own way up. Getting up the hill requires about
one to two hours. From here it is impossible to miss the
granite outcrop that froms the
summit block of Poios Brancos. On top is a white tower-like structure of about
2 meters high that
marks the actual summit. Scramble your way up the granite summit block (many routes possible), this will take about 5 minutes. Now you have reached the summit:
Enjoy the great views!
D
escent is the same way back. Since there is no marked route you can find your own route down as well.
Serra da Estrela Map |
Maps and Practical Information
Zezere
When you go hiking in
Serra da Estrela it is very recommended that you are in the posession of a good
topographical map of the area. The
tourist information centres offer a good map:
1:50.000 Carta Turistica Serra da Estrela
Other options are:
-->1:50,000 Gouveia 17D,
-->Guarda 18C and/or Covilha 20C maps,
-->1:10,000 Viseu Fl17, Guarda Fl18, Covilha fl20,
-->1:200,000 Beiras Fl14 maps.
These are available from the
Instituto Geografico e Cadastral in
Lisbon or regional offices in Porto, Castelo Branco and Coimbra.
Manteigas: Starting Point
Manteigas
Manteigas is the village closest to Torre. It is possible to visit this nice town to eat or drink something, or to spend the night.
Some info on Manteigas:
It is located inside the Estrela Park and therefore closer to the mountains. It is located at an altitude of 700 meters at the end of the famous
Zezere valley, which is an ancient
glacial valley. From this mountain town you have great views over the Estrela mountains. Especially the view towards
Poios Brancos and the mighty
Cantaro Magro are beautiful.
The history of Manteigas dates from the pre-Christian era, but its first charter was granted in
1188 by King Sancho I. Obvious Typical shepherds jackets, wood carvings, tin work, sheep-skin items and granite carving are also among handicrafts that are a reflection of the past. Other flavours from the past and the mountains can be savoured in the roast kid, mountain style stew, bean stew trout, smoked sausages, whey cheese, Serra cheese, milk cakes and Crista cakes, "cavacas" (a kind of hard, sweet cake or biscuit) and "queijadas" (a type of cheese-cake).
Although somewhat further away:
Seia and Covilha are also good destinations when planning a trip to Torre.
How to get there
Access Map Portugal
Overview MAP
The main access routes by car are: (See Map at left)