The human being is morphologically constituted to move. The physiological movement of our body while walking, the synergistic walking, induces “by itself” a pleasant sensation of physical well-being, initially, and emotional well-being soon afterwards. In the natural movement of our body while walking, there is the realization of part of what it exists for: to allow us to move.
What if, cumulatively with this natural appeal to walk, we manage to add the pleasantness of the spaces where we walk? And any unpredictability in the scenarios we see around us as we walk? What if we can walk together with someone we care about? And what if I told you, in case you didn't already know it, that walking, simply walking, through beautiful and challenging places, alone or in the company of a few friends, can be such a good experience that you won't forget?... and if you want to repeat once and again… again and again…? Well, you can enjoy walking whenever you want.
In this article I only intend to awaken your curiosity for some places that you (possibly) still don't know, for trails and routes still unknown (or not), for hikes not yet taken (or not).
We are in the middle of summer. The trails and pedestrian routes that I will show you below are much easier and more pleasant to do in less hot, milder weather. Spring and early summer are long gone... but late summer and autumn might be more pleasant times to do this.
What do you need to start a hike? Easy: physical availability, will and determination. But even if sometimes you don't feel like it, I ask you to appeal to your determination and start by taking the first step... and then another... and then another... and another... A few more steps in the middle of Nature, in a beautiful day, in good company, and you will see that everything around you (and in your head) will acquire another sense, another meaning. Everything - really everything - will reveal to you to be simpler, easier and more beautiful.
I live and move more easily and frequently in the Greater Porto area. So it is from here that I leave for the world of hiking. I will then start by proposing some trails and pedestrian routes that will be located nearby. And I will successively move away to other regions, even crossing the borders of Portugal.
So, read and take notes! And those who have already walked these trails, help me to present each one of them, sharing with me (and with us) your tips and comments.
SMALL ROUTE IN SERRA DE VALONGO
(PR 2 VLG – Trilhos dos Romanos (Roman Trails) – 5.8 km)
The park of "Serras do Porto" covers the mountains of Santa Justa, Pias, Castiçal, Santa Iria, Flores and Banjas, covering territories of Gondomar, Paredes and Valongo. There is a long route (GR 62, with 59 km) that runs through all these mountains, in a space close to urbanization but also surprising with rural landscapes with cultural and ethnographic heritage. It will be a route to cover in more than one day and with trails with a medium and high level of difficulty.

This Great Route (GR) can be divided into small routes (PR), leaving here as a suggestion the PR 2 VLG – Trilhos dos Romanos, a 5.8 km trail, with moderate difficulty and starting and ending at the Valongo environmental interpretation centre.
This route takes us through the mountain range of Santa Justa" and passes through the mining complexes that bear witness to the underground gold mining carried out by the Romans some 20 centuries ago, which, according to specialists, is the most extensive in the Roman Empire.
As on all routes, we must respect the fauna and flora that surrounds us, which include protected species that have their habitat here (examples: Lusitanian salamander and film fern).
Suggested links:
http://serrasdoporto.pt/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/VLG_DESD_PR-02_LR.pdf
http://serrasdoporto.pt/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/GRANDE-ROTA-62_DESD.pdf
https://www.valongoinoutdoor.pt/serras-do-porto
SMALL ROUTE IN PENAFIEL
(PR 2 PNF-GDM – Caminhos do Rio Mau (Paths of River Mau) - 8 km)
In the Penafiel region, along with the Route of the Romanesque, there are trails and routes to discover. I suggest the small route PR2 Penafiel Gondomar – Caminhos do Rio Mau. It is a circular route of approximately 8 km, starting at the Parque de Lazer do Rio Mau (Leisure Park of River Mau).
This route partially follows the river of the same name and has one of its highlights in “Poço Negro” (Black Pit), a small lagoon formed by the waters it receives from a clear waterfall. It serves as a brutal reward for those who arrive there, since this route has stages that require a certain amount of effort, balance and dexterity.
Suggested links:
https://pt.wikiloc.com/trilhas-trekking/pr2-pnf-gdm-caminhos-do-rio-mau-68610675
https://www.trilhosecaminhadas.com/threads/pnf-gdm-pr2-pelos-caminhos-de-rio-mau-com-visita-ao-poco-negro.5654/
SMALL ROUTE IN THE SERRA DE AROUCA
(PR 7 Arouca – Trilho das Escarpas de Mizarela (Mizarela Escarpment Trail) - 8 km)

Serra da Freita, in the Arouca area, is one of the most famous hiking destinations, thanks in large part to its walkways. We must not forget, however, the small route trails that take us through nature to waterfalls and breathtaking views.
An example of this is the small route PR 7 Arouca – Trilho das Escarpas de Mizarela, which offers us the highest waterfall in mainland Portugal, the "Frecha da Mizarela" waterfall, where the waters of the Caima river fall from more than 60 meters high. This circular route starts and ends at the Camping Park of Merujal, which is 8 km long, but of high difficulty and which requires you to go through steep slopes and very narrow sections.
Suggested links:
http://aroucageopark.pt/pt/explorar/o-que-fazer/percursos-pedestres/pr-7-nas-escarpas-da-mizarela/
https://pt.wikiloc.com/trilhas-trekking/pr7-nas-escarpas-da-mizarela-arouca-1013157
https://www.viajarentreviagens.pt/portugal/trilho-da-frecha-da-mizarela-pr7/
SMALL ROUTE IN SERRA DO GERÊS
(PR 9 Poços Verdes (Green Pits) – Trilho das 7 Lagoas (7 Lagoons Trail) - Xertelo - 12 km)

In Gerês mountain range, there are many trails that present us with stunning landscapes, waterfalls and lakes that make us jump in (but with prior precautions!) and allow us to be in contact with nature that ‘cleanses our soul’.
It is here that we find one of my favorite trails, the small route PR 9 Poços Verdes - Trilho das 7 Lagoas – Xertelo. This is a route of 12 km, starting and ending in the village of Xertelo, belonging to Montalegre.
The trail follows a riverbank, between cliffs and channels that lead us to the ex-libris of the route: the 7 lagoons. They are a delight for the eyes, but also invigorating for the sweaty and exhausted bodies after the walk. A bath in these clear waters is the perfect way to recharge your energy so that you can easily start the journey back to the starting point.
Suggested links:
https://www.vagamundos.pt/trilho-das-7-lagoas-geres/
https://pt.wikiloc.com/trilhas-trekking/pr9-mtr-trilho-dos-pocos-verdes-33366727
SMALL ROUTE IN SERRA DA ESTRELA
(PR 13 Manteigas - Trilho da Rota das Faias (Beeches Route Trail) - 5.5 km)

Another mountain that is well worth a visit, in any season of the year, is "Serra da Estrela" (Estrela mountain range). And if you only went there thinking about the snow, here's the 'little push' to visit it in milder weather, since this region of valleys and mountains, waterfalls and river beaches, has everything to enchant us.
"Serra da Estrela" Natural Park has several trails and routes, not all of which can be done on foot or without mountaineering equipment, with a wide range of options. The small route PR 13 Manteigas - Rota das Faias Trail is a route to be planned for the autumn so that we can fully appreciate the colors with which nature is painted in the dense beech forest through which this trail passes. It's an easy route of just 5.5 km, with only one part being more physically demanding due to the steepness, which starts and ends at Cruz das Jugadas, close to Manteigas.
Suggested links:
https://manteigastrilhosverdes.com/portfolio_page/faias/
https://pt.wikiloc.com/trilhas-trekking/pr13-manteigas-rota-das-faias-serra-da-estrela-20806892
https://iremviagem.com/2022/11/13/rota-das-faias-serra-da-estrela/
SMALL ROUTE BETWEEN PRAIA DA LUZ AND LAGOS, IN THE ALGARVE
(Rota Vicentina – part of the Trilho dos Pescadores (Fishermen's Trail) – 11 km)

Heading south now, I can't help but suggest the possibility of exploring wonderful beaches and coastal landscapes with breathtaking cliffs.
The stage of this long and beautiful trail that I propose to you is the one that connects Praia da Luz to Lagos, passing by Ponta da Piedade through the cliffs that connect it to Praia do Camilo and Praia de Porto Mós. These small routes are part of a Great Route - the Rota Vicentina - which allows you to cover its entire length, from São Torpes to Lagos, for a total of 226 km, always following the Alentejo and Algarve coast, hence its name " Fishermen's Trail", as it always follows along the sea along paths used by locals and fishermen.
Suggested links:
https://rotavicentina.com/
https://www.viajarentreviagens.pt/portugal/trilho-da-praia-da-luz-a-lagos-ponta-da-piedade-praia-dos-estudantes/
SMALL ROUTE IN LA FREGENEDA, SPAIN, A FEW KM FROM THE BORDER
(Camino de Hierro (Railway) - 17 km)
This is my next project! There's still almost a month to go… but I'm already quite excited!
On the other side of the border there is a fantastic work to make use of the abandoned railway line between La Fregeneda (in Spain) and Barca d'Alva (in Portugal). With the name of "Camino de Hierro", this is the trail of tunnels and bridges on the Douro line on Arribas do Douro Natural Park, which is considered a “Biosphere Reserve”, since 2015. The 10 bridges and 20 tunnels that constitute this trail were rehabilitated and opened to the public in 2021, with a course of 17 km long and accompanied by breathtaking panoramic landscapes. The route accompanies the flow of the Águeda river, which is a tributary of the Douro river. In addition to the stagnant landscape, we must also be attentive to the masterpiece of industrial and railway engineering that we can see along the way, now on foot, and that has been an important mean of communication between the two countries.
Suggested links:
https://www.caminodehierro.es/
https://youtu.be/E-s9mWLYecU?feature=shared
THE WAY OF ST. JAMES ("Camino de Santiago")
Caminho Central Português (Portuguese Central Way - 650 km from Lisbon, 240 km from Porto)
Caminho Português da Costa (Portuguese Coastal Way - 280 km from Porto)
Caminho Português do Interior (Portuguese Interior Way - 387 km from Viseu)
Caminho Francês (French Way - about 800 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port)
It will be for many, 'The Way' or 'The Way of the ways'. For its length, for its history of several centuries, for its mystical significance.
The Way of St. James or "Camino de Santiago" is an itinerary with spiritual roots, considered a Human Heritage, which is based on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, in the northwest of Spain (and up north of Portugal). In good truth, there are several routes with a single destination, but there are several places of departure and several paths possible.
These paths require a very careful physical preparation, especially because they are so long that you will have to travel several days. But they also require a good mental preparation and a level of resilience that many consider it to be a turning point in their lives.

Since the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the last stop for most pilgrims, many of those who have already made 'the way' say that more than the destination, what matters is the journey, the path… And many times – always, I would say – this is an interior way, a way that each pilgrim takes individually, even if he or she travels these paths, mountains and valleys, in the company of others.
Of these various routes, I highlight: (i) the Portuguese Central Way (about 650 km), starting in Lisbon and passing through Porto, crossing the border in Valença, (ii) the Portuguese Coastal Way (about 280 km), which starts in Porto and also crosses the border in Valença, (iii) the Portuguese Interior Way (387 km), which starts in Viseu and crosses the border in Verín, and (iv) the French Way (about 800 km). km), the most internationally known.
The French Way has four main routes, which are today considered European Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Three of these routes (Paris-Tours, Vézelay-Limoges and Le Puy-Conques) converge in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the French town where most pilgrims begin their "Camino", entering Spain via Roncesvalles. The fourth route (Arles-Toulouse), known as the “Aragonese Way”, enters Spain through the port of Samport and joins the route that leaves Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port at Puente de la Reina.
On the roads to Santiago, signs for pilgrims are made with yellow arrows, designed in a very characteristic way, not infrequently accompanied by the design of a shell or scallop, symbol of the path and the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
Suggested links:
Portuguese Coastal Way: http://www.caminhoportuguesdacosta.com/pt
Portuguese Central and Coastal Ways: www.caminhoportuguesdesantiago.eu
Portuguese Interior Way: https://cpisantiago.org/
French Way: https://www.caminodesantiago.gal/pt/planifique/os-itinerarios/caminho-frances
French Way: https://www.vagamundos.pt/caminho-frances-de-santiago/
Various paths to Santiago de Compostela: https://www.caminodesantiago.gal/pt/planifique/os-itinerarios/
Excited about these possibilities of discovering the world while walking? Well, there are many, many more trails beyond those that I've briefly presented… And there are some important safety recommendations that I didn't mention in this article – I'll do it in the next one – but which it's essential to know before setting off on the adventure.
Finally... do you remember what I wrote above as being the key to starting a walk?
«…physical availability, will and determination...»,
«… start by taking the first step… and then one more… and then another… and another…»,
«… you will see that everything around you (and in your head) will acquire another meaning, another meaning. Everything – but really everything – will appear simpler, easier and more beautiful to you.”
Do you need additional information or clarification? Do you want to join a small group of ‘hikers’ who regularly set out to discover new trails across this country and around the world?
Then don't hesitate to contact me:
Marco Moura Marques
+351 967 035 966
marco@moramarques.pt
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