Typically, days range between 7-20km and involve significant ascent and descent over rugged terrain.
The season for this holiday is:
01 April 2025 - 14 July 2025
20 August 2025 - 31 October 2025
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| °C | 12 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 20 | 15 | 13 |
| mm | 166 | 157 | 119 | 104 | 90 | 48 | 16 | 23 | 66 | 132 | 161 | 170 |
We can only accept payment in GBP, but you can use this converter to find out how much the holiday equates to in your own currency.
7 nights: 01 April 2025 - 14 July 2025 & 20 August 2025 - 31 October 2025
Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above
| Starting | Price | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr - 14 Jun 2025 | £1085 | £345 |
| 15 Jun - 7 Jul 2025 | £1125 | £375 |
| 20 Aug - 12 Sep 2025 | £1180 | £410 |
| 13 - 30 Sep 2025 | £1100 | £355 |
| 1 - 24 Oct 2025 | £1005 | £325 |
| 3rd & 4th person discount | -£94 | |
| Single traveller supplement | £94 |
Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.
Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.
Room upgrades (£ per person per night)
| Hotel Ribeira Collection, Arcos de Valdevez | ||
|---|---|---|
| Panoramic: 01 Apr - 14 Jul 2025 | £10 | |
| Panoramic: 20 Aug - 31 Oct 2025 | £10 |
| Hotel Águas do Gerês, Gerês | ||
|---|---|---|
| Suite: 01 Apr - 14 Jul 2025 | £26 | |
| Suite: 20 Aug - 31 Oct 2025 | £26 | |
| Superior: 01 Apr - 14 Jul 2025 | £9 | |
| Superior: 20 Aug - 31 Oct 2025 | £9 |
| Hotel São Bento da Porta Aberta, Rio Caldo | ||
|---|---|---|
| Suite: 01 Apr - 14 Jul 2025 | £10 | |
| Suite: 20 Aug - 31 Oct 2025 | £10 | |
| Superior: 01 Apr - 14 Jul 2025 | £6 | |
| Superior: 20 Aug - 31 Oct 2025 | £6 |
Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room
| Hotel Ribeira Collection, Arcos de Valdevez (B&B) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Apr - 14 Jul 2025 | £70 | £140 |
| 20 Aug - 31 Oct 2025 | £70 | £140 |
| Pousada Mosteiro Amares, Santa Maria do Bouro (B&B) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Apr - 14 Jul 2025 | £88 | £176 |
| 20 Aug - 31 Oct 2025 | £88 | £176 |
Travelling from the UK
If you are flying from outside Europe, we recommend flying via Porto or Lisbon. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen - Porto (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Aberdeen - Porto (via Paris CDG) | Air France, KLM |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Birmingham - Porto | Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Bristol - Porto | easyJet, Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Edinburgh - Porto | Ryanair |
| Edinburgh - Porto (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Edinburgh - Porto (via Barcelona) | Vueling |
| Edinburgh - Porto (via Geneva) | easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Glasgow - Porto | easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Leeds Bradford - Porto (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Liverpool - Porto | Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Gatwick - Porto | British Airways, easyJet, TAP Air Portugal |
| Gatwick - Porto (via Geneva) | easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Heathrow - Porto | British Airways, TAP Air Portugal |
| Heathrow - Porto (via Lisbon) | TAP Air Portugal |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Luton - Porto | easyJet, Wizz Air |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Stansted - Porto | Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Manchester - Porto | easyJet, Ryanair |
| Manchester - Porto (via Brussels) | Brussels Airlines |
| Manchester - Porto (via Frankfurt) | Lufthansa |
| Manchester - Porto (via Lisbon) | TAP Air Portugal |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Newcastle - Porto (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Newcastle - Porto (via Brussels) | Brussels Airlines |
| Newcastle - Porto (via Paris CDG) | KLM |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Norwich - Porto (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
If you are flying from outside Europe, we recommend flying via Porto or Lisbon. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.
This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service. Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.
Connecting travel options - flying via Porto
| Outward route | Price per person |
Latest flight arrival time |
|---|---|---|
| coach Porto airport to Arcos de Valdevez (1h50) | £20-£21 | 1600 (1430 Sat & Sun) |
| direct taxi Porto airport to hotel (1h10) | £62-£64 | flexible |
| Homeward route | Price per person |
Earliest flight departure time |
|---|---|---|
| bus Amares to Braga bus station (0h40, pay locally), bus Braga to Porto airport (0h50, pay locally) | pay locally | 1230 |
| taxi hotel to Braga bus station (0h40), bus Braga to Porto airport (0h50, pay locally) | £46-£48 | 1230 |
| direct taxi hotel to Porto airport (1h10) | £81-£84 | flexible |
If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?
We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >
Ancient paths through glorious wooded mountains. Hospitable people and friendly hotels, with a great finish at a converted monastery. Plenty of ups and downs meant that we could eat our generous meals with pleasure in the evenings. Wine extremely good value - most I'd never seen at home.
High Paths of Northern Portugal was a challenging and beautiful experience. The first two days were heavy rainfall days, but this did not lessen our enjoyment of the path and what we could see of the scenery. They last four days of better weather were wondrous. We were glad to have good hiking gear and especially poles.
The accommodations were great. All different and unique, comfortable and cozy. I would definitely recommend this itinerary if you are fairly fit and like a hiking challenge. It had beautiful views and interesting sights, as well as cows, horses and the occasional sheep or goat. We were very happy with our choice!
A challenging but very rewarding trip walking across a diverse landscape of mountains and woodland paths. Some of the old paved paths could get pretty slippery when wet and we relied heavily on our walking poles.
The beautiful cachena cows were very gentle despite their ferocious looking horns.
Ancient paths through glorious wooded mountains. Hospitable people and friendly hotels, with a great finish at a converted monastery. Plenty of ups and downs meant that we could eat our generous meals with pleasure in the evenings. Wine extremely good value - most I'd never seen at home.
High Paths of Northern Portugal was a challenging and beautiful experience. The first two days were heavy rainfall days, but this did not lessen our enjoyment of the path and what we could see of the scenery. They last four days of better weather were wondrous. We were glad to have good hiking gear and especially poles.
The accommodations were great. All different and unique, comfortable and cozy. I would definitely recommend this itinerary if you are fairly fit and like a hiking challenge. It had beautiful views and interesting sights, as well as cows, horses and the occasional sheep or goat. We were very happy with our choice!
A challenging but very rewarding trip walking across a diverse landscape of mountains and woodland paths. Some of the old paved paths could get pretty slippery when wet and we relied heavily on our walking poles.
The beautiful cachena cows were very gentle despite their ferocious looking horns.
A. Communication with the UK. Your UK office is not very responsive. We had two causes to contact you - one about having an earlier departure time and the second about the fact that the Soajo property was in a state and the managers/owners did not know we were coming/no food in the place. In both cases your agents promised to call back with a resolution and in both cases they did not call me. In the end, I called the trasport company and the manager at my expense and only was only to communicate with the transport company as I speak Spanish. You need to follow-up when you say you will.
B. Timings of walks. We happened to hit a mini-heat wave and the srtart times of the walks are not really early enough in the day to avoid walking in much nhigher temperatures from say around 14:00 onwards. Strongly suggest you start the walks at say 8:00 as standard rather than 9:30 which often means only being dropped off by 10 or 10:15 - it is too hot to start a six hour hie at this time of day.
C. Duty of care. In Geres the forest fires were getting worse and there was a lot of smoke and haze in the air. The fires were on the naitonal TV channels 24/7 and we found out from the hotel about walking restrictions. In spite of this situaiton we heard absolutely nothing from you at Inn Travel in the UK about the situation. Given that you are providing this kind of package, at a cost, I woud suggest that you are more on top of the fire situation and at least send an email or a text with some advice. The forest fires in Portugal were in the UK media (BBC etc.) so I am sure your staff with responsility for Portugal must have known about them.
The highlights were walking in the Gerês National park, weather was great and the area was very interesting. We enjoyed the walk and food and locals were very friendly and welcoming. Walking in the Douro Valley was a real contrast to the Geres National park, enjoyed the gentle walking amongst the vines and views across the river Dour. We particularly enjoyed Casa do Visconde de Chanceleiros which was very welcoming, homely where we enjoyed the food and sampling the local wines and ports
Thank you - an excellent holiday. Northern Portugal is so undiscovered - on most days, if we saw more than half a dozen people, it was a busy day. It was the Lake District without the crowds.
Sadly in Braga, Estepilha da Poncha (in walking notes) has closed. We had a great meal in Arcos at Churrascaria o Braseiro. We tried Vinho verde tinto (red) served in bowls which you never see at home. Booking recommended as if it's full you have stand outside until they open the door! We had a good meal in Petiscos da Bo - Gusta Clams in white wine with coriander was superb - they don't take bookings (this could be corrected in pack). We Found taxis were very reasonable for example in Braga. An Uber to Bon Jesus was only 7euros clients might like to know that rather than walking to bus stop. If you want a dining treat in Braga book INATO bistro(Michelin guide) - Portuguese food with modern fine dining twist - not far from Porta nova house highly recommended.
INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers did our walking holiday 'High Paths of Northern Portugal' followed by the add-on at Porta Nova Collection House in Braga.
The walks offered a lot of variety: big views, interesting rock formations, lovely woodland trails, insights into the traditional way of life in the high plains, religious sanctuaries, and glimpses back to the when the area was occupied by the Romans and all the time accompanied by the sound of running water. For most of the time we hardly saw another sole apart from the odd villager, so for company we had the pleasure of the long horned Cachena cattle with their tinkling bells, Garrano horses and very loud frogs.
It is difficult to pick out a favourite amongst the varied accomodation, from the charming river side location in Arcos at the start to the enchanting and cleverly converted monestary at the end but the prize goes to the homely granite house in Saojo, which whilst not luxurious, offers a completely different experience.
We could quite happily have stayed a second night in Arcos. There are some lovely looking walks along the river Vez north to Sistelo and east to Ermelo monastery by the river Lima.
As you advised, do get a water-to-go bottle. We already had one each and it was a godsend in that heat being able to refill it from the streams and fountains, so we never ran out of water.
A wonderful holiday. Beautiful landscape, well described walk details, lovely accommodation. As usual, extremely well organised. The highlight was the delicious meal supplied by As Maria at Soajo.
Highlights were when the sun came out and we got to see the glorious mountain views. Soajo and the Mosteiro de Amares were also real highlights. A day trip to Guimaraes from Braga is well worth the effort, as is the short bus ride from the city to Bom Jesus. We were in Braga during a Roman festival - it would be worth telling customers which festivals are when in advance of their booking perhaps. For us the festival was a pleasant surprise! We were glad we arranged a few days in Porto before we began our walking - a city that is well worth a visit. 2 days probably enough. The weather was wetter on 3 of the walking days than we had expected - May is very much shoulder season. It would be worth being clear about that with customers at time of booking. An example of the sense of the season not really having begun was that the hotel in Geres told us the open air pool doesn't open until June 15th. Your notes told us we would have access to the pool during our May visit. We walked to it and it looked very run down so we might not have used it anyway... whilst in Arcos de Valdevez we ate in an excellent restaurant just across bridge from hotel, which receptionist had recommended to us. A Foresta. Seafood skewers and bistequa particularly good.
This walking trip shows a very different view to Portugal, in the mountainous National Park area near the border with Spain. The scenery is spectacular and the walking good and with enough challenge to make it interesting. Unfortunately our first few days were unseasonably wet and cool for early May and we were wet and rather cold on our first two walks. If this is a possibility you might want to ask for the fire and heating to be ready for your arrival at Casa da Ava Rosa, which is otherwise quite convenient for drying out. If you have any food issues you might want to make these known as well, since there was only one choice of meal, which was excellent as I like fish. Sadly, my friends don’t. Accommodation on other days was excellent and well chosen; though you might want to check the itinerary to make sure the sleeping arrangements are suitable. Fortunately the manager of the Posada Canicada-Geres was able to change the double to two singles for me and my walking friend.The text for the Arcos de Valvedez to Soajo walk does highlight that there is a confusing part of the walk where the route has changed. However, the GPX route did not seem to know this, so worth being aware of differences if you are using this and suddenly find yourself in thick undergrowth. The walk around Soajo was notable for most of the paths having turned to streams, which made it interesting for that reason, rather than because of the views, which were largely absent. It rained so heavily for the walk to Geres that the taxi driver advised against it on safety grounds and took us directly to Geres, which had a very comfortable hotel and was a very pleasant town with good restaurants. Try and take time to climb to the Miradouro do Penedo da Freira, on the west slope of the town. Fortunately, the next few days were wall-to-wall sunshine, so the walk around Geres the next day allowed us to enjoy the excellent scenery. Particularly enjoyable on that walk was the grassy plateau at Curral e abrigos da Lomba do Vidoal, and excellent lunch stop. The next day, to Rio Caldo was similarly excellent walking, above the Rio Cavado reservoir, often through wooded slopes. Rio Caldo to Santa Maria do Bouro was again very scenic and varied. Despite the awful weather during the first days, this was a very enjoyable trip and a wonderful insight into a different area of Portugal.
We enjoyed this holiday despite the changeable weather: we started in shorts and T-shirts but finished in waterproofs and gloves. The hillsides were glorious, covered in heather and gorse with many other spring flowers. We often heard cuckoos although we were surprised how few other birds were around. The walking was easier in the cooler conditions at this time of year but a disadvantage was that most rural cafés were closed; nothing was open at Peneda, for example, even the hotel. We enjoyed meeting horses and cachena cattle everywhere – not just on the hills but even in village streets. The walks got easier as the week went on and we had no trouble finding our way. Unfortunately we had to omit the loop from Gerês because of an adverse weather forecast: we did not fancy being caught in thunderstorms up in the hills. Most of the walking is on tracks, often surfaced with boulders so huge that you wonder how they were constructed. The highlight was the hill between Campo and Gerês, where the flowers were spectacular, with the path from Soajo to Peneda a close second. We met almost no other walkers. The accommodation was all good. We particularly enjoyed the Soajo village house and the pousada on the last night. The food got very repetitive, though, and we often found ourselves searching for something other than steak or cod. We stayed an extra night at the start in Arcos and had a delightful walk along the Ecovia, accompanied by croaking frogs.
A wonderful area for a walking holiday which we thoroughly enjoyed. I would recommend visiting during late April as the hillsides were coloured yellow and purple with the flowering heather, gorse and broom. The woodland at this time of year was of course beautiful also, so as we were blessed with near perfect weather it was an excellent holiday.
We thoroughly enjoy the energising walks. The scenery and tranquility of the landscape was wonderful and staff at all the hotels were very welcoming and hospitable.
The holiday itself was fabulous. This was our seventh holiday with Inntravel and our only criticism lies with customer services. Calls were not returned, mistakes were made and there were few if any apologies. Because we were given details of flights which were non-existent, we ended up having to extend our holiday by one more night. I asked for some gesture of goodwill as this would involve extra expense. Originally Inntravel offered to pay for one of the two rooms, then increased it to both rooms. I had a confirming email to say Inntravel would cover the full cost of the rooms but in fact only credited us for standard rooms instead of suprior rooms. We had to pay substantially more for our flights (returning on a Saturday). It was only after I sent a letter to the Chief Executive that any further offer was made and, even then, it was made grudgingly and did not begin to cover the extra expense involved. However, the walking was spectacular and lived up to our expectations. This was our second walking holiday in the Peneda National Park.
We're very sorry that our service wasn't always of the high standard you have come to expect from us. We're pleased that after further discussion we were able to bring this matter to a much happier conclusion.
This was a great holiday. The walking was hard - with many steep ascents on difficult terrain. The views however were amazing and worth the climbs. A great day was when we climbed and arrived at a large swing at the highest point of out climb (day 5).
We did the holiday at the same time as 6 other Inntravel guests. Whilst we all walked and ate separately for most of the time, it was a great addition to our holiday to have some great conversation and meet-ups whilst walking and back at the hotels. An unexpected bonus to a great week of wild and high walking in scenic mountains. Early October this year was sunny, warm and ideal for us walking.
Once again a truly wonderful experience! For the most part used the InnTravel narrative directions, but GPS was needed as backup. This trek was a bit more difficult in terms of finding/following the paths, and a few times we had to retrace our steps, but we did end up at the intended destinations. Although we did not actually hike each day with the others on same itinerary, we did chat each evening and compare experiences....the nicest people travel slowly and savour each day.
One of the reasons we are regular customers of Inntravel is the excellent efficiency, accuracy of instructions and quality of accommodation. Only slight thing I can think in this walk was clarity of food entitlement at some hotels. Also my wife and I nicknamed this holiday “Veal, Cod & Barking Dogs”! Didn’t fully enjoy the food and lack of alternative choices. Also were very surprised at the amount of barking dogs both in towns and on the hills. Some seemed to be “guarding” herds of cachena cattle. Apart from that minor issue it was a lovely holiday with outstanding accommodation, lovely views, ideal walking temperature in September and excellent connections.
Fantastic walks through amazing scenery in beautiful peace and quiet. Hardly a soul in the Peneda Geres in early July. Would highly recommend the experience.
Highlights:
Being with my husband for a week of pure tranquility.
Have been to Portugal before but never the high paths lovely to hear constant water running and walk along very quiet routes.
Dropped down into lovely villages and enjoyed the swimming both along the routes and in the hotels.
This holiday was hard walking for the distances involved, because there was more tarmac, cobbles and old stone paths than we are used to and some of the tracks were quite degraded. This made it a bit hard on the feet, especially in the heat. The scenery also missed some of the 'whoa' factor that the higher mountains induce. However it was very satisfying, the hotels were all lovely in different ways, but especially the mosteria.
We travelled in the second half of May but found that some of the evening eating options were limited. O Braseiro was the only option in Arcos, but it was very good. In Soajo, the only option for the second night was the Espigueiro - which was fine, but not as good as the previous restaurant. It was fun to see that the 'lavandeiras' in Soajo and Geres were still in current use for washing clothes. We spent two nights in Geres and really enjoyed the optional walk, especially the views from Pedra Bela. We echo some of the other comments about the GPX files. We've been with Inntravel several times, but this is the first time we've actually used a GPX app and found it extremely useful at certain points. We were also glad that we took a tick remover with us.
This was the hardest of the 10 Inntravel trips that we have done - but we were pre-warned both by the grading of the holiday and previous reviews (one could argue that advancing years also had an effect!). However, well worth the effort with wonderful scenery.
The walks were varied and through different terrains and scenery. As always, the notes were excellent and in conjunction with the provided gpx files navigation was easy. I would recommend the gpx files; another couple walking on the same days without them had difficulty. We used the Outdooractive app and paid for the topographical maps; although there are other apps, this worked well. Poles are also recommended due to some rocky paths, not to mention hills.
Our favourite accommodations were the first hotel in Arcos (with an extra night) and the Pousada. Overall, the food was way too generous! We would recommend the A Floresta restaurant in Arcos - just opposite the hotel, full of locals if not quite as authentic, but better than the one in the notes.
We will never forget the nights in the Soajo house - brilliant to have a bag of fresh croissants and bread on our door at 7am in the morning! Scenery glorious and varied. Interesting wild flowers and butterflies. Each hotel and community where we stayed had its own style and points of interest. The pilgrimage sites were fascinating. The final ex-monastery hotel was a wonderful peaceful spot to end the holiday. We made use of the beautiful pool and grounds.
All of the people in Soajo were wonderful. Our landlords, Pedro and Rosa, and the ladies who provided the evening meal were extremely friendly and kind. The staff in all of the hotels and the drivers were also very nice and were very good at their jobs. The scenery and ancient routes were excellent. The notes provided useful background information. Overall northern Portugal was a great experience.
Overall, this holiday was an absolute delight to undertake. Sufficiently challenging to keep us on our toes but deeply satisfying to complete. Pousada Mosteiro de Amares was an absolute treasure of a hotel; we loved its simplistic decorations, furnishings and ambience. The staff here were particularly good. The two-day Braga 'add-on' was excellent, too, and a very pleasant way to end the walking holiday. Well done Inntravel; this was such a lovely holiday, which 'ticked the box' for us on all levels.
We loved the variety of the scenery, from the steep granite inclines with their dramatic boulders to the magical wooded valley with the scent of eucalyptus and the sound of running water. The waterfalls dotted along the route, the native cattle wandering everywhere and the wildflowers in Spring made for some wonderful hiking. The hotels are all very comfortable and the inclusive meals and picnics hit the spot. If it's unseasonably hot, as it was with us, take plenty of water. There are a lot of short steep climbs and you'll need it.
This was one of our better Inntravel walking holidays thank you. The scenery was spectacular and the walks varied and sufficiently challenging. The accomodation was varied and all excellent - particularly in Soajo and Santa Maria do Bouro. Rosa, our host in Soajo was an absolute star. We discovered 'Super Bock' which went down a treat at the end of each day. Thank you Inntravel.
The hotels were all very good. The people we met were very friendly and couldn't do enough to make our stay a pleasure. Everything about this holiday was really good, and the helpful tips given in the Inntravel notes re eating out, ATMs etc was useful. In Arcos de Valdevez, we found that despite it being possibly the largest of the places we visited, we found that the restaurants did not take payment by card, so money was required to pay for meals. We came away with a very favourable impression of Portugal and its people.
The walk was beautiful, peacefu and real treat on all of the senses.
The scenery, people and food amazing.
The walks were challenging but the views were the reward.
A real highlight for us was staying in the village house in Soajo under the care of the incredible Rosa.
We stayed in the very old and incredible Casa do Eiro and felt very privileged to do so.
We added the two nights in Braga and were glad we did.
A great city with a church on every corner and Bom Jesus not to be missed.
High Paths of Northern Portugal followed by Braga
Another excellent Inntravel holiday which we thoroughly recommend to those fit enough to rise to the challenges. In common with others, we particularly enjoyed Soajo and the walk to Peneda.
If you have a late outward flight on the Braga extension, this in combination with the early arrival will probably take care of most of Braga and enable you to make the bus trip to medieval Guimarães on your full day. Well worth the effort.
HIgh Paths of Norrthern Portugal with Braga extension.
The owners of the Soajo village houses (Pedro and Rosa) were wonderful and very welcoming.They prepared two delicious meals (although far too much food!) and ample lunch supplies. The meals were also fantastic at the Quintas do Vinhas on Madeira and we loved the outdoor dining location for breakfast and dinner. A very beautiful setting for our cottage close to the pool. All the accommodations were very good. As I mentioned earlier, it's important to have a mini fridge in the rooms to keep our lunch supplies as well as beer and wine(!) One of the places did not have one which I can't remember now. We thought that the restaurant O Lagar in Arcos de Valdevez served extremely large portions which we should have shared.
High Paths of Northern Portugal followed by Landscapes of Western Madeira
This was a very memorable holiday. The routes showed of the great beauty of parts of the Peneda-Gerês National Park and while some of the climbing was physically demanding, the vistas at the end of the climb always made the effort worthwhile.
This holiday is challenging and you need to be aware that there are steep ascents and descents. The bonus is of course the spectacular scenery and the opportunity to experience this part of Portugal. Two walking poles per person, and GPS would be recommended. Pedro and Rosa in Soajo are wonderful hospitable people, and we enjoyed all of the places we stayed in for different reasons.
Another enjoyable holiday. High Paths was strenous in the heat, particularly the tarmac ascents. Our favorite walk was into Geres, especially reaching the plateau with just stunning rock formations. But beware of the horseflies! If you don't like crowds stay at the Infante Sangres in Porto - lovely room,wonderful elevator and staircase, and best breakfast of the holiday--real yogurt, figs, Serra da Estrada cheese, meat pastries, as well the usual spread. If you have time, do walk the ecovia in Arco de Valdeves. Just lovely and a nice easy start before the tough level 3s over the next three days.
The cafe bar at the foot of the Indiana Jones staircase in Peneda is very welcoming. Refresh yourself before climbing those stairs! And take a look at the contents of the small red chapels lining the staircase.
Douro Valley - magnificent scenery. More trash on the hikes than we expected. We fell in love with Braga and enjoyed it much more than Porto. Beautiful, clean, welcoming. And great fun!
INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined High Paths of Northern Portugal, Valley of Gold, Porto city add on and Braga city add on.
A lovely walk through forests and over high pastures with excellent scenery, interesting paths and history. Very unspoilt and quiet. The landscape never felt remote but nevertheless was steep and rocky in places. You definitely need to be fairly fit and used to mountain walking. We loaded up the Outdoor Active app on our phones and downloaded the GPX files. Whilst we mainly used the excellent walk notes - it was certainly reassuring to have the GPX route available on the occasional times when we were uncertain we had taken the correct route.
Restaurant Churrascaria O Brasirio in Arcos was excellent, best of the trip.
A really great trip - a bit more challenging than we had expected, but the steep climbs were always worth it for the fabulous views. The scenery was amazing, and it was lovely to walk in a landscape devoid of other walkers - only Cachena cattle and Garrano horses for company. Too many highlights to list, but the warmth and generosity of the locals was a constant (even more so if you attempt to speak a little Portuguese).
A delightful holiday in an interesting and little-known corner of an interesting country. The walking was a little tough and the weather is unpredictable, but the scenery went from charming in the valleys to really lovely in the mountains. The hospitality at all stops was impeccable but the food offered can tend to slightly predictable and a bit heavy. Braga is worth a night or two and Porto at least three - it is an utterly beautiful city, albeit a busy one.
Amazing holiday, beautiful walks with scenery that continuously had us stopping to admire it, with the bonus of each day feeling different. lovely hotels with great food and wine. The overall balance was really fab, we would highly recommended this holiday.
This was a very enjoyable and memorable trip. The walking was challenging in 29 degrees heat but we expected that.
The flowers and scenery were spectacular in early May. The quietness and lack of people on the walks was great.
I loved being immersed in a different culture with the lovely friendly Portuguese people.
I had a great time. All the walks were really well thought out and varied. The routes always took me the most interesting route. The views were incredible. The notes were excellent and in combination with the GPX files I was able to navigate with confidence. The hotels/accommodation were a real treat. It was an opportunity to see bits of Portugal off the beaten track. I will be using Inntravel again in the future.
You have to have a good level of fitness to complete the first 3 days of this walking holiday. If time allows it may be an advantge to take an extra day (rest) after day 2 or 3. The scenery is stunning the isolation is beautiful, on day 1 we didn't see another person throughout the walk, on day 2 we saw just one man walking his dog on the outskirts of Soajo, that's nearly 40Km total walking.... wonderful. The air is so clean and the nature, beautiful.
Loved the accommodation at Pousada Mosteiro Amares so quiet and peaceful and lovely restaurant and food. Also recommend a visit from Braga to the Mosteiro de Tibaes, 20mins by bus. Quieter and again wonderful tranquil atmosphere.
INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers added the two night stay in Braga to our High Paths of Northern Portugal holiday
A fantastic holiday in a beautiful part of the world, we would say every walk was a gem with interesting things to see on the way. The people are warm and friendly and very welcoming. Be prepared for changeable mountain weather, it can be a bit chilly and wet and bring your walking poles. We want to do it again!
Interesting, rugged walks though beautiful, peaceful surroundings with church bells ringing along the valleys.
Both holidays ('A Slow Train Through Asturias' journey and 'High Paths of Northern Portugal' self-guided walk) were wonderful. We love traveling with Inntravel, especially for the service and organization of the trips. The Feve (rail journey) is highly recommended and the Penedas-Geres Park was an amazing walk.
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