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Serra da Estrela presents its
location in east and slightly to the north of Coimbra.
Serra da Estrela is indeed Portugal's highest point and
most admired range of mountains. It is a national
treasure for lovers of the countryside and especially
snow.
The
central mountains form a plateau with a high point of
1993m at Torre and a considerable area above 1200m.
Granite dominates the geology of these old- fold
mountains. In the higher regions, the environment is
hostile to human activities but the shepherds make
intensive use of the natural grassland for summer
pasturing. One of the most important products in the area
is the Serra da Estrela cheese which is famous throughout
the nation. Its quality is also reflected on the price and
if you wish to buy a genuine Serra da Estrela Cheese you
better bring your wallet provided with some euros. A
medium size cheese can cost around 45 US dollars ( 35
Euros). However, we can assure you the money will be well
spent for these Cheeses are indeed something out of this
world.
Snow lies on heights above 750m usually
from late November to mids of April, which
has allowed the development of the Ski
Resort at Penhas da Saúde. Actually several other ski
resorts and Snow fun family activities are being build at
Serra da Estrela for its value to Portuguese tourism has
finally been recognised.
Recorded hours of sunshine are equally
generous over the year, it is estimated on average 2700
hours; July is the sunniest month. In 1976 the whole
upland area was declared a Natural Park to protect and
preserve not just the land itself, but the cultural
activities which take place there and to control rural
development. Walkers are also well catered for and a major
network of walking routes has been establish in a detailed
book - available in English - that can be picked up in any
Park information Office in Serra da Estrela. We strongly
advise you to do so.
To start touring this magnificent
place please begin at Penhas da Saúde above Covilhã,
the route follows the fascinating,
glacial Zêzere valley to Manteigas before climbing west
and leaving through Gouveia only to re-enter further north
to visit the historic town of Linhares, the focal point
of the tour. The return heads south down the IC6 to Seia
and recrosses the park via its highest, Torre, to complete
the circuit.
Going west on the IC12, which is the
main route crossing the park from Covilhã to Seia, the
right turn to Manteigas is shortly reached. This road
leads almost instantly to the
head of the remarkable Zêzere Valley. The valley takes its
name from the river Zêzere which
arises in the Serra da Estrela ans flows south, becoming
quite a major river before eventually flowing into the
Tagus.
In sum, you won’t regret spending the
weekend in Serra da Estrela. Several cabins are waiting to
rent and if you really want to get in touch with this area
of the country renting a cabin is the right thing to do.
Take advantage of all benefits Serra da Estrela has to
offer...we believe you will even find more points of
attraction that the ones we referred here. Remember, Serra
da Estrela is there just waiting for you and your family
to discover it. Enjoy!!
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