Full Description
The go-to Northern Portugal travel guide for discovering the best walks and car tours.
Strap on your boots and discover Northern Portugal on foot with the Sunflower Northern Portugal travel guide. And on the days when your feet may have had enough, enjoy some spectacular scenery on one of our legendary car tours.
Inside the Sunflower Northern Portugal guide book you'll find:
30 long and short walks for all ages and abilities - each walk is graded so you can easily match your ability to the level of walk
Topographical walking maps - give you a clear sense of the surrounding terrain with a scale of 1:50 000
Free downloadable gps tracks - for the techies
Satnav guidance to walk starts for motorists
3 car tours and fold-out touring map - for easy reference on your tour
Strolls to idyllic picnic spots - enjoy our recommendations for where to picnic along the way
Timetables for public transport - ideal if you want to link two walks or avoid hiring a car on your holiday
Online update service for the latest information
Includes town plans of Porto, Braga, Viana do Castelo, Ponte de Lima, Ponte da Barca and Arcos de Valdevez
The Sunflower Northern Portugal guide is indispensable for hiking in Northern Portugal or seeing Northern Portugal by car. Here, in the province of Minho (arguably the most beautiful part of the country), the lush greenness of the coastal lowlands, the Costa Verde, contrasts sharply with the mountainous interior - one of Europe's last wilderness areas.
While emphasising excursions in the country's only national park, the Peneda-Gerês, the book also describes more gregarious pursuits - visiting local markets, sampling at the Port wine lodges, and cruising on the Douro.
Whether you tour Northern Portugal by car or discover them on foot, Noel introduces you to the regions best beauty spots. We look forward to showing you around.
Contents
Preface 5
Authors' note 7
Acknowledgements 8
Recommended books 8
Getting there and getting about 9
Picnic suggestions 11
A country code for walkers and motorists 14
TOURING
Car tour 1: THE VINHO VERDE CIRCUIT 24
Car tour 2: HISTORICAL PURSUITS 29
Car tour 3: PENEDA-GERÊS NATIONAL PARK AND SIERRA DE XURÉS NATURAL PARK 35
Wine tour: PORTO AND THE RIVER DOURO 46
Plan of Porto (Ribeira) 48
Useful contacts 49
WALKING
Guides, waymarks, maps 51
What to take 51
Where to stay 52
Weather 53
Things that bite or sting 53
Portuguese for walkers 54
Organisation of the walks 56
THE WALKS
1 Serra de Arga (Montaria · Alto das Cocanhas · Pedrulhos · Montaria) 58
2 Serra de Arga (Arga de Baixo · Porta do Lobo · Arga de Cima · Arga de Baixo) 64
3 São Miguel · Sobredo · Germil · Froufe · São Miguel 74
4 Ermida · Bilhares · Ermida 80
5 Brufe · Cutelo · Carvalhinha · Cutelo · Cortinhas · Brufe 86
6 Brufe · Casarotas · Chã do Salgueiral · Marco de Anta · Cortinhas · Brufe 92
7 Branda de Travanca · Currais Velhos · Lage Negra · Bicos · Branda de Travanca 96
8 Bouças Donas · Branda de Bostejões · Vitoreira · Bostelinhos · Bouças Donas 101
9 Soajo · Branda da Bordença · Adrão · Bogalheira · Rio Adrão · Soajo 107
10 Soajo · Trapela · Murça · Soajo 114
11 Vilar - Avelar circuit 118
12 Circuit of Penameda from Nossa Senhora da Peneda 123
Bus timetables 126
Town plans 128
Ponte de Lima ·Ponte da Barca · Arcos de Valdevez · Viana do Castelo · Braga
Index 134
Fold-out map inside back cover
