Attractions and Places To See around Gonçalo - Top 15

A beautiful hike through the valley (depending on your starting point, the ascent or descent will be more pronounced). Start as early as possible, while the sun is still behind the mountain range. Online tickets only (no payment on site). Take a screenshot of your ticket (QR code). This will be scanned when exiting or re-entering (if you want to go back). Bring plenty of water. The sun will come out around 10:00 a.m. (I hiked it in October). Parking is available right next to the upper starting point. The lower trailhead is about 500 meters away (coming from Chãos, turn left before the dam).

In the heart of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, Valhelhas River Beach transforms the young course of the Zêzere into a haven of freshness and leisure. Between mountains and generous shade, this space has everything for a perfect day: clear waters, good infrastructure, and a setting that invites you to forget about the clock. In summer, the music sometimes extends the party into the night, attracting those who can't resist the charm of a river still in its infancy, but already full of life and stories to tell.

Belmonte, one of the twelve Historic Villages of Portugal, is the home of Pedro Álvares Cabral and guardian of the country's largest Jewish community, a legacy that endured centuries of Inquisition. Between walls and memories, mystique and history abound, with the Serra da Estrela on one side and the Malcata Reserve on the other. The food completes the enchantment: Jewish flavors like fried offal coexist with broths, migas, esparregados, and traditional Beira sweets: rice pudding, papas de carolo, and filhós. Here, the landscape and the food merge into a delightful experience.

I did it and I recommend it. A very pleasant route, with spectacular views. A suspension bridge creates some adrenaline for those less experienced in these walks.😂

Pedro Álvares Cabral, the man who gave Europe Brazil, was born high up in Cova da Beira, with the Serra da Estrela on the horizon. But the history of Belmonte begins much earlier: among dolmens, forts and the enigmatic Torre de Centum Cellas. A town of walls, synagogues and conquests, it was the scene of Romans, Jews and Portuguese heroes. Today, it continues to stand firm on a beautiful hill — true to its name and its legendary past.

Located just off the main road south of Guarda (which at 1,053 metres is the highest city in Portugal), it is one of twelve aldeias históricas (historic villages), a government-sponsored initiative to promote the immense heritage of the beautiful Beiras region. Belmonte’s most famous son is without doubt Pedro Álvares Cabral, a major figure of the Age of Discovery who was born in the village in 1467. As a young and very ambitious sea captain of just 32 years old, he commanded a fleet of thirteen ships with some 1,500 men that departed from the shores of Lisbon on the 9th of March, 1500. Six weeks later Cabral dropped anchor off the north-east coast of Brazil, becoming the first Portuguese navigator to reach South America. It was also the first known expedition to have touched all four continents of Europe, Africa, America and Asia. Built in the 13th century, Belmonte Castle (the village’s key attraction) became the birthplace of the young explorer in 1467 after his father received it as a loyalty payment from King Afonso V and adapted it as the Cabral family residence. One of the region’s most prominent landmarks, the castle offers today’s visitors fine views of the Estrela mountains and the surrounding Lower Beiras countryside from its towering keep, which stands proud at an altitude of 615 metres above sea level. Adjacent to the castle stands the church of São Tiago which is of the same period and has many interesting features, including a a painted 14th-century granite pietà and the pantheon of the Cabral family, although the navigator’s body now rests at the Convento da Graça in Santarém.

Along the Mondego Walkways, you will find the charming Casa das Abelhas. A welcoming place where you can enjoy a coffee and take home some delicious honey, produced right there in the region. The surrounding scenery completes the experience, making the break even more special.

Fantastic perspectives, great nature experience