The best road cycling routes around Proença-A-Velha

Nice bakery full of local breads, on typical village of Beira Baixa. There's also a small grocery shop.

Penamacor, once one of the most imposing border fortresses, still bears traces of its military importance. The medieval castle, classified as a National Monument, stands as a testament to the ancient defensive line of Beira. Amidst narrow streets and walls, memories of the Jewish quarter, a refuge for Jews expelled from Spain in 1492, also emerge. In this context, Penamacor is above all the birthplace of António Ribeiro Sanches, a physician, philosopher, and medical reformer who served Catherine of Russia.

From Miradouro da Peça, the gaze is lost between horizons: the houses nestled into the granite hillside, the Beira plain that stretches to Spain and, crowning the view, the Serra da Estrela, Gardunha and Malcata mountains.

Monsanto, the "Most Portuguese Village in Portugal," rises on the steep Cabeço de Monsanto, where houses are hidden among giant boulders, creating a unique setting. Between Templar walls, castle ruins, and endless vistas, history breathes in every stone—from the Lusitanians to the Romans, from the Moors to the kings who granted it charters. Today, visitors discover a vibrant village, marked by traditions like the marafonas (a traditional festival) and the flavors of the mountains: goat stew, lamb with mint, and carolo sweets. A tourist icon and the setting of legends, Monsanto is more than a place; it's an unforgettable experience.

The ancient Roman road that connected Augusta Emerita (Mérida) to Bracara Augusta (Braga) passed through here, crossing the river on a bridge that has now disappeared, of which only the foundations remain. Over these bridges stands the current granite Ponte Velha, whose appearance harks back to ancient times but which, in fact, is a Philippine work, dating from the 17th century or later.

The Historic Village of Idanha-a-Velha preserves the soul of an ancient Roman civitas in its modest streets. Within walls that have seen temples, baths, Visigoths, Muslims, and Templars, time has left its mark on every corner. Today, almost in the heart of the International Tagus Natural Park, the village blends history, silence, and flavors: from bread baked in the communal oven to the sweet aroma of borrachões (draught beer). In this place, the past still breathes in the present.

Proença-a-Velha was born with the nation itself, linked to the repopulation promoted by King Afonso Henriques and, later, to the Templar charter of 1218. A fertile land with vast olive groves, its greatest treasure is olive oil, celebrated at the Olive Oil Museum and the Olive Oil and Smoked Meat Festival. But the tradition doesn't stop there: Proença-a-Velha is also the capital of soups, where every year over a hundred recipes warm bodies and souls at the Traditional Soup Festival.

In the village of Santa Margarida, the granite streets and flower-filled porches reveal the soul of this Christian village with ancient roots. Every two years, the Flower Festival transforms it into a living garden with over 200,000 flowers, a spectacle of color and tradition that engages the entire community. On ordinary days, the simple charm of the houses, the flower-filled alleys, and the memory of bygone times remains, celebrated whenever the sons and daughters of the land return.