The best walks and hikes around Castrelos

forest fire

The Vinhais Biological Park is a protected natural area and conservation center located in the municipality of Vinhais, in northern Portugal, within the Montesinho Natural Park. This park plays an important role in the conservation of local biodiversity and in the promotion of environmental education.

This is a beautiful reservoir, with calm waters where you can even spot big fish, although fishing is prohibited. On sunny days (which is almost always), the view of the lake is simply breathtaking. You can cycle along the entire western side of the lake.

Nice break location

Located in the heart of the Montesinho Natural Park, the Vinhais Biological Park invites you to discover the local landscape in all its forms, from fauna and flora to geology, culture and history. A space dedicated to conservation, biodiversity and ecotourism.

At this point, the trail invites you to embark on a little adventure: crossing the bed of a stream on the Baceiro River. When the rain lets up, the crossing is easy. And with a touch of excitement!

Along the Baceiro River, three community-run mills still stand, two in Vilarinho and one in Cova de Lua. This is one of them, a living relic of local ingenuity, which uses the power of water to grind grain and tell stories of a time when sharing and ingenuity went hand in hand.

Considered the “bread tree” in the regions north of the Tagus, the chestnut tree was the staple food before the arrival of the potato and the main source of carbohydrates in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. This deciduous tree can grow up to 30 to 35 metres in height and reach diameters of up to 12 metres, although the trunk becomes hollow as the tree ages. It is very long-lived and can live for over a thousand years. The European chestnut tree (Castanea sativa Miller) belongs to the Castanea genus and the Fagaceae family, the same family that includes cork oaks and oaks in general. The genus includes 12 to 13 species, five of which are of Asian origin and seven of which are North American. The common chestnut tree is the only one native to Europe. This is a tree that managed to survive the last glacial period (Würms glaciation) in some parts of central and Mediterranean Europe and is currently found all over the world, including North and South America and Australia. Several studies indicate that the natural distribution of the European chestnut tree corresponds to these refuge zones, where it remained during the glacial events. These areas later served as starting points for the colonization of other regions, before humanity dedicated itself to cultivating the species. One of these refuges is located in the Picos de Europa region and another between the south of Galicia and the north of Portugal, which is why the chestnut tree is considered an indigenous or native species of our country. The chestnut tree grows well in temperate climates and the ideal conditions for its development are found in places with average temperature and humidity, where rainfall reaches at least 600 mm per year – more than 100 mm in the summer. It is, however, sensitive to late frosts and very low temperatures. It prefers soils at least 50 cm deep, loose and rich in nutrients, slightly acidic (pH between 4.5 and 6.5) and not calcareous. Although it can grow in less suitable conditions, it develops and produces best in coastal or mountainous areas, at medium altitude, with hot and humid summers and mild winters.