Serra da Estrela is enchanting whether it is snowless and even more so with snow. It is located in a mountainous area in which the highest altitudes of mainland Portugal are found. The highest region, with 1993 meters of altitude is in the Tower. And a curiosity, the Tower is the second highest mountain in Portugal, as it loses its position to Pico Mountain in the Azores by just 358 meters.
We still haven't had the opportunity to get to know it without snow. To be quite honest, we got to know it in winter, with very little snow, but nothing compared to the summer landscape. A fact is that the means of transportation there is by car. There is little transportation option, other than your own or rented car.
How to get?
There is no direct train to Serra da Estrela. The most common is to go by bus or train to the nearest city, then take a taxi or rent a car to go to the desired destination.
Our route was: we left the city of Porto to Seia, where we stayed. For this route we rent a van. And we only realized the need to rent a car when we arrived at Albergaria in Seia. Which was quite challenging as it was Christmas Eve, and almost everything was closed. We managed to rent a car through an app. We asked for help at the reception where we were to call a taxi. And so we can explore the region further.
What many tourists do is hire a travel agency that provides the transfer.
However, if you go from Lisbon to Serra da Estrela, you can choose below which option best meets your needs:
By car or private bus
These are the simplest and ideal ways to go to Serra da Estrela. Many buy packages with a Tourist Guide to get to know the mountains, as the path is not for inexperienced drivers, the road up and down is unique, on the edge of the cliff and often covered by fog and ice. Be careful! This depending on the season. Even the road we took from Porto to Seia, we had our moments of insecurity despite being with an experienced driver.
The estimated time of the trip going by bus to the Park is approximately 2 hours, but put 3 hours in the itinerary and smile happily without complaining. Because there will probably be parts that will go very slowly, or will stop taking that picture! Not to mention that it will ensure the safety of the car and if the snow is heavy, you will possibly have to add a chain to the wheels. Another detail is that the so-called Motorways in Portugal are paid. And they are not the cheapest. You don't need to travel the entire highway, switch between highways (paid) and national (non-paid). As we do not know the roads well, on the way back from Seia to Lisbon, we chose to take the highway.
Rede Expresso
Leaving Lisbon there are two bus options going directly to Covilhã. The main one is Rede Expresso (operated in this case by Citiexpress) which even covers most of Portugal and its surroundings.
The cost for a route only departing from Oriente Station, ie one-way only costs 16.50 EUROS at the normal price, 8.30 half ticket for children up to 12 years old and for the best age, young people from 13 to 29 years old pay 14 EUROS.
Train
Or simply taking the train can also be an option. The train line in Portugal called CP (Comboios de Portugal) has two lines that serve the Serra da Estrela region: the LISBON – GUARDA line and the LISBON – COVILHÃ line. From there my people, only by taxi to your destination. You can't escape much!
What to do there?!
Serra da Estrela is located in an area of landscape integrated in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park. That after its constitution on July 16, 1976, it was established as the largest protected area on Portuguese soil.
In addition to the snow, the extraordinary fauna and flora, we travelers are also attracted by the colossal geography as well as by the human, cultural, historical and gastronomic richness of the region.
During our stay in Serra we had our meals at the Albergaria, however we had opportunities to visit restaurants in the surroundings. For example, when we visit Belmonte, Manteigas and Covilhã.
What you cannot miss is the famous Serra da Estrela cheese produced in the region. Made from the milk of sheep of the Bordeaux breed and thistle flower, a local plant. It has a hard shell, but the inside is creamy and has an intense flavor. A simply incredible flavor with an eternal taste of wanting more!
Depending on the season, we can explore various breathtaking scenery, hike, climb to the highest point in mainland Portugal (the Tower), visit charming towns and cities, among other things.
The Serra is also rich from a hydrological point of view. From this massif flow numerous lines of water. Three rivers originate in Serra da Estrela:
the River Mondego;
the River Zêzere downstream is a tributary of the River Tagus;
and the Rio Alva, which is a tribute to the Rio Mondego.
All born from the same mountain. These benefit the three largest hydrographic basins in the country: Douro, Mondego and Tejo – and without realizing it, every day, the inhabitants of Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra enjoy and depend on water from Serra da Estrela.
What about tourism?!
Regarding tourism, the main attraction of this mountain is the abundant snowfall during the winter. Among the most visited spots in the Serra, we can highlight approximately 37 fantastic places, but for now we will highlight the ones we visited:
Torre da Serra da Estrela
Estância de Esqui Vodafone
Vila de Manteigas
Belmonte
Covilhã
Guarda
Seia
Sortelha
We spent a total of 4 days and 3 nights. In addition to being quite cold, we opted to explore the surrounding villages, and a quick walk to the Tower and ski resort, which was still closed due to little snow. To our sadness, the day we were returning to Lisbon, it started to snow in the Tower. We missed this moment!
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