Serra da Estrela Road

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Covilha

   Covilhã clings to the steep eastern flank of the Serra da Estrela, so much so that its streets seem to be climbing the mountain one stair at a time. It is Portugal's highest-lying city of any size, a place where the air changes noticeably as you ride up from the plains of the Beira Baixa. The town is the starting point for the road up to the Torre, the highest point in mainland Portugal at around 1,993 metres, and a good place to prepare.

   Read the complete Covilhã write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Covilha is where the day begins. Next is Torre.

2. 2. Torre

   The highest point of mainland Portugal is a disappointment for about thirty seconds and then a joy. Torre is a bare, rounded granite summit in the Serra da Estrela at 1,993 metres, and it is seven metres short of two thousand. Some years ago a stone tower was built on top to make up the difference, so the monument can claim the round number even if the mountain cannot. Around it the plateau is a landscape of boulders, thin grass, small lakes and wind, and in clear weather the view is vast, running across the plains of the Beira to the Spanish border.

   Read the complete Torre write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Torre comes up about 22 km into the recorded legs. Nothing on this route is higher. Next is Manteigas, mostly downhill.

3. 3. Manteigas

   Manteigas lies at the bottom of a valley that was cut by a glacier. The Zêzere river runs along the floor of a great U-shaped trough, with granite walls on either side rising to the plateau of the Serra da Estrela, and it is one of the clearest examples of glacial scenery in the Iberian Peninsula. The town clings to the lower slopes, a tight cluster of stone houses with slate roofs, steep narrow lanes and the smell of woodsmoke in winter. At under a thousand metres, it is a gateway rather than a summit, and it is the best base from which to explore Portugal's highest mountains.

   Read the complete Manteigas write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 44 km into the recorded legs you reach Manteigas. Next is Gouveia.

4. 4. Gouveia

   Gouveia is where the Serra da Estrela stops being a map feature and turns into somewhere people live. It is an old granite town on the western flank of the mountains, with solid stone houses, a mid-sized main square and a long history of sheep, wool and cheese. At the end of a day crossing Portugal's highest mainland range, it makes a good place to get off the bike, because the climate here is gentler than up on the plateau and the evenings are mild.

   Read the complete Gouveia write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Gouveia closes the day.