PR1 from Vila de Muros

Our daughter joined us for this hike and it turned out to be a very nice one. We enjoyed the sound of rushing water and birds singing, which contributed to a very pleasant day in nature.

The hike started in the small village of Vila de Muros, in the municipality of Cinfães, requiring a 90-minutes drive from home to get there. We were able to park next to the village cemetery, which is close to the start point of the hike.

The first segment of the route was all downhill, heading towards the Bestança River in the valley below. The surface of the trail alternated between dirt and smooth rocks, with beautiful moss-covered walls as it passed through stands of oak trees. I was immediately enjoying the beauty and tranquility of the place.

Before we had covered the first kilometre, we were at the lowest elevation of the hike, next to the flowing Bestança River and the Ponte de Covelas. This single arch stone bridge was built in 1762 and, for many years, was an important crossing point for the people of the Bestança valley.

Once across the bridge, the trail began its first (and longest) ascent, as we climbed up the opposite side of the valley and then levelled off for a while. Along the way, we passed several homes as well as abandoned old stone buildings. One of the current homes was built alongside a huge boulder, which now forms one of its ‘walls’.

We enjoyed a variety of flora as we walked, including wildflowers and almond blossoms. There was also a nice variety of butterflies flitting about.

Before reaching the halfway point, the trail descended towards the river and there were a few places where small streams crossed the trail, as they flowed down to meet the river. We carefully picked our way over the stream, utilising rocks that were on the trail. Waterproof boots were definitely an advantage at this time of the year, although I suspect that the water level will be diminished during the summer months.

We stopped next to one of these fast flowing streams, with its little waterfall, to eat our picnic lunch before heading uphill again. We passed more abandoned buildings, including one that had an assortment of old wine barrels in the ground level room.

After 4km, the route descended steeply, down a narrow rocky trail, until we again reached the Bestança River. We crossed back over the river, this time via a more modern bridge. The trail followed the river bank for a while, crossing a wooden bridge over a smaller river and passing an old watermill. A sign board depicted the different species of newts and salamanders that inhabit the watery habitats in the vicinity, but we didn’t see any.

As the trail ascended again, we passed meadows and open views of the surrounding countryside. We reached a paved public road, which made up the final kilometre of the descent, taking us back to the parked car.

Our hike had covered a distance of 7km and took a total of 3.5 hours to complete (with 2 hours of moving time). That was longer than I had anticipated for a relatively short hike, but we moved at a leisurely pace, stopping to take photographs frequently.

It was a very enjoyable hike in nature. Most of the trail is well shaded, protecting us from the sun on this warm Spring day. It was a day well spent!

Additional photos can be seen on my blog at https://bermudarover.wordpress.com/2024/03/25/bestanca-river-hike/