Day 28 – to Pitões das Júnias

The various weather forecasts I use all tend to be a bit pessimistic about conditions.

They use a percentage when predicting rain, and I am never sure that if for economy it is 60%, whether that means there is a 60% chance of rain all of the day, or at any one time, or indeed, that it will rain for 60% of the day.

Today they all predicted cloud without rain, but there was a lot of sun, just the odd bit of cloud. With temperatures in the late teens it was pretty much a perfect day for the outdoors.

I spent a pleasant hour last night after the rugby sat outside with the neighbouring Finns as they wanted my opinion on why anyone would want to visit their country. They see it as boring, and are not as appreciative of the vast open spaces, and didn’t see the challenge of the mosquitoes as being a worthy one.

This morning I drove on, roughly following the track of the GR50 to the village of Xertelo, stopping as an open bakery in Cabril, which was a nice surprise on a Sunday morning. Sensibly Xertelo forbids visiting vehicles entering its narrow cobbled streets. Too many Portuguese villages do not, and also do not direct traffic away from the narrowest of them. I say this with the experiences of two years ago, when reversing was often necessary, and the ensuing mayhem in the village.

Xertelo is the starting point for the popular hike to Sete Lagos, or ‘seven lakes’, though more correctly puddles. Nonetheless they are very beautiful, a geological effect making them appear so green with the reflection of the underlying rock. For a lot of the year they are a popular swimming spot also, and of course Roja was in most of the time we were there.

The hike though is rewarding itself, with magnificent views of the jagged peaks on the way out, along a narrow path clinging to the ridge, and on the return, as I chose to gain more height and come back on a four wheel drive track along the top of the ridge.

I’ve only a few days left in the National Park, and want to explore the north east corner, which is partly in Spain also, and which is mostly over 1,000 metres, especially as it seems the weather is favourable in the next few days.

I drove on, on spectacular roads for 25 kilometres, taking twice that many minutes, but a wonderful drive, to the picturesque town of Pitões das Júnias.

Pitões is 1103 metres asl, one of the highest villages in Portugal, along with Gralheira in the Serra de Montemuro, not far to the south of here, and a place I have yet to visit.

With the surround of 1200 metre peaks to the west and northwest, and the Mourela plateau to the east, Pitões attracts a lot of visitors in the season. Indeed there were a few today. I had a walk around town on a fine afternoon, locating the best place to spend a couple of nights, then wandered into the old part of town and found a delightful tavern for a beer.