It’s a quiet time of year to visit the vineyards of the hills above the Douro river. There are a few tourist buses around, and some of the hotels are still open; wine tourism isn’t dependent on the weather, though it does seem visitors appreciate it a bit warmer. There are certainly signs of spring, this week temperatures up at 600 metres above sea level have been in the mid-teens, though the evenings are cool.
Nossa Senhora das Neves Chapel
I found a great place to stay for a couple of nights, and it will go down as one of the more memorable. I had located a chapel at the top of a hill that overlooked Soutelo do Douro village and the valley, but wasn’t sure that I would get the van up to it. However it was no problem, so wonderfully quiet with 360 degree views and without too much wind, which would be a problem in such an exposed place.
On Thursday we followed the trail down through the vineyard to Soutelo, a descent of about 400 metres in altitude, then across to the neighbouring village, Nagozelo, before ascending again, an excursion of just over 10 kilometres.
On Friday I headed north, stopping off at the Intermarché Supermarket in the town of Vila Real. Intermarché supermarkets generally have an outdoor laundromat, which I was in need of, and I couldn’t delay any more, as it will be France until I pass the next such supermarket. It’s quick and efficient, ninety minutes, and quite cheap at 8 euros to wash and dry.
An hour north then to the mountains of the east Cantabrians, an area I have been to before a couple of years ago, but this time seeking out new places. These are the Serra do Barroso mountains to the east of Geres National Park and the Serra de Geres, and to the north of the Serra do Vilarehlo. There’s quite an altitude here, I’m currently at 820 metres, and when I first planned this route I hadn’t expected to stay so high, as I expected much colder weather.
On Friday we stayed at Boticas Nature and Biodiversity Park as there was a hike here I was keen on. There is a huge car park, which was a good place to stay, though adjoining quite a busy road. This is at 700 metres above sea level, and the hike, which we did this morning, is a circuit on either side of the river Beça. My initial plan was to stay here for the weekend, but on consulting the map last night, I opted to head into the wilder parts of these hills; there is cloud, but it is high, and conditions are more like late March.
Castro de Carvalhelhos is an Iron Age fort dating back as far as the fifth century BC, and was renovated in Moorish times, most likely around the year 750.
It’s close to the Spanish border here. Two years ago I had a few days at Pitões das Junias, just inside the Geres National Park boundary. I’m about thirty kilometres further east, and though not actually in a National Park, still in the same range of mountains, with the same splendid views. There are villages dotted around the hillsides, generally with only about a quarter of their houses populated throughout the year, the rest, various types of holiday home.
The waters of this tributary of the Beça, the Carvalhelhos, are famous for their mineral and thermal benefits, specifically, they eliminate toxins and are good for the kidneys and act against allergies. This particular spot is called ‘the fountain of love’. Bathing in it is supposed to increase sexual performance, though in recent years that benefit has been played down, due to the swimwear, or lack of it, by some visitors being considered unsuitable.
I took a rough road out of Calvão to the community of Castelãos, and then a rougher road again to a summer recreation area at the Chapel of Santa Bárbara. I expect we will stay here a couple of days, then move into Galicia and Spain on Monday. I will have been in Portugal for six weeks, time certainly passes quickly. My rough schedule is then for a month in the Cantabrians, probably at a lower altitude on their northern side (weather dependent), then a month in France.
Safe Return Doubtful 
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