Trilho das Levadas

A circular route that begins near the town bandstand and passes through all the villages on the northern slope of the parish of Mansores: Crasto, Juncido, Estrada, Barrosa, Agras, Avitureira, Mata, and Casal. Before starting the route, take in the view from the chapel’s churchyard of the valley that lies ahead and the mountain ranges that, in the distance, will never cease to watch over you. Then, set off toward Crasto and Juncido. Notice the stone channel that carries water alongside the path to the church. Climb up through the Lombas area toward Barrosa. You will pass by a few small walled farmsteads built to protect the livestock that used to pass through there. Notice the vastness of the surrounding forest before venturing into the banks of the Barrosa stream, lush and populated with chestnut trees, oaks, and alder trees, several dams, a dozen mills, and various terraces. 

At the Estrada site, after passing an imposing cork oak, take a short detour and visit the calvary. Return to the path and follow a wide road to the village of Agras, where the Chapel of Santo António is located. Upon reaching the vicinity of Avitureira, you will find yourself facing yet another agricultural valley dominated by yet another mill. From here, you will follow alongside a long granite-lined water channel to the village of Mata. Around the water channel, a grove of chestnut and laurel trees and yet another cluster of mills. From Mata, return to Agras. Take note of the various outcrops (fragas) of schist. Cross the parish’s widest valley at the “Reguengos” site (a name suggesting these were once the king’s lands). Once you reach the village of Casal, walk past the Casa da Terça—a 19th-century semi-manor house with a coat of arms, a private chapel, and a rich history: this is where Viscount Manuel Baptista Camossa Nunes Saldanha (1834–1918) was born here. Walk up through the houses and cross the Serra da Vila park. 

As you near the end, you’ll be invited to enter the Ribeira valley, on the southern slope of the parish; if you ever return here, be sure to visit it.