Rota dos Moinhos – Almaceda / Sarzedas

The Windmill Trail begins in Martim Branco, a charming schist village that is part of the Castelo Branco Schist Villages.

We leave Martim Branco heading toward the village of Camões, where, passing through pine forests, we arrive at a place where the cultivated landscape with new olive groves is evidence of new investments and the fact that the rural area has not been abandoned.

We leave behind the footbridges over the Magueija stream near the village of Camões and head toward Malhada do Cervo, following the old water channels that once carried water to the fields that were once cultivated.

Upon arriving in Malhada do Cervo, we head toward the Magueija stream. It is here that we can see another waterwheel mill, next to the bridge that takes us to the right bank of the stream. This mill with a schist roof, although currently covered in cement, is an example of the local construction style that utilized materials available in nature.

Back in Martim Branco, our route continues through a pine forest that will take us to Ribeira do Goulo, a place where we can still see century-old olive trees now overgrown with brush, suggesting that Mother Nature has taken over the traditional olive grove planted by humans. The final part of the route follows forest paths flanked by woods and farmland, leading us back to the starting point of our walk.