Serra do Carvalho

Stretching 9.5 km in a linear route, this trail
aims to highlight elements of recent history and the natural potential
of the municipality of Vila Nova de Poiares.
The Serra do Carvalho is the highest geological formation
in the municipality, standing at 458 m, composed mainly of
Grauváquic schist. Here, the Monument to the Aviators was erected, in honor of the most tragic accident in Portuguese military aviation—and one of the largest in the world—which occurred on July 1, 1955, in the Carvalho mountain range, which involved the crash
of eight aircraft and the consequent death of the eight
pilots. Every year, on July 1, the Portuguese Air Force,
the Municipality of Vila Nova de Poiares, and the local population
commemorate the date with a military and religious ceremony. The monument
features a stone cross, drawn on the ground (visible from the
air) and a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Air.
The route passes through the village of Carvalho and continues through the village
of Soutelo, allowing visitors to enjoy, along the walk, enjoy the
native black oak forests, featuring Portuguese oak
and Alvarinho oak, interspersed with holm oaks
and cork oaks. Also present are plantations of chestnut,
pine, and, covering a large area, eucalyptus.
In the shrub layer, the gorse, broom,
rockroses, and heather are noteworthy.