Percurso do Contrabando do Café

Right from the start, and despite the rugged terrain, it becomes clear that this is the realm of the cork oak. Almost unbroken forests of this tree, interrupted only by granite outcrops and valleys still used for farming, accompany us along almost the entire route. Along this trail, a group of three small border villages—Galegos, Monte de Baixo, and Pitaranha, suggest a close connection with their Spanish counterpart, La Fontañera—an area through which smugglers used to bring in coffee. Narrow, winding paths—sometimes paved with medieval cobblestones— flanked by stone walls and hidden in the shade of leafy cork oak trees were once smugglers’ trails. Now, they guide us through the same landscapes but toward different adventures. On the climb up to Pitaranha, we are treated to views of the hill where Marvão Castle stands. Once near the village, we can see part of the Serra de Porto de Roque, a steep cliff that forms part of a narrow but long rocky ridge stretching along the border and serving as a refuge for colonies of griffon vultures, a large gliding bird that frequently patrols these cross-border skies.