Trilho Santo António de Vale de Poldros

This is an ecological and scenic trail, set against a backdrop of valleys and mountains, with a distance of approximately 10.5 km and an average duration of 3 hours and 45 minutes. It is considered moderately difficult, with elevations ranging from a minimum of 703 m to a maximum of 1,108 m.

The Santo António de Vale de Poldros plateau is an area covered with gorse, broom, heather, and gorse-oak scrub, interspersed with hayfields (lameiros) and “cardenhas” (traditional dwellings of the brandas), once a genuine mountain village, full of life, bustle, festivities, and, above all, work with daily life centered mainly on the summer months (May through September). This is the main characteristic of the “brandas.”

These paths were also traveled by charcoal burners who, in the past, made their way to the mountains, since only there could they find the heather that produced top-quality charcoal.

The herds of female donkeys that live there, roaming freely, give the region its name: VAL-DE-POLDROS. Even today, the young of female donkeys are called “poldros” or “poldras” and not “potros.” Another point of great interest are the “quarteis,” places where pilgrims seeking shelter gather on St. Anthony’s Day to have their livestock blessed.