Trilho Celta

The “Celtic Trail” is a route classified as a Short Route (PR), and is the 11th officially approved and registered route in the Northern Region (11N). This route runs along the foothills of the Serra da Gávea and passes through only two settlements: the town of Cerveira and the village of Lovelhe. Starting from the Vila Nova de Cerveira Tourist Office, we take the street that leads us to the historic center of this old fishing town. After visiting the countless monuments and strolling through some of its typical streets, we walk along the outer wall of the medieval fortress, where Cerveira Castle now stands. A few meters further on, we come out by the Minho River to walk to the Fort of Lovelhe. After visiting the 17th-century fort and the ruins of an ancient “Roman villa”—perhaps the ancient Lobélli that gave its name to the Cerveira parish of Lovelhe—we cross the bridge over the N13 highway and continue along the road that leads us into the heart of that parish. Following the cobblestone path for a while, we come upon a spring, where we can cool off and enjoy its waters, which the locals believe have medicinal properties. From there, at the foot of the hill, we take the dirt path that will gradually lead us to the summit. To reach it, we can follow the old, still -used stone irrigation channel or continue along the dirt road to the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Encarnação. From here, we can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view and visit the summit just a few meters away—Alto do Crasto which, at an altitude of 315 meters, bears the symbol of Cerveira, the deer. To reach it, simply follow a trail on a short ascent through the rocks. There is also an area here equipped for sport climbing.

As another option, we can visit the rock engravings; simply step outside the grounds of the chapel. Once you’ve visited the site, follow the stone channel leading from the fountain to descend through acacia trees along an old path called “as Escadinhas,” which will take you to Atalaia. From here, we continue down through a dense forest of eucalyptus and pine trees that gradually gives way to acacias, until we emerge at Outeiro da Forca. From there, we quickly descend through the old medieval village of Cortes to return to the starting point of the route.