Porto tours are about much more than enjoying the delightful city itself. The many natural wonders of the wider north Portugal landscape offers visitors some spectacular days out, guided tours, and opportunities to enjoy nature. If you tire of the urban bustle and fancy some greener eye candy, take Porto tours with a difference and discover what all the fuss is about. You’re going to love these brilliant natural parks near Porto.
Porto tours to Litoral Norte Natural Park
The Litoral Norte Natural Park lies just 32 miles from Porto, the only Natural park in the region with a beach. No wonder it’s popular with families. The beaches of the Litoral Norte are so good they’re famous in Portugal and beyond. Apulia and Esposende are gorgeous, and so is Ofir if you’ll forgive the ring of high-rise buildings towering behind it.
You’ll also find enough secluded, not so well-known beaches to relax, play and sunbathe. The scenic wooden boardwalks along the edge of the windmills of Apulia, renovated to create lovely private homes, make an interesting stroll and a photo opportunity you won’t want to miss, and there are some beautiful, easy walking trails as well.
Porto tours to Penêda-Gerês Natural Park
Think tumbling waterfalls, dizzying viewpoints, super-quaint villages, pretty river-side beaches and top class walking trails. This is Gerês, as the locals call it, and it’s unique.
Lying around 65 miles from Porto, this huge Portuguese natural park is home to four mountain ranges: Peneda, Gerês, Soajo and Amarela. The land is criss-crossed by the Cávado River and Lima River, which have carved lovely valleys full of dense forests and secret waterfalls. The downside of all this natural glory is that it gets a bit crowded, especially the more easily-accessible places.
In spring there’s comfortably mild weather and fewer visitors. From late October the autumn colour is amazing as the leaves change, and it stays mild. Hardy types take to the mountains late in the year for unforgettable hiking around mountainous Pitões das Júnias, Castro Laboreiro and Gavieira. Summer sees it very full, often with queues to park, and in winter it’s practically deserted because it’s so wet and cold. They even get snow.
Porto tours to Alvão Natural Park
70 miles from Porto, Alvão Natural Park is just ten percent the size of Gerês but every bit of it is full of drama. This isn’t a well-known park so you’ll mostly have the magnificent granite mountains and ridiculously quaint villages to yourself. When serenity is on your menu, it’s perfect. But it’s also only ten minutes drive from the town of Vila Real.
This park is home to the Fisgas do Ermelo, a series of rushing river rapids, waterfalls and lakes that make it a heavenly destination on a hot day. The Trilho das Fisgas is popular with the hardy, a tough and challenging circular walk of just under eight miles, including a 600m climb. It isn’t for the faint hearted and you’ll need the right clothes: hiking boots and something water and wind-proof.
If you prefer less-challenging adventures you can see the whole magnificent Fisgas do Ermelo spread out like a jewel below you, from the Alto da Cabeça Grande viewpoint. It’s accessible on foot from the Piócas de Cima Car Park along a two and a half mile trail.
After a climb like that, a swim feels like heaven – so go wild swimming in the Piócas de Baixo lake, which you can get to from the trail and from the path to the viewpoint. Or swim at the Galegos da Serra Waterfall near Vila Real, just off the main road. There’s no shade, so take sun cream.
The simple pleasure of driving comes into its own here on the estradas nacionais, small winding roads mostly used by locals. Pick up the M1204 at the village of Varzigueto, for example, and head for Ermelo through silent, dreamy landscapes to get a feel for the real north Portugal.
Porto tours to Montesinho Natural Park
130 miles from Porto but a must-visit for dedicated food lovers, Montesinho Natural Park is unique. It might not be quite as spectacular as Gerês but it has scenic villages, lots of wonderful walking and hiking trails, and locals say the food here is absolutely the best in north Portugal.
All of Montesinho’s villages are pretty but a few stand out. Rio de Onor, on the Spanish border, is picture postcard perfect with picturesque stone houses either side of a lovely river with relaxed riverside walks. Then there’s Puebla de Sanabria, just over the border with Spain but worth the extra effort because it’s such a stunner: lovely old stone houses, cobbled streets, and a truly glorious setting.
The village of Montesinho itself is great, perched at the park’s highest point above sea level so cooler than the surrounding countryside. This is one of the best-preserved old stone villages in the whole of north Portugal. It’s also the starting point for a popular hiking trail across the hills to a dramatic dam, with extraordinary scenery along the way.
Porto tours to Douro Internacional Natural Park
135 miles from Porto, and again worth every mile of the journey, the Douro Internacional Natural Park delivers big drama every step of the way. This is a land of rolling hills and mountains, deep V-shaped valleys, brown earth, scrubby vegetation and great, winding rivers. The riverbanks are studded with terraced vineyards where the grapes for the Duoro’s world-famous ports and wines are grown.
This is where many of the best viewpoints in the region live, including the remarkable Freixiosa Viewpoint, a nice choice because it’s way off the usual tourist track. There’s a stiff 400m to 1300ft climb to reach it, leaving you literally on the edge of a cliff, so take care if you’re not keen on heights and don’t rely on the hand rail. Apparently it’s dodgy.
The Fraga do Puio viewpoint is easier to get to, actually in the village of Picote iteslf. There’s a clever glass balcony-like thing giving you views of the mighty Douro River as it curves through the landscape. For tasty local produce and other nice things to buy, visit the friendly village shop. There’s also the Chapel of Santo Cristo where hidden fresco paintings dating back to the 1500s have recently come to light.
To the south of the park you’ll find the delectable Congida river beach, perfect when the sun is high and the temperatures are soaring. Finally, visit Miranda do Douro. If you think Porto is exquisite, this place puts it in the shade – it is just sublime. There are countless exciting things to see there, as well as simple pleasures like walking the city walls and exploring the central square. This is where the popular Environmental Cruise along the Douro River starts from too, a delightful experience out on the water watching the extraordinary landscapes pass by.
Discover north Portugal’s exquisite natural parks
As you can see there’s much more to the Porto region than Porto itself! Take a look at our Porto tours and see what inspires you.
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