13 Aug Portugal Peneda Gerês National Park: 2-Days Complete Itinerary
Gerês: well kept secret in Northern Portugal
The Peneda Gerês Nacional Park, is an authentic natural paradise. It is so beautiful and the perfect place to spend your summer disconnecting with the world and reconnecting with nature, yourself and the others around you.
Therefore, I’ve decided to share how to spend 2 amazing days in Gerês- northern Portugal.
In this article I will share what to do in Gerês: some of the best waterfalls, viewpoints, villages, river beaches and top hiking trails.
You can visit these places on your own or you can join a tour in Gerês, which is a great way to make new friends while in Portugal.
Check my post on how to make friends abroad. Just click here.
How to get to Gerês
Gerês National Park is easily accessible from any city in Portugal using a combination of highway and national roads. As far as I am concerned there is no public transport in the park so the best way to reach Gerês and navigate around the area is by car.
You should use your own or rent a car. I have been renting cars every time I travel to Portugal. The company I use is centauro. The process is very easy and straightforward.
Now moving into things do in Gerês and how to spend 2 marvellous days here.
DAY 1
After breakfast, we finished gearing up our things for the day and got into the car. Was time to explore! We headed to one of the most popular viewpoints in Gerês.
- Pedra Bela Viewpoint
The views from this viewpoint are breathtaking, you will see the Cávado river surrounded by mountains, this site shows off the perfect beauty of the astonishing Peneda-Gerês National Park.
How to get there: The viewpoint is accessible by turning off the main road through Gerês (N-308-1) on the north side of the town. There are signs that help direct you towards the viewpoint.
Note: it is not easy to park right next to the viewpoint so make sure you leave your car some meters away from the viewpoint and do the rest on foot.
After, soaking the views from the viewpoint we decided to explore the surrounding area by foot, you will see horses, oxes on the road. Another activity you might enjoy is dorse-riding through the surroundings.
We walked until the Arado waterfall, along the way stopped at one more viewpoint.
- Rocas Viewpoint
Rocas Viewpoint is one of the most beautiful and accessible viewpoints in Gerês. To go to the top you will need to climb stairs, but don’t worry it only takes about 5 minutes to get to the top. The views are worth it!
We then continued our trail and finally arrived at the Arado wartefall.
- Arado waterfall
Arado waterfall – is a picturesque waterfall in a tranquil forest setting with a natural swimming hole. The waterfall is one of the safest and accessible in the area.
We explored the surrounding area, and then headed back to car, we had our snack and got a boost of energy.
Note: If you get thirsty, you will find this small fountain, along the way where you can drink water and refill your bottle.
- Tahiti waterfall
In the afternoon it was very hot, so we decided to find a nice spot to swim and relax the rest of the day. We went to the Fecha de Barja waterfall, also known as Tahiti waterfall. This waterfall is one of the most beautiful places in the Peneda-Gerês National Park and possibly one of the most incredible waterfalls in Europe.
The crystal-clear water invites to a swim on a hot summer day, or simply a moment of pause, harmony and contemplation on a cooler day.
Safety: Unfortunately, this is not one of the safest waterfalls in Gerês and you need to be very careful when trying to access the waterfall. I would not recommend going with kids; hopefully in the future the access conditions will be better since the waterfall receive thousands of visitors every year.
DAY 2
On the second day, we just wanted to have a more relaxed day and spend it on the beach.
Most of the river beaches in Gerês are located in the reservoir of the Dam of Caniçada.
- Alqueirão Beach
We spend the whole morning and afternoon at the River Beach of Alqueirão, this beach offers the possibility to relax, swim and practice water sports.
How to get here: the beach is off easy access right on the left of the bridge that goes to the Vila do Gerês, There are plenty of parking lots, restaurants, and cafes nearby.
Alqueirão Beach is one of the best river beaches in Gerês, distinguished by a golden star. I recommend spending the day with your family here, we had so much fun! We enjoy the jet ski, paddle board, swimming and the boat ride.
For more information about Peneda Gerês National Park you can check the website geres.pt
After all the fun we went to a restaurant not so far from the beach had our last meal, went back to the car and headed to the city – Guimarães. You can also check more info about Guimarães city by clicking here.
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