Discover Off-the-Beaten-Path Destinations in Portugal

Portugal aims to welcome visitors with open post-lockdown arms this summer, with plans in the pipeline for an “air bridge” that will hopefully mean quarantine-free travel come July.

Forget the package-tour resorts; the real appeal of the country lies in its wild, thrillingly remote places. From granite mountains where you can hike from one sun-bleached village to the next to raw, rugged coastlines shaped by the tempestuous Atlantic, here are a few off-the-beaten-path Portugal destinations.

Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês

If you desire off-grid isolation, this 703-sq-km national park, tucked away in Portugal’s far north, is the stuff of dreams. The landscapes are phenomenal, with granite mountains rising above oak and pine forests, mountain streams carving through valleys, and eyrie-like villages and espigueiros (granaries built on stilts) perched atop hillsides overlooking terraced fields. With such unperturbed nature here, ibex, deer, wild horses, and Iberian wolves find plenty of hiding places.

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It’s easy to give civilization the slip, especially in the lesser-visited north of the park, accessed from the Lamas de Mouro gateway. It’s a terrific place for hiking, with glacially eroded mountains leading to wildflower prairies, waterfalls cascading into deep ravines, and wild horses grazing the savannah. Peneda, with its domed peak, pilgrimage church, and ruined Moorish castle, makes a great base for the Trilho Castrejo, a 17km (11 miles), seven-hour loop traversing some of the park’s oldest footpaths.

Alto Douro

Porto is just a cork pop away from one of off-the-beaten-path Portugal’s most ravishingly beautiful landscapes – Alto Douro. Unfurling along the banks of the Rio Douro from Peso da Régua, this region is a rolling tapestry of steeply sloping terraces, delicately embroidered with vines. One of the world’s oldest demarcated wine regions, this Unesco Heritage site looks back on 2000 years of winemaking prowess, with bountiful reds, mineral-fresh whites, and fine ports that are still much celebrated today. Many can be sampled at the whitewashed quintas (wine estates) that stand sentinel above the calm waters of the river.

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Pinch-yourself-pretty Pinhão serves as a great base for wine tastings and embarking on the thrilling drive along the N313-2 to Miradouro São Leonardo de Galafura, which commands stunning views of the vines and river.

Estremadura

Though just north of Lisbon, the Estremadura is often eclipsed in favor of coastlines closer to the capital or the Algarve’s beaches down south. However, this unsung region, stretching from the Rio Tejo to the wave-hammered Atlantic Ocean, is ripe for discovery. There’s a little bit of everything that makes Portugal special in this region: white-sand beaches, vast pine forests, vineyards, castles, monasteries, and historic villages, all with fewer crowds.

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Peniche is all about the surf, but if it gets too lively, take a boat across to the Reserva Natural da Berlenga. Rock formations and caves etch the craggy coastline of this island nature reserve, while offshore shipwrecks beckon divers into the deep-blue depths. Visit Óbidos, a half-hour drive inland, known for its charming, bone-white, red-roofed houses encircled by intact medieval walls and crowned by a Moorish castle.

Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela

With trails threading into the wild blue yonder of the country’s highest mountains, this is off-the-beaten-path Portugal at its most rugged and spectacular. You will need your own wheels to tackle the tortuous, hairpin bend-riddled drives that deliver you to the foot of wind-battered crags, highland pastures, and sheer-sided valleys wooded with sweet chestnut and holm oak. Encompassing over 888 sq km (343 sq miles), the Serra da Estrela Natural Park is the country’s largest and oldest protected space, with its highest point at 1993m (6539ft) Torre, mainland Portugal’s pinnacle.

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A picturesque gateway is Manteigas, located right in the heart of the park, featuring sulfur-rich hot springs and walking trails that twist past terraced meadows and shepherd’s huts. Alternatively, venture further west to Seia for rural accommodations and a visit to the Centro de Interpretação da Serra da Estrela, which provides insights into exploring the park.

West Coast Algarve

Beyond the big resorts on the Algarve’s south coast, the west is where you’ll uncover true wilderness and a genuine get-away-from-it-all atmosphere. Plan a road trip to remote coves, dune-flanked nature reserves, and sickle-shaped beaches of butterscotch sand that bear the full brunt of the Atlantic. Much of the coast forms part of the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, a nature reserve protecting coastal wetlands, marshes, rock formations, and cliffs impressively reshaped by wind and water.

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Commence your south-north drive at the isolated headland of Cabo de São Vicente, where razor-edge cliffs signify Europe’s most southwesterly point. From here, carefully ascend the coast, stopping at Praia do Castelejo, where fishers cast into the spindrift of the roaring Atlantic, the laid-back surf town of Carrapateira, and nearby Praia do Amado. Dunes blend into massive rollers at lagoon-side Praia da Bordeira, while cliffs plunge to a generous curve of golden sand at Praia da Arrifana, just north. The quaint town of Odeceixe and Moorish castle-topped Aljezur provide enticing stop-overs.

Alto Alentejo

A perfect place to escape, the Alentejo occupies a substantial part of the country, characterized by gold-brushed plains, expansive skies, cork oak forests, and gently rolling hills ribbed with vines and olive groves. A self-designed trip takes you from one charming marble town to the next in this quietly lovely region. If more temptation is needed, savor the food: Alentejo presents some of Portugal’s finest produce, from smoky porco preto (black pork) to seafood, almonds, olive oil, and full-bodied red wines.

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A farm stay is the ultimate experience, with the galo (cockerel) as your morning wake-up call. While the charms of ring-walled &Évora and its Templo Romano are well-publicized, they merely serve as a prelude to the rest of the region. Make time to visit the jaw-dropping castle-topped hill town of Monsaraz, fortified, medina-like Elvas, and dazzlingly white, precariously perched villages like Castelo de Vide and Marvão.

Trás-os-Montes

Life unfolds at a deliciously slow, old-fashioned pace in the Trás-os-Montes, a rural area that extends east of Porto, bordering the Alto Douro and nudging up against Spain. The joy of being here goes beyond maps and apps: explore time-stopped villages nestled among vineyards, olive groves, and almond orchards. From the silent, heather-brushed hills of the north to the sheer-sided canyons of the arid east, this outdoorsy region will entice you to hike, bike, camp, and wild swim.

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The university town of Vila Real serves as a cultured base, worthy of a stop for its baroque architecture and rosé wine at Casa de Mateus. Just north lies the Parque Natural do Alvão, with its rocky highlands, waterfalls, and schist villages such as slate-roofed Ermelo and the highest attraction, Lamas de Ólo. Even wilder, in the region’s northeast, is the 750-sq-km Parque Natural de Montesinho, where you can roam its trails to your heart’s content.