The village of Liboreiro

The road twists up the side of the Ceira valley, through pine, eucalyptus and the yellow flowers of the mimosa, offering glimpses of the panorama that is yet to appear. Most people arriving in the village for the first time exclaim when they see the view – some 50-70km over the Mondego valley to Mt. Montemuro (1382m)

The tapestry of forest, villages and river valleys is impressive enough on its own, but looking over the valley in the morning, when it is shrouded in a vast ocean of mist, is an awe-inspiring experience.

The village is made up of some new, but mostly old stone houses. The population is mainly Portuguese, but there are also English, Belgian and German inhabitants. There is a guest house in the village - Casa Azul – in a prime location for viewing the morning mists from its large balcony.

Behind the village the tracks lead up to the Serra da Estrela mountains, where as you walk higher, the pine and arbutus give way to heather and moorland. The Romans came to this area many centuries ago, in search of minerals, and there are several caves in the hills round about where it is thought they extracted lead, silver and gold.

Here in Liboreiro you get the best of both worlds – the wonderful views that come with the altitude, but also the cafes, shops and facilities of Gois just 4km away.