Stone villages just over an hour away
Northern Portugal holds some of the country’s most beautiful mountain villages: granite houses set into the hillside, rows of stone granaries standing in the sun, terraces climbing the slopes and rough stone lanes where you still hear cattle. Almost all of them lie inside or on the edge of the Peneda-Gerês National Park, between one and one and a half hours by car from Casa do Xico, in Guardizela, which is itself 30 minutes from Porto and its airport.
They make an easy day out: leave in the morning, have lunch up in the hills and be back for the end of the afternoon in the garden.
The villages to visit from Guardizela
| Village | Where it is | By car, from Guardizela |
|---|---|---|
| Ermida | Gerês valley | about 1 hour |
| Sistelo | Arcos de Valdevez | about 1h15 |
| Soajo | Arcos de Valdevez | about 1h15 |
| Lindoso | Ponte da Barca | about 1h30 |
| Pitões das Júnias | Montalegre | about 1h30 |
| Schist Villages (official network) | Lousã, Góis, Arganil | 2 to 3 hours |
Sistelo, the “Portuguese Tibet” (1h15)
Green terraces rise up the hillside along the Vez river valley, stone steps that have shaped the whole mountain over centuries. It is a landscape found nowhere else in the country, and it earned Sistelo a place among the 7 Wonders of Portugal in the Villages category. A wooden walkway follows the river and is worth taking slowly.
Soajo and its granaries (1h15)
In the middle of the village, more than twenty granite espigueiros stand together on a slab of rock, and are still in use. They are granaries raised off the ground so the maize dries away from damp and animals, and the group at Soajo is one of the largest and most photographed in Portugal. Around it, the mountains and a hearty local kitchen.
Lindoso, the castle on the border (1h30)
The castle of Lindoso has watched the Spanish border since the 13th century, and at its feet stands another of the great groups of espigueiros in Portugal. From the walls you look out over the Lindoso reservoir and the Lima valley.
Pitões das Júnias (1h30)
A mountain village in the heart of Gerês, with granite houses, centuries-old granaries and the ruins of the 12th-century monastery of Santa Maria das Júnias tucked into a valley you reach on foot. The Pitões waterfall, close by, is one of the finest in the north. It is the furthest of the five and deserves a full day.
Ermida, in the Gerês valley (1h)
The closest of them all. A small village of granite houses, and the starting point for some of the best trails in the park and for the pools and waterfalls of the valley. A good choice if you want the mountains without the drive.
So where are the Schist Villages?
This one causes a lot of confusion, so it is worth clearing up. The official Schist Villages network is in central Portugal, around Lousã, Góis and Arganil, two to three hours by car from Guardizela. They are villages of dark schist, such as Piódão, Foz d’Égua or Janeiro de Cima, and they are too far for a day trip from here.
The villages of the north are built mostly of granite rather than schist, and that is what gives them their pale tone and thick walls. They lose nothing in beauty, and they have the advantage of being close.
Tips for visiting
- Wear comfortable shoes: the lanes are uneven stone and there is always a climb.
- Go early in the morning, for the light and for the quiet.
- These are lived-in villages, not open-air museums. The silence is part of them.
- Try the mountain cooking: kid, cured sausage, serra cheese and honey.
- In winter the highest villages can see snow. Check the roads before heading up.
Frequently asked questions
Sistelo, Soajo, Lindoso, Pitões das Júnias and Ermida, all inside or on the edge of the Peneda-Gerês National Park, between one and one and a half hours by car from Casa do Xico, which is itself 30 minutes from Porto airport.
No. The official Schist Villages network is in central Portugal, around Lousã, Góis and Arganil, two to three hours by car from here. The stone villages of the north are mostly granite and are far closer to Porto.
For the stone terraces that climb the hillside along the Vez river valley, shaping the whole mountain. Sistelo was voted one of the 7 Wonders of Portugal in the Villages category.
Granite granaries raised off the ground, used to dry and store maize away from damp and animals. Soajo and Lindoso hold two of the largest groups in the country, with dozens of them standing together.
Yes, if you pick two close together. Soajo and Lindoso are less than half an hour apart and work well on the same day. Pitões das Júnias is further out and deserves a full day.
Casa do Xico makes a good base for these trips: out in the countryside, but with a whole house and a pool to come back to at the end of the day. See also our trails in the region and our guide to what to do in Guimarães.