Page 204 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Portugal

EXPERIENCE The Beiras

Autumn foliage
gilding the Serra da
Estrela mountains

4
SERRA DA ESTRELA

! F3 £ Covilhã, Guarda @ To Covilhã, Seia & Guarda; limited local service within park
n Mercado Municipal, Rua Pinto Lucas Marrão, Seia (238 317 762); Covilhã (275 319
560); Gouveia (238 083 930); Manteigas (275 981 129)
A designated nature reserve, the Serra da Estrela’s long-distance paths and
stunning flora attract walkers and nature enthusiasts, while a winter snowfall
brings skiers to the slopes around Torre.
These “star mountains” are the tallest range on mainland
Portugal. The highest point rises to 1,993 m (6,539 ft) but is
topped by a small stone tower – the Torre – to “stretch”
it to 2,000 m (6,561 ft) above the Zêzere river. The
exposed granite of the upper slopes is good for little
but grazing sheep, and stone shepherds’ huts, with
thatched roofs, form part of the landscape.
Sheep have shaped the fortunes of the area,
providing wool for a textile industry and
milk for Portugal’s best-known cheese.

The “Old Man’s Head” near
Sabugueiro, formed by the
erosion of granite
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