Serra da Estrela: Portugal's Rooftop

The Serra da Estrela is the highest mountain range in mainland Portugal and, for Spanish motorcyclists crossing the border for the first time, a huge surprise. Few expect to find high-mountain landscapes in Portugal, with glacial lakes, peaks over 1,900 metres, snow in winter and mountain passes as technically challenging as those in the Pyrenees. And yet, the Estrela offers it all: the N339, which climbs from Seia to Torre (1,993 m, the country’s highest point), is one of the finest mountain roads in the whole of the Iberian Peninsula, with over 30 km of continuous ascent, constant bends and a landscape that shifts from Atlantic greenery to Alpine granite in less than an hour.

The Zêzere Glacial Valley, one of the most perfectly formed glacial valleys in the whole of Western Europe, is a must-see stop on the route. It is a perfectly U-shaped valley, carved out by the ice during the last ice age 20,000 years ago, and can be seen from a viewpoint on the N339, which offers one of the most breathtaking panoramic views in the whole of Portugal. At the bottom of the valley, Covão d’Ametade is a glacial meadow surrounded by granite walls, reminiscent of the cirques of the Alps.

Serra da Estrela cheese is probably the most famous and prestigious cheese in the whole of Portuguese cuisine. It is a sheep’s-milk cheese curdled with thistle flower (rather than animal rennet), which gives it a creamy texture and an intense, utterly unique flavour. It is produced exclusively from the milk of Bordaleira sheep that graze on the slopes of the mountain range, and the best time to try it is in winter, when the cheese has reached its optimum maturity: soft on the inside, with a hard rind that can be broken open to eat the inside with a spoon.

Manteigas, the ideal base for exploring the mountains, lies nestled in a glacial valley at an altitude of 700 m and is one of the most charming villages in the whole of the Portuguese interior. The N232 road that runs through it, winding down from Poço do Inferno (a spectacular 40-metre waterfall) to the valley floor, is a stretch of hairpin bends through oak and chestnut forests that Portuguese motorcyclists consider to be one of the best in the country.

Motorcycling tip: the road up to the Torre (summit) is tarmacked all year round but may be closed due to snow from November to April. Petrol in Portugal is more expensive than in Spain (~€1.70/l vs ~€1.50/l), so it’s best to fill up before crossing the border. For accommodation, in Manteigas, the Casa das Penhas Douradas is a boutique hotel with spectacular views. For a meal, at any restaurant in the mountains, ask for ‘queijo da Serra’ served with ‘broa de milho’ (corn bread) and a glass of Dão wine.