Accommodation in Gerês - In the midst of abundant nature

A dream come true

The Peneda-Gerês National Park is simply stunning. One of humanity's treasures, and spending just one day in this place is a huge mistake! So run along and read all about a great accommodation option in Gerês.

Of course, there are plenty of sightseeing options.

The park is affectionately nicknamed Gerês, despite the fact that there are other mountains in the park and only a small part is actually in the Serra do Gerês.

I confess that it was a real dream to sleep among the colorful trees at this time of year. Everyone told me that if I had enjoyed Gerês in the summer, I couldn't miss the beauty of autumn.

Of course, summer activities are more extensive, and in the heat the crystal-clear waters are more than a temptation and become a necessity to cool off.

But autumn, ahhh autumn, its multicolors are mesmerizing. The leaves on the ground make a carpet and nature shows its beauty.

I just loved it and discovered my new favorite season. The cold also has its value and spending time with the family in front of the fireplace or under the covers is super nice.

What's more, the meal takes on a whole new flavor, with that wine accompanying a beautiful piece of meat or even the appetizers that make our taste buds want more and look forward to what's to come.

I love this glamorous season.

Peneda-Gerês National Park

The Peneda-Gerês National Park deserves more than special attention as it is the only Portuguese park to be called a National Park. Of course, there are several natural parks, but the only National Park is Peneda-Gerês.

And that's not the only reason why it deserves much more than just one day: the Park is huge, covering 22 parishes spread across the municipalities of Arcos de Valdevez, Melgaço, Montalegre, Ponte da Barca and Terras de Bouro.

However, the protected area of the Park doesn't end in this region, it crosses borders into Spain and becomes the Gerês-Xurés Transfrontier Park. On the Spanish side, it is called the Baixa Limia - Serra do Xurés Natural Park.

There are castles, villages, stories, landscapes, fauna, flora and everything else you can imagine, the region is so perfect that even the Romans were there.

I think you've already understood the size of the Park and why it's so special to be able to stay in Gerês. You can enjoy everything with peace of mind and get to know corners with much more desire.

So, what would be the best option for accommodation in Gerês?

Our choice of accommodation in Gerês

We chose a spot that isn't actually in the heart of the park, but has one of the best views of all! It's a real lookout point for breathtaking scenery, with the river cutting through the lush greenery. Waking up like this makes you feel exhilarated!

In fact, we've combined the useful with the pleasant: in addition to the unparalleled view, we've also chosen another of Portugal's treasures and stayed at one of the Pestana's options, in a truly unique place. Pousada de Portugal with lots of history and charm.

Pousada Caniçada Gerês

Imagine staying in a place where the president of the country himself was inaugurated? It's simply WOW!
Between breathtaking landscapes and lush forest, you'll find crystal-clear waters and the coziness of a real mountain chalet.

In addition to the beauty of the pousada itself, which is extremely tastefully decorated, there is also a beautiful belvedere (lookout point) with views as far as the eye can see. You can even see Spain, who knew? Don't miss out.

The viewpoint overlooks the Caniçada dam, hence the name of the Pousada, in the middle of the Cávado River.

I was very happy with my stay in Gerês and also to be able to stay in one of the Pestana hotels. The Pestana chain not only holds incredible treasures and stories, but has managed to convey some of this in its excellent accommodation options throughout the country.

There are a total of 34 Pousadas de Portugal and in all of them you can travel a little through the country's magical history. Can you imagine staying in palaces, castles, monasteries or even sleeping in a room worthy of kings and queens?

History of Pousada Caniçada Gerês

Staying in a place where there is a little bit of the history of this wonderful land is sensational!
Whenever the Portuguese talk about any Pestana, there's an unparalleled sense of love and pride, and now that I've stayed in one, I can understand the care they take when talking about the Pestana.

Quality service and great friendliness, not to mention the details that make all the difference. I couldn't have chosen a better option for accommodation in Gerês.

But let's tell you a bit of the story

The history of Pousada Caniçada Gerês is intertwined with the hydroelectric plan for the Cávado River, with the construction of the Caniçada, Salamonde and Venda Nova dams. Its first designer was Januário Godinho in 1949 and 1951, and it was initially intended to be just a restaurant.

The pousada was only inaugurated in June 1968 by the President of the Republic at the time, Admiral Américo Tomás. At the time, it was owned by the Estado Novo's National Information Secretariat and was run by a French couple until April 1974.

In 1990, the Pousada was enlarged to include 28 rooms and a suite, but it wasn't until 2008 that the latest additions were made to the 38 rooms we know today.

Bedrooms

We were welcomed with fruit and water, courtesy of the Pousada. There was also tea for us to enjoy whenever we wanted.

We stayed in the Standard Suite, which was a completely comfortable 33m², with two separate rooms and I was able to have total privacy with my husband while our son slept comfortably in his own corner.

A super soft and cozy bed, with fluffy blankets and nice pillows, just the way I like people.

In the little one's room, the living room was transformed into a bedroom. The sofa bed became a great bed with all the comfort of soft pillows and blankets. I loved it, because even in separate rooms we were close and at the slightest sound of waking up I would hear him. The rooms aren't separated by a door, there's just a wall and a doorway, but that's enough.

Of course, at night we made a lot of mess in our bed before going to sleep, with lots of cartoons on the children's TV channels and then he went to his cot, which also had a TV just for him. Although there was a TV where he slept, he really wanted to be with us when we were drawing.

Another thing that really caught my eye was our balcony overlooking the valley. There are things I really like about my accommodation and a beautiful view certainly makes all the difference, I loved my stay in Gerês.

It was really nice to have that huge balcony all to ourselves. When you're traveling with a child, having that corner to yourself is essential. Of course, for younger children it's not necessary yet, but after he turned 3 I saw how good it is.

This way we could play, jump and use up all our energy without disturbing anyone. It was magical to be able to play Power Ranger with the green mountains in the background and the Cávado river below.

I loved every minute of our time in that room.

In the room there is a safe, mini-bar, heating or air conditioning, Wi-Fi and hairdryers.

Bathroom

The bathroom is all white and has a wonderful bathtub. We were almost late for breakfast because we were relaxing in the tub.

The hostel also offers amenities. There's even a sewing or dental hygiene kit, just ask at reception. If accidents happen right on the eve of a special night, you need to be prepared.

Breakfast

There's nothing like starting the day with a delicious meal, is there? Even better when there are local delicacies, like pastéis de nata, hmmm!

As usual, Emmanuel loved the scrambled eggs, but this time there was an added bonus: the wonderful local cold cuts, lots of sausages and cheeses. I only have one complaint, it's very difficult to stay on a diet like this!

We had our coffee on the outside terrace, I wanted to make the most of this experience in the magical place with the mountains in the background.

And to make the day even better, a beautiful sparkling wine to round it off! Ahhhh, of course, along with more pastéis de nata.

Common area

Every decoration has a bit of luxury, rustic and modern, it's incredible. Its large windows look like well-painted picture frames.

It's impressive, but I didn't feel like I was in a hotel or a hostel, I really felt at home.

The rooms are very inviting and it's impossible not to spend at least a few hours in front of the fireplace. I stayed there for hours talking to Emmanuel, showing him how the fireplace works, drawing and sipping coffee.

And it's not just on the second floor that you can do this. On the second floor there's also a huge lounge with a great bar for a late night or just an afternoon tea.

The windows are also part of the decoration and, as I've already said, there's a wonderful view! Call your family or friends and spend some time chatting in this atmosphere, it's well worth it.

The pool is beautiful and has special lighting at night, but the cold weather didn't allow us to enjoy it.

Restaurant

The rustic restaurant blends in with the landscape shown by its huge windows. And with that view, it's hard not to look out. The Minho flavor stands out on the menu, which by the way only has quality products. I had a hard time choosing my options and we had dinner and lunch at the Pousada, so it was double torture lol.

We tried some of their delicacies and I was surprised by the garlic butter produced by the restaurant itself at the couvert.

Don't forget to try the famous and traditional caldo verde.

The dish that really stood out was the veal cutlet, which melted in the mouth and gave us unique sensations.

The whole atmosphere is very pleasant and harmonizes to keep us relaxed and happy during the meal. And look at that view!

Lunch was paired with great wine and delicious desserts, ahhh the bacon from heaven.

Tours

We've been to Gerês a few times before, but it always shows us so many new things and we wanted to make the most of this magical trip to the National Park.

The colorful trees in winter welcomed us with their colors that made the magic perpetuate everywhere we went. It was two days of many walks and discoveries!

For the first day, we decided to take a tour with someone who knows the region, O Eduardo do My Green Away Tours.

He showed us every corner that we had been to many times before, but we had no idea it was there.

It's impressive, walking with someone who knows the region makes all the difference, so many details escape our gaze when we don't know where we're stepping.

Eduardo picked us up at the Pousada Caniçada Gerês and then went on to show us everything along the way, telling us stories, such as São Bento da Porta Aberta, among others.

The conversation was light and the places shown were magical, I got to know a completely different Gerês that day and I'm going to tell you a little about what we did:

St. Benedict of the Open Door

As soon as we started our tour, Eduardo was already telling us about the legends and, of course, the legend of São Bento da Porta Aberta. Are you curious? Then watch the video:

Many pilgrims include Gerês in their itinerary, precisely to visit the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary of São Bento da Porta Aberta is located in Aldeia do Rio Cávado. Very close to the Pousada Caniçada Gerês.

We only passed through, there was still a lot to see, but I could already see the energy of the place. I saw lots of people praying around the shrine, but why São Bento da Porta Aberta?

Legends are created over time, and Eduardo briefly told us that whenever they tried to close the door at night, it would dawn open and that's how it stayed for a while. They left the door open to welcome and shelter those who passed by. After that, the Sanctuary of St. Benedict became known as the Sanctuary of St. Benedict of the Open Door.

By the way, when we passed by it was closed, lol, but I still want to go there another time.

We continued our tour...

Geira Romana

When I say that Gerês is a magical place, I'm not kidding. Can you imagine walking through the beautiful landscapes and still finding Roman remains? Well, that's what happens in the territory of the Park in stretches known as the Geira Romana, for example. This is the communication route built by the Roman Empire to link Braga to Astorga.

The milestones are still standing today, and on some you can still see writings carved into the stones. The Geira was built during the Flavian dynasty over a 30 km stretch, passing through the municipality of Terras de Bouro.

The Geira was not only a means of communication, but also a way of knowing how far they had traveled. The milestones provided all the necessary information and, in some cases, were like stopping points, with the necessary support.

On our tour of Gerês, we met some of these landmarks, where Eduardo from the company My Green Way Tours, showed us incredible details! In the middle of a small trail, there is one such landmark among lush landscapes. This one, in particular, still had very clear writing on it, with the word "Cezare".

As well as another incredible point next to several other landmarks that were more like a support point than a real sign of how many miles had passed.

The secrets are simply incredible. I loved our accommodation in Gerês and being able to explore the whole region with greater peace of mind.

Geira Museum

This was another surprise along the way, after many stories and facts told along the milestones, our next stop was the Geira Museum.

I had no idea it existed, a museum all focused on telling the Roman history of that time.

With model representations of what the buildings looked like in the first centuries. And when I say first, I really mean first, as early as the 1st and 2nd centuries after Christ.

One of the things that struck me was seeing the old Roman houses with walls and color. When you see so many ruins along the way, you'd think it was all made of stone, wouldn't you?

Emmanuel had fun looking at the "dolls" and being able to better understand what happened at that time and, of course, in the end he became an authentic Roman warrior.

Ski Challenges

Right next to the Geira Museum, we made another "Pit Stop" at a place of fun for all the family.

EquiDesafios has several leisure options in the mountains, from horseback riding to paintball. I thought this diversity was great, as everyone can have fun in one place.

As soon as Emmanuel saw the adventure camp, he went crazy! But we were in the middle of another tour so we put it off until next time.

On this occasion, Igor went horseback riding and Emmanuel enjoyed the baptism. The little one's happiness walking around on his own was priceless!

Oops, almost lunchtime and our walk continued to a delicious place.

Corner of the past

Still in Terras do Bouro, we made our way to another stop. The delicious Cantinho do Antigamente was where we had lunch during the tour we took with Eduardo.

The place is lovely, the stone house and glass windows make the restaurant very cozy.

We had a delicious traditional dish, veal steak with bean rice, along with pataniscas that were to die for.

It was at this lunch that I met one of the most inspiring people I've ever met, 93-year-old Dona Adelaide.

A strong woman

With an immense love for the land where he lived and lives, the restaurant and the houses next door are part of his history.

She grew up and lived there, and when she saw that Minho tradition and culture was disappearing with the arrival of modernization, she couldn't stand by. Imagine her, a strong woman as she is, she couldn't stand still!

The Calcedonia Foundation was set up to preserve the local rural tradition, supporting producers who preserve the ancient art.

With great wisdom, Dona Adelaide tells us that not everything new is good and not everything old is bad. She just wants to leave all the good that tradition can offer us to future generations.

The whole identity of the region is reflected in the dishes, crops and handicrafts. She showed me beautiful handicrafts that, with modernization, are being lost to time and no one would know how to make them anymore. The way of making things that has been passed down from generation to generation would be lost if it weren't for Dona Adelaide's efforts. I was very happy to know that there is still this concern to cultivate and care for tradition, the identity of the place and things that we can't find elsewhere.

Right next to the restaurant, there is a house full of products from the Chalcedon Foundation, with handicrafts, cookies, soaps, liqueurs and lots of beautiful things.

For all this to be there, you have to follow traditional Minho production to the letter, I loved it! I learned so much from her, after all, if you believe in something, go after it and be responsible for not letting it die!

More tour options

As I've already said, the Peneda-Gerês National Park is huge and has a thousand and one attractions. It's impossible to do everything in just one day.

The points I've described were made with Eduardo from My Green Away Toursin just one day. After lunch we continued walking through the beauties of Gerês. We passed through the Mata da Albergaria and I became more and more enchanted.

Don't miss this forest, it's the place where the trees are the most colorful and BEAUTIFUL!

But I can't stop talking about other places I've visited and loved too. However, they will have to be left for another day's excursion, as the one mentioned in this report lasted a whole day.

Enjoy your stay in Gerês and get to know the region.

Lindoso Castle

Lindoso Castle is located in the parish of Lindoso, in the municipality of Ponte da Barca. An imposing and almost intact building, it is one of the most important Portuguese military monuments due to its strategic location.

However, it was not involved in any major military battles. Legend has it that people lived happily in this region and the border was not a problem. Portugal and Spain were separated only by the River Lima, from which we have a privileged view of the Castle.

From the castle, you can also see another incredible attraction! The huge granary complex, with 50 granaries dating from the 17th to the 18th century.

But don't be confused, there are no "tombs", the granaries were common at the time to dry the corn and at the same time scare away the rodents that couldn't climb the building due to its architecture. The cannons can still be seen today, but the date of their origin is somewhat lost in time: no records of the castle were found in the inquiries of 1220, and only in 1258 do records appear. This leads us to believe that Lindoso Castle was built during the reign of King Afonso III.

Balneario de Lóbios

If you want to walk a little further and cross the border. Head to the Balneario de Lóbios and take a dip in the hot springs.

Take advantage of your stay in Gerês to get to know the territory of the cross-border park as much as possible.

The water comes out at an impressive temperature! I never imagined that the natural waters would be so hot. At the time I went, I only managed to bathe in the water mixed with the river, which isn't so hot.

But I think that if it were today, the warmer water would make total sense, since the temperatures have plummeted and mixing the cold outside with the warmth of the water must be sensational.

Well, if I go on talking about the tours you can do in the Peneda-Gerês National Park, I think I'll be talking until...2050 lol

I've just mentioned a few to give you an idea of how rich the region is.

What I thought of my stay in Gerês

Pousada Caniçada Gerês is extremely beautiful. The surroundings invite you to stay and relax.

On our arrival, I was surprised by the Pestana way of being. Emmanuel was given a little book with coloring pencils, can you imagine if he didn't love it? He didn't want to leave the pousada even for a walk.

I think we were right in our choice of accommodation in Gerês, huh?

On the day we left, we really enjoyed the Pousada, checked out and stayed a little longer. I didn't want to say goodbye to my stay in Gerês, I really loved it, lol.

We took the opportunity to have lunch there, enjoying the view, the warmth of the fireplace and all the coziness.

I may not have been born in this region and my ancestors came from Porto and Viseu, but this is where I feel most at home.

I loved every walk, every leaf, every landscape. Being able to enjoy great accommodation in Gerês made it all the more special.

What I liked most was being able to have my meals with that view and playing with my little one on our balcony.

It was just what I needed to recharge my batteries. Everything is so nice and peaceful, sitting by the fire in the evening is so good!

I'm at a loss for words, but I've been told that actions and images speak volumes. So press play and come travel with us.

Cris pelo Mundo was supported in his stay in Gerês, but this post is true to my impressions.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram and enjoy all our trips in real time.
Ahhh we also have lots of news every week this way!
Or travel with us in our videos on YouTube!