Serra da Estrela

Highest Mountains Of Mainland Portugal (Torre, About 1,993 M); Natural Park (1976) And UNESCO Global Geopark Estrela (2020) · Manteigas, Guarda

The Serra da Estrela is the highest range in mainland Portugal, a granite plateau in the centre of the country that tops out at Torre, about 1,993 m. It is the one place in Portugal with a real alpine feel: the Zezere valley below Torre is a textbook U-shaped glacial valley, the plateau is scattered with lakes, boulders and ice-scoured rock, and in a good winter there is snow and a small ski area. Around the edges sit the wool towns of Covilha and Manteigas, the cheese villages that make Serra da Estrela cheese, and the Estrela mountain dog. Portuguese families come for the first snow and the cheese; hikers come for the valleys and the quiet. It suits walkers, drivers and food lovers rather than skiers from abroad. The honest caveat is serious: a wildfire from 9 August 2025 burned roughly a quarter of the natural park, after a large fire in 2022, so parts of the landscape are black and recovering, rain has since washed soil off burnt slopes, and some trails may be closed or damaged - confirm trail status before you hike.

Manteigas, in the glacial Zezere valley at the heart of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park; the Torre summit is about 20 km by road, Manteigas, Guarda, Portugal

The mountain is open all year and there is no entry fee to the natural park. The main road over the top between Seia, Torre and Covilha, and the road from Manteigas up the Zezere valley, close with snow and ice in winter, sometimes for days; carry chains and check the road status on the day. Museums in Seia, Covilha and Manteigas keep roughly daytime hours and often close on Mondays (confirm). There is no train into the hills: come by car, or by train or coach to Covilha or Guarda and then a taxi. Book rooms ahead for snow weekends, Christmas and Carnival, and a guide or ski pass in advance on busy winter weekends.

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