Discover Mansores: Levadas, Mills and Trails

Mansores combines landscape, water engineering and religious culture in a unique way. The PR11 Trilho das Levadas trail passes through the village and by the Capela da Senhora do Rosário. Along the way are also the ten watermills known as Moinhos da Barrosa, as well as another group of three mills near Mata. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Mansores will find a starting point for days spent observing nature, exploring local history and enjoying outdoor activities.

Levadas, Mills and Different Ways to Experience Mansores

The PR11 offers several specific discoveries along its route. Casa da Terça is designated as a point of interest, and the Capela de Santo António is located in the Agras area. The Capela de Nossa Senhora do Rosário is also one of the municipality's religious heritage sites. The parish church of Mansores adds to this cultural picture. This makes it possible to combine different interests when planning a trip, without reducing the village to a single attraction.

Another option is the Rota da Terra ao Mar. It consists of two circular routes starting and ending at Parque da Serra da Vila: one route for mountain biking and another for trail running or hiking. For planning purposes, it is important to note that these routes are not officially approved or signposted and may be impassable at times. By contrast, the GR and PR trails in the Arouca Geopark are marked in both directions according to the standards of the Portuguese mountaineering federation. This distinction helps you carefully choose the activity you want and plan the right day itinerary.

Elevations, Watercourses and the Ponte Agrícola

The landscape of Mansores includes Serra Grande, at 638 metres, and Castêlo, at an elevation of 608 metres. On clear days, the Atlantic can be seen from Monte do Castêlo. At the same time, the Rio Arda and the Ribeira de Vales, also known as Rio Mau, partly form the boundaries of Mansores. Small terraced farms benefited from the water supplied via levadas from reservoirs built along these watercourses. The combination of slopes, watercourses and historic waterways also makes the area interesting for travellers who do not want to plan their stay exclusively around sporting activities.

In Avitureira, the Ponte Agrícola de Mansores, a wooden bridge, connects the Freguesia of Mansores with the Freguesia of Tropêço. It served the farming population and livestock crossing between the riverbanks. The riverbank area has a few tables and is accessible to visitors despite being privately owned. An approximately two-kilometre footpath leads to the bridge from the paved car park. From the unpaved car park, which is accessible to light vehicles and motorcycles, it is about 400 metres on foot. When planning your outing, you can compare the two access points based on their approximate walking distances.

Culture and Relaxation to Suit Your Travel Plans

The Calvário of Mansores also offers a historical point of interest. It may date from the 18th century. The seven crosses of the Calvário were joined by seven more crosses along the road between Juncido and Estrada. This gave the Via Sacra a total of 14 crosses; three of the seven roadside crosses remain. The festival of Santa Quitéria also takes place in Mansores on the first Sunday in June.

For quieter hours, Parque de Merendas de Mansores in Serra da Vila is available. The wooded picnic and recreation area has tables and toilets, with parking nearby. This allows you to round off a day of sightseeing or walking with a simple break in the countryside. When looking for accommodation in Mansores, you can therefore consider whether proximity to your preferred starting points, cultural destinations or a recreation area is most important to you. You should check specific amenities, prices and availability with each individual holiday apartment.

Choose More Destinations

If you would like to compare other places for your travel plans in addition to Mansores, you can also select Burgo, Fermedo, Arouca and Espiunca. Mansores is particularly suitable for travellers who want to combine levadas, watermills, bridges, religious heritage sites and different trails in their own itinerary for the area.

For the overarching travel overview: Arouca.