Soito: Discover Tradition, the Chapel and the Landscape

Soito combines a landscape shaped by pastureland and cultivated areas with a distinctive culture of communal celebration. Those travelling with their family who want to get to know a place not only through its sights but also through its traditions will find several different points of interest here: a short hiking route, a historic chapel, annual festival dates and the Capeia Arraiana, which is closely associated with Soito.

Capeia Arraiana: a distinctive tradition

Capeia Arraiana is a communal tradition involving the handling of fighting bulls. A forcão is used for this purpose. For travel planning, the timing is particularly important: Capeia Arraiana takes place in August together with the patron-saint festival of the respective municipality. Its sequence includes the Encerro and the Boi da Prova before the main event, followed by the Desencerro.

Soito was one of the 11 localities where Capeia Arraiana was actively practised when it was included in the INPCI in 2011. This chronological context helps to understand the tradition as part of the place's cultural profile, without equating it with an ordinary leisure activity. If you are travelling with children, it may be interesting to discuss the proceedings and their communal significance together.

Hiking trail and landscape around Soito

For a stay with a more active focus, the short PR4 – Vilares hiking route begins at Avenida de São Cristóvão in Soito, in the garden next to the health centre. The specific starting point makes orientation easier when planning your day. The landscape itself is shaped by pastureland and cultivated areas and offers a different way of experiencing the place than its festival traditions.

The municipality identifies a tree as the origin of the name Soito. This detail can be included as a small curiosity when looking at the place, especially if you are interested in local stories and the connection between the landscape and the history of the locality.

Chapel, pilgrimage and local festivals

The Capela do Espírito Santo is possibly the oldest chapel in Soito. On the outside, it has undergone the fewest changes to its original architectural design. More than 200 wooden crutches were left in the chapel by people who gave thanks there for healings. This tradition makes the chapel an impressive historical and religious point of reference.

Another regular date is the pilgrimage to Santa Inês, which takes place every year on 21 January. The Festas de São Cristóvão in Soito began in 1964 and had a predominantly secular character; for this reason, they were referred to as a civil festival. Both details illustrate different aspects of the local festival calendar.

Insights into regional produce and equestrian traditions

Salsicharia is also among the local products associated with Soito. The I Feira do Touro e do Cavalo, held from 14 to 16 September 2018 at the Praça de Touros do Soito, offers a historical overview of the connection between festivals, horses and Capeia. The programme at the time included show jumping competitions, a display of Lusitano foals, a performance with forcados and mounted bullfighting, working equitation, and an equestrian performance with a particular focus on the mounted Encerro and Capeia.

Choose Soito as your holiday destination

When searching for a holiday apartment in Soito, you can consider the focus you want for your trip: Would you mainly like to experience the landscape and go hiking, learn about cultural traditions or choose a date in the annual calendar as the occasion for your visit?

For further orientation within this hierarchy, you will also find Sortelha, Vale das Éguas, Quadrazais, Sabugal, Rapoula do Côa and Fóios.

For the higher-level travel overview: Sabugal.