Discover Alijó: Wine, Hiking Trails and Culture

Alijó combines the Douro’s wine landscape with hiking trails, regional cuisine and surprisingly diverse traces of history. Its location in the Douro wine region makes winegrowing an important part of the town’s character. At the same time, trails lead into the Parque Natural Regional do Vale do Tua, while museums, churches and historic sites offer insights into the region’s culture. When looking for a holiday apartment in Alijó, it is therefore worth deciding first what you want to focus on: wine and culinary discoveries, days of hiking, or a trip alternating between culture and nature.

Wine and regional specialities in Favaios

Favaios is situated on a plateau covered with vineyards. The soils are predominantly slate, while granite formations extend through the Douro wine region. Traditional bakeries in Favaios make the so-called Trigo de quatro cantos in wood-fired ovens. Visitors can get to know the local bread during a tasting. Moscatel de Favaios is also a local speciality: the wine is made from the Moscatel Galego grape variety and has been produced in the town since the 18th century.

The Núcleo Museológico Favaios, Pão e Vinho presents the history of Moscatel wine and Favaios bread. The museum is housed in an 18th-century building. Anyone wishing to learn more about the traditional production methods for Moscatel and Douro wines can arrange a guided tour of the Adega de Favaios. Reservations are required at least four hours in advance. The annual Festival do Moscatel D'Ouro is also dedicated to promoting Moscatel.

Hiking trails in different formats

The trails around Alijó offer various ways to experience the landscape. The PR2 Trilho da Senhora da Cunha follows the right bank of the Tua River for about one kilometre and leads to Monte da Senhora da Cunha, where a chapel dedicated to Senhora dos Prazeres stands. The PR4 Trilho de Santa Eugénia-Carlão runs through the Parque Natural Regional do Vale do Tua.

The PR15 Trilho de Alijó-Senhora da Cunha is a linear hiking trail that begins in Alijó. At the end, it leads from the vineyards of the Douro wine region into the Parque Natural Regional do Vale do Tua. There, a woodland landscape surrounds an imposing granite massif crossed by the Vale da Cabra. For a circular route, the PR16 Trilho de Alijó-Castedo is a good option: it starts and ends in Alijó and includes a detour to Monte de São Domingos.

The PR1 Trilho das Fragas Más near Safres offers further impressions. The trail provides views of the Tua River and the Amieiro-Safres-São Mamede de Ribatua microreserve and follows several sections of a Roman road. In the wider area around Alijó, in the Parque Natural Regional do Vale do Tua, 164 bird species can be found. Birdwatching trails with signs, information and observation structures are also planned for the Vale do Tua.

Culture between history and the present

There is also plenty to discover away from the trails. Alijó’s main church dates from the 18th century. The Casa dos Mansilhas building, from the same period, now houses the Casa da Cultura de Alijó. The Fundação Casa Museu Maurício Penha presents various exhibitions of painting and sculpture throughout the year. The Plátano Centenário in Alijó was planted in 1856. The Teatro de Favaios opened in 1919 and has seating for 400 spectators.

Among the region’s older historical sites are the Anta de Fonte Coberta, a rare vestibule-type dolmen on the Planalto da Chã, and the Abrigo Rupestre da Pala Pinta. The latter is a prehistoric rock shelter with schematic rock art and a depiction featuring solar symbolism. Castelo de Vilarelho is a fortified settlement where the region’s first population groups lived during the Iron Age. The Casa dos Milagres at the Senhor de Perafita sanctuary also preserves a valuable collection of votive paintings.

Which location suits your trip?

Alijó is a suitable thematic base for a trip where hiking trails, local history and the wine landscape come together. If a circular tour without changing the starting point is important, the PR16 is an alternative planning option to the linear PR15. Those placing Favaios at the centre of their trip can include its culinary traditions, museum, winery and Moscatel festival in their plans. When choosing a holiday apartment, you should therefore consider whether you primarily want to combine trails through the landscape, cultural discoveries, or wine and regional cuisine.

More places to consider

For further orientation within the area, you can also explore Alijó, Pinhao, Vale De Mendiz, Cotas, Pópulo, Santa Eugénia, Favaios, Castedo and Vilar de Maçada .

For the higher-level travel overview: Vila Real.