Hiking in Peneda-Gerês National Park

Peneda-Gerês National Park is the only national park and protected area in Portugal and is located near the northeast border with Spain. There are a couple of rivers running through the park – Limia, Cavado, and Homem, which are considered to be one of the biggest rivers in Portugal. Within the park, there are lots of ancient ruins dating back to six thousand years before Christ and are still well-preserved.

However, when we decided to go to Peneda-Gerês National Park we had no clue how to get there and there wasn’t a lot of information on the web either. Thus, we researched a bit and found that the easiest way to go there is by reaching Braga and from its bus station getting a bus to the national park.

How did we get to Peneda-Gerês National Park?

One day we decided to catch the earliest train from Barcelos to Braga, which cost us around 3 euros one way and we had to change it to Nine train station. It took us around an hour and a half to get to Braga train station and from there we walked for around 30 minutes to get to the bus station, so we can catch the bus to Peneda-Gerês National Park.

In the bus station, there were a couple of bus companies providing rides to the national park, but it was the weekend, so only Transdev had frequent rides. Thus, we waited for the bus to come to the bus station, so we can go to Peneda-Gerês National Park. The ticket for the bus cost us around 5 euros one way, but the ride took around an hour and a half, so around 11 am we arrived at the park. We took off at Campo do Gerês bus stop and from there slowly started climbing up to the top in the search for the park’s famous waterfalls.

Walking up to the national park’s highest point is not an easy job. Actually, if you are not prepared, you will have a tough time climbing it. We walked for quite a while on the road that was taking us to the top of the park until we reached the hiking trail in the forest from where we continued going up. It took us around 2 hours or even more to get to the top and to the Miradouro da Pedra Bela from where we saw the Cavado river and its huge valley. This viewpoint is one of the most well-known places from where you can get one of the most mesmerizing views over the Peneda-Gerês National Park. Thus, we stayed there for a while and were trying to decide whether we will have enough time to go to Cascata do Arado that was a hiking trail with lots of waterfalls.

Unfortunately, the last bus back to Braga was at 5 pm and we made the smart decision to slowly go down and to the bus stop, so we don’t miss our bus. After an hour we were down in the city and waiting for our bus to come. Once we got on the bus almost all of us fell asleep, as we were so exhausted from the hike.

Then, when we took off at the bus station, we decided to explore a bit Braga, as there was plenty of time before we catch our train and go back to Barcelos.

Recommendations for visiting Peneda-Gerês National Park

So, after that trip, I learned a couple of things on how to get to Peneda-Gerês National Park easier and faster. One of them is to rent a car and just go there for a couple of days if you have the chance. The rent a car will cost you around 30 to 50 euros, but if it is four or more people, it will fit you just fine.

The other way is to get the bus from the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave to Braga, which will cost u around 2 euros and in half an hour you will be at the bus station in Braga. Thus, this option will save you money and time, which is the most precious.

Overall, I enjoyed our trip to Peneda-Gerês National Park and was pretty impressed by the diverse flora it had. However, I wish I had spent more time there, a couple of hours are simply not enough to enjoy what the national park has to offer.

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