The Serra da Estrela, the only mainland Portuguese range to top 1,900 m, offers a singular climb from Manteigas, through a glacial valley rare on the Iberian Peninsula, up to the summit of the Torre.
A climb from a glacial valley
From Manteigas, the road climbs 21 km for 1,250 m of elevation gain up to the Torre, at 1,993 m, the highest point in mainland Portugal. The first kilometres follow the Vale do Zêzere, a U-shaped glacial valley carved by Quaternary glaciers, before the road rises in hairpins toward increasingly bare terrain, dotted with granite boulder fields typical of the massif.
Getting the ride right
A compact or triple crankset is still recommended for this long climb, high altitude by Portuguese standards. Weather can change quickly near the summit, exposed to the wind: warm layers are worth carrying for the descent, even in high summer.
When to go
May to October, as the Serra da Estrela hosts mainland Portugal’s only ski resort and stays closed by snow in winter. July and August offer the best conditions, with the chance to try the local sheep’s cheese, Queijo da Serra, on the way back down to Manteigas.
Good to know
Manteigas, a small town at the bottom of the Vale do Zêzere, offers enough accommodation for a stopover, with convenient access to Covilhã, on the opposite side of the massif, for combining the climb with a descent via a different route.
