The Portugal outdoors is an absolute haven for nature lovers. Granted, my limited time there meant I only saw a tiny section of the country Portugal in May with my mother – HER//Excursions (herexcursions.com). Still, there is no denying that even the small part that we saw was a joy. We enjoyed the outdoors in Portugal in the cities as well as the countryside.
Peneda-Gerês National Park
Geres, Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês | www.visitportugal.com as the park is known, occupies over 260-square miles in the North-East corner of Portugal where it borders with Spain. The park boasts well-marked trails, great for both day and backcountry backpacking. Only about an hour and a half from Porto, it is easy day trip when short on time. Suffice to say, make sure to visit Geres if you love nature.
I planned the visit via a TripAdvisor hiking tour. Tours are also offered by other companies and can be found through a simple web search. Of course, self-tours are also possible. I opted to do a formal tour just so I wouldn’t need to worry about the details on our second day in Portugal.
Renata guided our group of six. One of the highlights were the waterfalls. They were stunning. The water was crystalline, the rocky floor clear as day. We had a chance to laze around on the rocks as Renata encouraged us to jump in for a swim. No-one took up the offer. The May waters were still a little nippy. The other waterfall was even bigger, with a bigger pool. Getting down to the pool was rather difficult, so my mother waited for the group at a stone bridge that traversed the water.
An after-lunch jaunt to the mountain above the village was an absolute treat. Here, we were able to get a full measure of the valley. Think craggy rocks and boulders, and lush, green forest. We even spotted some wild goats. Of course, the best viewing point meant a short steep climb up followed by a crossing a small metal bridge to a promontory. My mother made it. Apparently, the old lady did not mind the dizzying heights that made my stomach sink into my pelvis.
Fun fact: There are villages located in the park. We visited Fafiano, where we not only had an amazing lunch, but also had an opportunity to tour it as well. Villages like this are great for hikers of all stripes as they offer an opportunity for sustenance and water as well as lodging. The village utilizes runoff from the water to drink, for their animals and gardens as well as laundry. Let me tell you, I have never tasted more purer water. Cold as ice as well.
My point is, a Geres visit is a must if you are ever in Porto (or even Lisbon). Just make sure to visit one of the villages as well and try out the local cuisine.
Running in Porto
I admit that I did not visit any parks in Porto. However, I did run past by a small one located on the Gaia side of the Dom Luis bridge. The bad news is that it’s a small park. The good news is that I saw public restrooms (for those inclined to GI distress).
The city is insanely steep. Between that and long cobbled hills, I freely admit I had to walk part of the way. My first run took me across the Dom Luis bridge to Gaia. It was the a precarious run down a very steep, very long hill to the bottom and river front. It was after 7AM but it was mostly empty. I thus enjoyed a great run alongside the water. The views of Porto, the water just contributed to sense of peace.
The area is cobbled, however, there are flat concrete slabs in the middle that I and others utilized a lot. I was also very grateful for the wooded section. It allowed me to rest my knees.
I stayed on the Porto side of the water for my next run. That meant me running down almost 300 steps (I lost count) to get down to the river. The path here is more unforgiving, mostly cobbles and concrete. There is also a section of at least a quarter of a mile that veers off from the river and turns into sidewalk before widening and veering to the river again.
All in all, I found the views, and the path much better on the Gaia side of the river. There were also fewer pedestrians and I did not have to worry about space, or cars on the street, unlike Porto. I suggest you try the same.
The Hills in Obidos
Running in Obidos was an opportunity for me to not only get some exercise, but also to get in a running tour of the countryside I would not have seen otherwise. I admit i did a cursory check of local trails before venturing out. My vague plan was to just run towards the giant stone aqueduct outside the village.
It was downhill to the acqueduct, where I, pleasantly, soon hit a dirt path. I quickly saw signs of a trail and I followed it. There was a quick downhill. This was quickly cut off by a relentless, unforgiving uphill. I dodged roots and rocks on the narrow path hidden between tall grass. I came upon emerald green thick thickets and trees. Soon I sped past fields and homesteads. I saw one. My run took me to a main road, where I eventually turned back.
Confession. I got lost. My ‘out’ had been so great I spent more time enjoying than noting the turns. It wasn’t for long thankfully. Neither was the next little turn. But then I found myself at an important turn and I couldn’t find the path.
Lisbon Outdoors
I did not have time to enjoy park space. However, I did run to get a sense of the outdoors. I braved the Bariro Alto cobblestones on the way to the Tagus riverfront. While part of this first mile was mostly manageable due to it being downhill, the steepness of the main long hill I had to go down made for some anxiety. I had to slow down and use caution to avoid slipping on the slick stone.
The path flattened at the riverfront. However, my run did not get any easier. I did not take in much of the water view as I worked on running my first hot and humid day of the season. The path itself is mostly concrete slab and tarred pavement. Dedicated bike and pedestrian trails make it comfortable to run in the areas that near the big busy road. The path also veers away from the shoreline a lot due to buildings. That said, it was a fairly nice view and decent experience of the Lisbon outdoors.
