Travel Blog! Peneda-Gerês National Park

Portugal’s National Park

Hey! I hope everyone back in Canada is enjoying the snowy weather!

I’m currently here writing this post in the gorgeous sunshine, looking at the ocean in Portugal. The rainy season has just ended, so everything is nice and green. Fresh plants and blooming flowers. Bumble bees everywhere!

Yesterday Justin and I took a trip to Peneda-Gerês National Park. It’s honestly my favourite spot here in Northern Portugal. The drive takes you through massive mountain tops and down into the valley where people actually live. The park was established in 1971 with the goals of education and tourism in mind. It does just that! I am amazed by the views! We even drank from a waterfall (the most delicious water ever)!

We actually entered the park through a different way than last time. We got to see things we had never seen before. It takes about an hour and 45 minutes to get to the church in the valley. We stopped at a bridge overlooking a river to take a few pictures!

There is one lookout spot that I remembered from the last time we visited. It has the perfect view of the valley and you stand right at the mountain tops. I truly love coming here! There are 6 camping sites in the National Park, as well as hiking trails that lead out to lookout spots. The only thing that I didn’t love about the trip was the winding roads! Holy was I ever carsick. It’s also pretty nerve-racking turning around the sharp corners when it’s a single lane road on the edge of a mountain.

We finally arrived at the Church of Peneda. A beautiful walk and lovely cafe’s and a hotel nearby make it a perfect place for tourists. There is so much history and culture in one place. I absolutely love it.