Mainland Portugal: Torre
Height: 1,993 m/6,637 ft
Difficulty: 2
Best Time To Climb: Year Round, but April – September has the best Weather
Permits Required: None
Accomodation: Manteigas
Overview
Torre Mountain is located in the National Park of Serra da Estrela and is the highest peak in mainland Portugal. It is surrounded by other beautiful mountains, such as Poios Brancos, Cantaro Raso and Cantaro Macro. At 1993m high, it just misses the 2000m barrier, which the Portuguese people believe to be magical. Due to this, Dom João VI built a tower at the peak during the 19th century, meaning the height extended up to 2000 meters (you can see this in the photo above!).
Views from Torre are incredible and during the sunny, clearer months, you are able to see the Atlantic Ocean, which is situated over 100 miles aways. Torre is also home to Portugals only Ski Resort, which can be found on the edge of the Mountain.
How to get there
Torre can be accessed by car via any of the main cities in Portugal within a few hours. Any of the cities below can easily be reached internationally by their own Airport.
Time taken to reach Torre from each City:
- Porto to Manteigas: 200 km (2 Hours and 50 Minutes)
- Lisbon to Manteigas: 315 km ( 3 Hours and 45 Minutes)
- Coimbra to Manteigas: 131 Km (2 Hours and 10 Minutes)
- Faro to Manteigas: 548 km (5 Hours and 45 Minutes)
The Route
Torre can be can be reached by either car or hiking. The hiking routes can be very beautiful and definitely make visiting the Mountain more worthwhile during the summer months.
How to reach Torre:
Follow the N339 road until you reach the Covão do Meio Lake. Park your car and walk towards the lake; where you will find the two paths all the way to the peak. A suggestion is to take the western path up, and eastern path down, but either way is simple and easy. The paths can be easily followed via the stone path and red paint which leads the way.
What to pack
It is important you pack the necessary equipment to make the climb as easy and comfortable as possible. Please find our recommended kit-list below.
Clothing
- Comfortable footwear e.g. trainers/hiking boots
- Comfortable Underwear
- Base Layer (Bottoms and Tops)
- Midlayer Top (Hoodies/Jackets)
- Softshell Jacket
- Sunhat (dependant on the time of year)
Gear
- Water Bottle
- Backpack
- Sun Glasses
- UV Buff
Additional
- Camera
- Sun Protection (Sunscreen and Lip Screen)
- Snacks and Drinks
- Small First Aid Kit
