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Mountain Big Route

Ponte de Lima 41° 49' 21,4" N | 8° 40' 55,6" W
Ponte de Lima

The Great Mountain Route is a long pedestrian path. It involves several extensions inserted in the counties of Caminha, Ponte de Lima, Arcos de Valdevez and Ponte da Barca. The respective markings and signs comply with international standards.

The stage of the municipality of Ponte de Lima, with approximately 36.19km, starts at the slopes of the Serra de Arga, next to the old State Forestry Corps house of Alto do Cavalinho, and ends at the Red Cross, bordered by Arcos de Valdevez.

The itinerary runs through the northern mountainous area of ​​the Limiano territory, crossing the parishes of Estorãos, Cabração, Labruja, Rendufe, Labrujó and Vilar do Monte. It allows the contact with several natural and human elements that stand out for their originality, due to the rudeness imposed by the environmental conditions that are felt in space, as well as the authenticity they confer to the territory.

In the Serra d'Arga, we began to descend with short steps and entered the cave of the Alto do Cavalinho wolf, a structure of popular architecture, with converging V-shaped walls that served to capture and kill the wolf. The animal, formerly known as a "beast", was exhibited in the mountain villages by the "Monteiros", showing to the population the being that frightened them.It is certain that currently the Iberian wolf in Portugal is feared, hated and worshiped. In the mountains of Arga, there is a small wolfpack and often the wolf is sighted by these stops.We continue the itinerary, and undoubtedly that the valley of Lima is the protagonist of the landscape with characteristics high minhotas of different predominant greens.The picturesque villages and, namely, the friendly people of these mountain lands, reinforce the feeling that we are welcome and, at the same time, reassure us with small stories and empirical knowledge.

Arriving at Cabração, we highlight the Parish Church at the architectural level and the several cruises and mines that we find around the way, synonymous with great religious worship. In Labruja, we can not fail to mention an important point related to the religious history, since this route coincides in short sections with the "Camino de Santiago". We stepped into Rendufe and Labrujó, along the river Labruja, The terraced are the main distinguishing factor. The terraces were the way found by man to increase the availability the agricultural area, and meet the demands of the concomitant demographic increase, which began in the 17th century.

We left Labrujó and started to climb to Vilar do Monte. In the last few miles of this stage, up to the Red Cross, we will often pass by wild garranos grazing freely on the mountain. Garrano, one of the three national equine breeds, is considered by many to be the most emblematic figure of the millennial biodiversity of Northwest Portugal.

As we mentioned earlier, these last steps lead us to the municipality of Arcos de Valdevez. We can not fail to mention that the diversity of landscapes, colors, cultural, religious, ethnographic, gastronomic and human heritage make this stage one of the most complete on the Great Mountain Route.

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Description
The Great Mountain Route is a long pedestrian path. It involves several extensions inserted in the counties of Caminha, Ponte de Lima, Arcos de Valdevez and Ponte da Barca. The respective markings and signs comply with international standards.

The stage of the municipality of Ponte de Lima, with approximately 36.19km, starts at the slopes of the Serra de Arga, next to the old State Forestry Corps house of Alto do Cavalinho, and ends at the Red Cross, bordered by Arcos de Valdevez.

The itinerary runs through the northern mountainous area of ​​the Limiano territory, crossing the parishes of Estorãos, Cabração, Labruja, Rendufe, Labrujó and Vilar do Monte. It allows the contact with several natural and human elements that stand out for their originality, due to the rudeness imposed by the environmental conditions that are felt in space, as well as the authenticity they confer to the territory.

In the Serra d'Arga, we began to descend with short steps and entered the cave of the Alto do Cavalinho wolf, a structure of popular architecture, with converging V-shaped walls that served to capture and kill the wolf. The animal, formerly known as a "beast", was exhibited in the mountain villages by the "Monteiros", showing to the population the being that frightened them.It is certain that currently the Iberian wolf in Portugal is feared, hated and worshiped. In the mountains of Arga, there is a small wolfpack and often the wolf is sighted by these stops.We continue the itinerary, and undoubtedly that the valley of Lima is the protagonist of the landscape with characteristics high minhotas of different predominant greens.The picturesque villages and, namely, the friendly people of these mountain lands, reinforce the feeling that we are welcome and, at the same time, reassure us with small stories and empirical knowledge.

Arriving at Cabração, we highlight the Parish Church at the architectural level and the several cruises and mines that we find around the way, synonymous with great religious worship. In Labruja, we can not fail to mention an important point related to the religious history, since this route coincides in short sections with the "Camino de Santiago". We stepped into Rendufe and Labrujó, along the river Labruja, The terraced are the main distinguishing factor. The terraces were the way found by man to increase the availability the agricultural area, and meet the demands of the concomitant demographic increase, which began in the 17th century.

We left Labrujó and started to climb to Vilar do Monte. In the last few miles of this stage, up to the Red Cross, we will often pass by wild garranos grazing freely on the mountain. Garrano, one of the three national equine breeds, is considered by many to be the most emblematic figure of the millennial biodiversity of Northwest Portugal.

As we mentioned earlier, these last steps lead us to the municipality of Arcos de Valdevez. We can not fail to mention that the diversity of landscapes, colors, cultural, religious, ethnographic, gastronomic and human heritage make this stage one of the most complete on the Great Mountain Route.

Download the file:

Visite Ponte de Lima
Visite Ponte de Lima
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