Casa das Penhas Douradas
Why we like it: A mountain hotel at Penhas Douradas, above Manteigas, made of cork and birch wood, with a spa, a signature restaurant and eight waymarked trails.
Duration2 nights in Manteigas
From Salamanca2 h 30 by car
From Cáceres3 h 15
TimeAn hour behind Spain
SummitTorre, 1,993 m
Best timeMay – Oct
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to leave Salamanca on Friday at 17:00. The times in the plan are Portuguese times, an hour behind Spain. From May to October the high roads are open; in winter, the climb to the Torre is often cut off by snow.
Friday
- 118:30Arrival in Manteigas
Leaving Salamanca at 17:00, Spanish time, you arrive in daylight almost all year. A short walk round the stone village and dinner at the restaurant of the Hotel Berne, open to the public and with large windows onto the mountains: Manteigas trout, the village's feijocas or grilled kid. On Friday it serves dinner from 19:00 to 21:00; book.
Saturday
- 109:30Covão d'Ametade
At the foot of the Cântaro Magro, at about 1,500 m, where the Zêzere begins to take shape: a former glacial lagoon with birches and meadows. Flat and peaceful. In summer, at weekends the car park fills before midday: arrive early.
- 212:00The Torre, the roof of Portugal
Along the valley road to the top. At 1,993 m, it is more a viewpoint with a car park and shops than a wild summit, but on a clear day you see from Gredos to the Figueira da Foz coast. Bring a coat: up there it is much colder than in Manteigas.
- 314:00Lunch at Nubbin, in Penhas Douradas
On the way down from the Torre, the restaurant of the Casa das Penhas Douradas serves mountain cooking at midday, from 13:00 to 15:00, with wines from the regions surrounding the Estrela. It does not publish a closing day: book by phone or email. Afterwards, a siesta or a short trail from the hotel.
- 417:00Penhas Douradas at sunset
The mountain balcony above Manteigas, with a former meteorological observatory and oddly shaped rocks. With the low sun, the ranges of the centre can be seen in layers.
- 520:00Dinner at Fatiga, above the valley
The panoramic restaurant of the Casa de São Lourenço cooks Beiras recipes with seasonal produce, with its big windows over the glacial valley. It is the special dinner of the weekend; its website does not publish hours or prices, so book by phone before you go.
Sunday
- 110:00Poço do Inferno
A waterfall at 1,080 m on the Leandres stream, between granite and slate, a few kilometres from Manteigas along a narrow mountain road. Close to the road: good with children.
- 212:00Lunch at the Hotel Berne
On Sunday at midday it opens from 12:00 to 14:00 (closed in the evening): order the trout or the Manteigas feijocas, or a cheese fondue if it is cold.
- 314:00Serra da Estrela cheese and the return
Buy the cheese at a dairy in the valley: ask whether it is cured or amanteigado, creamy, opened at the top and eaten with a spoon. Leaving at 14:30 Portuguese time, you reach Salamanca around 18:00 Spanish time.
The Serra da Estrela is the highest mountain in mainland Portugal and is closer to Salamanca than many Spanish ranges: two and a half hours by car through Fuentes de Oñoro, Vilar Formoso and the A25 to Guarda, and from there to Manteigas, at the bottom of a U-shaped glacial valley. From Cáceres it is a little over three hours. It is a two-night getaway to walk without big climbs if you prefer, eat sheep's cheese with a spoon and drive up to the Torre, at 1,993 metres, from where on clear days you can see the Sierra de Gredos.
How do you get there from Salamanca?
By car, about 215 km: motorway to the Fuentes de Oñoro and Vilar Formoso border, the A25 to Guarda and a mountain road to Manteigas. When you cross the border the clock goes back an hour. Since 1 January 2025 the A25 has had no toll. Without a car, the CP Intercidades train reaches Guarda and Covilhã from Lisbon, but to climb into the mountains you need a taxi or a car: the range cannot be explored by public transport.
Where to sleep?
Manteigas is the best base: it is at the bottom of the Zêzere valley, with hot springs and stone houses, and everything is less than an hour away. In the village, the Hotel Berne is a family hotel with 17 rooms with balconies, an outdoor pool, a garden, family rooms and free parking, and its restaurant is open to the public. On the slope above the valley, on the way to Penhas Douradas, the Casa de São Lourenço occupies one of the first pousadas in Portugal, from 1940: five stars, 20 rooms and suites overlooking the glacial valley, a spa and the panoramic restaurant Fatiga. Higher up, the Casa das Penhas Douradas, in cork and birch, has a spa, the restaurant Nubbin and eight trails from the door. On the southern slope, above Covilhã, the Pousada Serra da Estrela occupies the former sanatorium of Penhas da Saúde, remodelled by Souto Moura, with a heated indoor pool, a children's club and room for a small dog.
| Where | Who it suits | |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Berne | Manteigas, in the valley | Families and mid-range budget |
| Casa de São Lourenço | Above Manteigas, with a view of the valley | Couple, five-star treat |
| Casa das Penhas Douradas | Penhas Douradas, in the heart of the mountains | Walking from the door, spa |
| Pousada Serra da Estrela | Penhas da Saúde, above Covilhã | Children, indoor pool, small dog |
The glacial valley of the Zêzere
It is 13 km long and U-shaped, and is one of the largest glacial valleys in Europe. On the sides rise the Cântaros, Magro, Gordo and Raso, three granite masses of up to 1,928 m. The whole range forms the Estrela Geopark, with marked routes and panels explaining erratic boulders, moraines and U-shaped valleys. Drive it from bottom to top at the end of the day, when the granite turns golden and there are almost no cars, or on foot along the trails at the bottom if you have a third night.
With children
Covão d'Ametade is flat and peaceful, Poço do Inferno is close to the road and there is snow at the Torre in winter. The long routes in the valley are for children used to walking.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Serra da Estrela, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Serra da Estrela
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
The mountains are best covered by road, with an eye on the snow
From Salamanca it is about 215 km via Vilar Formoso and the A25. Once up there, the car is everything: the Zêzere valley, Covão d'Ametade, Torre and Poço do Inferno are linked by mountain roads. In winter, carry chains.
80–140 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayCasa das Penhas Douradas, above…
- Getting aroundManteigas to Torre through the…
- Where to eatNubbin, at the Casa das…
- ServicesManteigas tourist point, for roads…
Where to stay
- Casa das Penhas Douradas, above Manteigas
- Pousada Serra da Estrela, at Penhas da Saúde, with free parking
- Hotel Berne, in Manteigas, with free parking and a pool
Getting around
- Manteigas to Torre through the glacial valley, from bottom to top at sunset
- Poço do Inferno along a narrow road from Manteigas
- The A25 has had no toll since 1 January 2025
Where to eat
- Nubbin, at the Casa das Penhas Douradas
- Restaurant and bar of the Pousada, with cheeses and cured meats from the mountains
- Restaurant of the Hotel Berne, in Manteigas, with trout and feijocas
Services
- Manteigas tourist point, for roads and trails
Design hotels in the heart of the mountains
The Estrela has some of the best-kept mountain hotels in Portugal: one of cork and birch at Penhas Douradas, the former 1940 pousada above Manteigas, now five-star, and the Souto Moura pousada in a former sanatorium. All three with a spa.
From €200per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayCasa das Penhas Douradas, spa…
- Getting aroundBy car; from one to…
- Where to eatNubbin, signature cooking in the…
- ServicesSpa in all three hotels
Where to stay
- Casa das Penhas Douradas, spa and eight trails from the door
- Pousada Serra da Estrela, heated indoor pool and spa
- Casa de São Lourenço, five stars with a view of the glacial valley
Getting around
- By car; from one to the other, along the Torre road
Where to eat
- Nubbin, signature cooking in the evening
- Fatiga, the panoramic restaurant of the Casa de São Lourenço
Services
- Spa in all three hotels
Walking the Estrela, from the valley to the cervunal grasslands
Manteigas is the base for walking: from the village and Penhas Douradas the municipal trails lead to the Zêzere glacial valley, Covão d'Ametade and the Poço do Inferno. Ask for the maps at the tourist office and check the forecast: up high the weather changes fast.
70–160 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayCasa das Penhas Douradas, with…
- Getting aroundOn foot from Manteigas along…
- Where to eatHotel Berne restaurant, mountain cooking…
- ServicesManteigas tourist office, with trail…
Where to stay
- Casa das Penhas Douradas, with trails from the door
- Hotel Berne, in Manteigas, at the foot of the valley
- Casa de São Lourenço, with a daily guided walk included
Getting around
- On foot from Manteigas along the Zêzere valley
- By car to Covão d'Ametade or the Torre to start from the top
Where to eat
- Hotel Berne restaurant, mountain cooking at lunchtime
- Nubbin, at Penhas Douradas
Services
- Manteigas tourist office, with trail maps and road conditions
Fly to Lisbon or Porto and drive to the mountains
From almost all of Spain the Estrela is a destination for the car, but if you fly, Lisbon and Porto have direct flights from the big Spanish cities; from both it is about three hours by car to Manteigas. Without a car, the CP Intercidades runs from Lisbon to Covilhã and Guarda.
- Getting thereLisbon (LIS), with the Intercidades…
- Getting aroundHire car at the airport…
- Where to stayPousada Serra da Estrela, the…
- ServicesManteigas tourist point
Getting there
- Lisbon (LIS), with the Intercidades train to Covilhã
- Porto (OPO), on the A25 from Aveiro
Getting around
- Hire car at the airport: the mountains have no public transport between villages
- From Covilhã, a taxi to go up into the mountains
Where to stay
- Pousada Serra da Estrela, the nearest to Covilhã and its station
- Hotel Berne, in Manteigas, if you arrive at night through the valley
Services
- Manteigas tourist point
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingin styleif you're on footif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Pousada Serra da Estrela
Why we like it: A pousada in the former sanatorium at Penhas da Saúde, remade by Souto Moura, with a heated indoor pool, spa, games room and children's club.
Hotel Berne
Why we like it: Family hotel with 17 rooms with balconies in Manteigas, at the foot of the Zêzere glacial valley, with an outdoor pool, a garden and a restaurant serving mountain cooking.
Casa de São Lourenço
Why we like it: Five-star hotel in the former 1940 pousada above Manteigas, with 15 rooms and 5 suites looking onto the Zêzere glacial valley, a spa and a panoramic restaurant.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Serra da Estrela
Nubbin, restaurant of the Casa das Penhas Douradas
What to order: at midday, the mountain cooking; in the evening, the signature menu beside the fireplace.
Hotel Berne Restaurant
What to order: the Manteigas trout or the feijocas, the village's bean stew.
Fatiga, restaurant of the Casa de São Lourenço
What to order: the seasonal menu, with a table by the window at sunset.
Tips
Worth knowing first
We'd skip it
The Torre on a snowy Sunday: traffic jams on the road, full car parks and not much snow for so many people.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Salamanca to the Serra da Estrela?
About two and a half hours by car to Manteigas, about 215 km. From Cáceres, a little over three hours. In Portugal it is an hour earlier.
Can you drive up to the Torre?
Yes, there is a road to the top and a car park. In winter it is often closed by snow.
What is the best time?
From May to October, with the high roads open. In October the trees in the valley change colour.
Are there tolls?
Not on the A25: Portugal removed the toll on this motorway on 1 January 2025.
Can you go without a car?
The train from Lisbon reaches Guarda and Covilhã, but for the mountains you need a taxi or a car.