Mansores: Trails, Heritage and Landscape
Accommodation in Mansores
The PR11: Levadas, Mills and Chapels
The PR11 Trilho das Levadas passes through Mansores and by the Capela da Senhora do Rosário. Casa da Terça is a point of interest on the PR11. The Capela de Santo António is also along the trail, in the Agras area. This route therefore brings you past both named buildings and traces of mill use.
The PR11 passes two groups of mills: the ten watermills known as Moinhos da Barrosa and another group of three mills near Mata. The two groups are therefore in different named locations; the ten mills at Barrosa should be distinguished from the smaller group near Mata.
Religious Heritage in Mansores
The Calvário of Mansores may date from the 18th century. Seven more crosses were added along the route between Juncido and Estrada, in addition to its seven crosses. The Via Sacra thus comprised 14 crosses in total. Three of the seven additional roadside crosses remain. The recorded total therefore describes the former structure, not just the crosses still standing along the route today.
The Capela de Nossa Senhora do Rosário and the parish church of Mansores are among the municipality’s religious heritage sites. Together with the chapels mentioned along the PR11 and the Calvário, they provide several specific points of reference for its religious heritage. The possible dating of the Calvário remains tentative.
Mountain Ranges, Water and Traces of Agriculture
Serra Grande reaches 638 metres in Mansores, and CastĂŞlo reaches 608 metres. On clear days, the Atlantic can be seen from Monte do CastĂŞlo. The view is therefore explicitly dependent on clear weather, so it is best considered a possibility rather than a guaranteed panorama.
The Rio Arda and Ribeira de Vales, also known as Rio Mau, form part of Mansores’ boundaries. Small terraced farms benefited from water supplied through levadas. The water came from reservoirs built along these watercourses. The levadas thus point both to the agricultural use of water and to the layout of the small terraced farms.
Ponte AgrĂcola de Mansores: Construction and Access
In Avitureira, the Ponte AgrĂcola de Mansores, a wooden bridge, connects the Freguesia of Mansores with the Freguesia of Tropêço. Historically, it served the farming community and livestock crossing between the riverbanks. There are several tables by the river near the bridge, and the area is open to visitors despite being privately owned.
An approximately two-kilometre footpath leads to the bridge from the paved car park. From the dirt car park, the footpath is about 400 metres long; this car park is accessible to light vehicles and motorcycles. After changes in the weather or land access, check local path and access conditions again.
Circular Routes and Recreational Area
The Rota da Terra ao Mar consists of two circular routes, both starting and ending at Parque da Serra da Vila in Mansores: one is for mountain biking, the other for trail running or hiking. The routes are not officially approved or signposted and may be impassable at times. Check local conditions before setting out.
The Parque de Merendas de Mansores in Serra da Vila is a wooded picnic and recreational area. It has tables and toilets, with parking nearby. These details about the recreational area should be distinguished from the Rota da Terra ao Mar’s start and finish locations.
Discover more destinations: Burgo, Arouca, Espiunca, Fermedo
Go to the main travel overview: Arouca.
