Monte: Walking Trail and Church History

Monte offers two different starting points: the Pardelhas–Monte municipal walking trail and the history of the Igreja Paroquial de Santo António do Monte. The trail shows Monte as part of a connection with Pardelhas; the church’s history tells of a change in the place of worship. So if you choose Monte as your destination, you can focus on either the route or local history.

The Pardelhas–Monte Walking Trail

The municipal walking trail connects the centre of Murtosa in the parish of Pardelhas with the Freguesia do Monte. It already runs through the Freguesia do Monte at Parque da Saldida, then continues through the town centre. It passes the Capela de Santa Luzia and continues north to Arribação.

The route description can therefore be read on two levels: as a connection between Pardelhas and Monte, and as a route through specific places within Monte. Parque da Saldida and the town centre identify the section within the locality; the Capela de Santa Luzia and Arribação link the route to a religious landmark and a destination to the north. When planning, you can decide whether to focus on Monte itself or on the entire route.

Church and Chapel in Monte

The Igreja Paroquial de Santo António do Monte was blessed on 28 August 1929 and inaugurated the following day. It replaced the Capela de Santo António as a place of worship; the chapel is now called Capela de Santa Luzia. The deciding factor was that the chapel had become too small for the growing number of worshippers.

The Capela de Santa Luzia is in Monte and is also on the walking trail. This means you will encounter the chapel’s name both in the route description and in the church’s history: the historical name Capela de Santo António and the current name Capela de Santa Luzia help explain both contexts. The church’s history explains the change in the place of worship; the walking trail passes the chapel.

Events and Cultural Dates

A previous edition of Semana do Catrazana took place from 9 to 16 June. It honoured the local population, the “Catrazanas,” and included religious celebrations for the patron saint Santo António, as well as cultural and sporting activities. The traditional Torneio de Malha was held at Parque de Lazer da Arribação as part of Semana.

The Arraial dos Santos Populares at Casa das Pinheiras was open to the general public in June 2026. This public access applied to the festival; if you would like to plan your trip around an event, check the current dates.

Seasonal and Culinary Notes

In the municipality of Murtosa, the local council provides free bicycles for visits around the area during the summer season, until early September. The offer is seasonal; check the current operating dates before your trip.

Culinary recommendations include Guedes’ “pastéis de nata.” If you plan to try them, check in advance whether the pastéis are currently available.

Discover more destinations: Pedorido, Espinhel, Cortegaça, Anadia, Tamengos, Aveiro, Eixo, Oiã.

Back to the main travel overview: Aveiro.