Discover Quadrazais

Quadrazais brings together a distinctive local history, cultural heritage and the landscape along the Côa. If you are looking for hotels in Quadrazais, the area’s local themes can help guide your stay: these include the gíria quadrazenha, historic buildings and festival traditions, as well as the river landscape and nearby paths. The following points can help you consider cultural history, event dates and routes as distinct areas of interest.

Cultural history and buildings

The gíria quadrazenha is a distinctive part of local history. Its first known record dates from the reign of D. Pedro IV; smugglers used it until the 1960s. The early record and its later use mark different stages in its history. Another landmark is the year 1651: at that time, the Spanish suffered a major defeat in Quadrazais.

The buildings also mark historical periods. The Igreja Matriz de Quadrazais is the village’s most significant monument and dates from the 17th century. The Capela de Santo Cristo dates from the 19th to 20th century. You can therefore encounter different periods in the village, from the early modern parish church to the later-dated chapel. Traditional women’s clothing from Quadrazais, more than a hundred years old, is also on display at the Junta de Freguesia.

Festivals and local traditions

Quadrazais’s main festival takes place on 16 September in honour of Santa Eufémia. In August, the Junta de Freguesia and a local association organise activities such as the Capeia Arraiana. If you would like to plan your trip around a festival, the September date and the August activities are two separate points of reference; check the specific event dates before your visit.

The Capeia Arraiana is a communal form of bullfighting that uses a forcão. In Quadrazais, the traditional bull run was held using a forcão, garrochas and garrochões. These terms refer to specific elements of the tradition, while the communal nature describes the Capeia Arraiana.

Regional cuisine

Quadrazais cuisine includes roast kid goat, cured meats and wild rabbit. Côa trout and Serra da Malcata cheese are also mentioned. The selection therefore includes meat dishes and cured meats as well as fish and cheese. If regional cuisine is also of interest when planning your trip, these specialities offer another way to experience the village and its surroundings.

Along the Côa and at the edge of the Serra da Malcata

Praia Fluvial de Quadrazais, also called Zona de Lazer da Lameira, is situated on the Côa River beside the village of Quadrazais and at the edge of the Serra da Malcata Nature Reserve. In 2023, Praia Fluvial da Lameira received the “Qualidade de Ouro” award from Quercus – Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza. There are walking trails around Praia Fluvial de Quadrazais, with paths leading into the nature reserve landscape. The area is also part of the Grande Rota do Vale do Côa.

The routes along the Côa follow different courses. The Grande Rota do Côa stage between Vale de Espinho and Quadrazais runs along the river’s right bank as far as Moinho do Rato. The stage reaches Quadrazais via a 1.2-kilometre, unmarked detour outside the GRVC, through cultivated fields. It is worth checking the route of this detour before setting out.

A cycling route described by Município do Sabugal starts in Sabugal, follows the course of the Côa, passes through the parishes of Quadrazais and Vale de Espinho, and climbs to Serra das Mesas, the source of the Côa. The routes described therefore differ in both their course and mode of travel: the Grande Rota information follows the riverbank and includes the unmarked detour; the cycling route follows the Côa and climbs to its source.

Discover more destinations: Soito, Sortelha, Fóios, Vale das Éguas, Rapoula do Côa, Sabugal.

Go to the main travel overview: Sabugal.