Discover Pópulo: Culture and Walking Trails

If you choose Pópulo as a destination for a stay, your specific interests can help you decide what to explore. Here, cultural and historical points of interest are combined with two interconnected circular walking trails. The Capela de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte and the Castro do Pópulo represent named historical sites and a clearly described landscape; the PR6 ALJ and PR7 ALJ can be distinguished by their starting points and route sections. The PR7 also has a stated route length and duration. This means Pópulo offers both historical points of interest and specific route details to help you plan your trip.

Culture, Landscape and History

The Capela de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte, also called Capela do Pópulo, is thought to date from the 17th century. In 2018, the programme for the Festa em Honra de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte included a solemn Mass and a procession. Both references use the same name but serve different purposes: the chapel is a historic building, while the festival information describes a specific year's programme.

The Castro do Pópulo is also known as the Castro da Touca Rota and Castelo de São Marcos; all three names refer to the same site. It lies on a hill between the Sabrosa and Vale de Cunho streams, both tributaries of the Tinhela. In the União das freguesias de Pópulo e Ribalonga, the Castro is classified as an “Imóvel de Interesse Público”. Those interested in the historic site can identify it by its different names and its location between the streams mentioned above.

Circular Walking Trails and Routes

The PR6 ALJ “Trilho das Muralhas” is a circular walking trail that starts and ends at the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte in the Castro do Pópulo. The route passes through Pópulo and offers a turn-off to Alto do Pópulo, where it connects with the PR7 ALJ “Trilho do Alto do Pópulo–Perafita”. The route described therefore links a start and end point at the chapel with a section through Pópulo and a connection to the second trail.

The PR7 ALJ “Trilho do Alto do Pópulo–Perafita” is also a circular walking trail. It starts and ends at the information board in Alto do Pópulo and connects with the PR6. From Alto do Pópulo, it initially follows the Roman road from Tresminas to Vesúvio; it then returns to the starting point via old paths. This route is listed as 11.5 km long, with a stated duration of 3 hours 50 minutes. These details may change if the route is diverted. If you use these figures to plan your time, check the route details before setting out.

There is a specific difference to consider when choosing a route: the PR6 uses different points of reference—the chapel in the Castro and the route through Pópulo—than the PR7, which starts and ends in Alto and includes a section on the Roman road. If the connection with the chapel matters more to you, consider the PR6; if you are interested in the described route along the Roman road, the PR7 has a clearly identified section for this.

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