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LONG ROUTES
GR 11 Caminho de Santiago
The GR 11 (the reference of the E-9 in Portugal) begins in the
South-West of the Iberian peninsule, specifically in Cabo San
Vicente, and goes along the whole of the Portuguese coast until
its Northern side, where it goes into Galiza (to Santiago de Compostela)
and continues by Spain (where there is no reference of its route)
and the rest of Europe. It is planned that the GR 11 will end
in Saint Peterburg, Russia.
The most important places by which the route goes on are: Cabo
San Vicente, Aljezur, Santiago do Cacém, Grândola,
Alcácer do Sal, Palmela, Sesimbra, cap Espichel, Porto
Bramdäo, Belem, Cascais, Sintra, Mafra, Torres Vedas, Bombarral,
Óbidos, Caldas de Rainha, Alcobança, Leira, Coimbra,
Gaia, Porto, Rates, Courel, Barcelos, Balugâes, Ponte da
Lima, Serra d'Arga, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Valença and
Tui.
Nowadays, there are about 200 km of marked route in three sections:
from Santiago do Cacém to Alcácer do Sal (87 km),
that goes by San Bartolomé da Serra, Santa Margarita da
Serra (beginning/end of the variant GR 11-1), Grândola,
Vale de Guizo and Barrosinha; from Sesimbra to Porto Brambäo
(60 km), that goes on by Cabo Espichel, Aldeia de Mec, Apostiça,
Fonte da Telha, Sobreda and Capança; and the third section
goes from Courel to Balugâes (about 50 km), that goes by
Furada, Pereira, Barcelos, Neiva, Vila Boa, Aborim and Balugâes.
GR 11-1
This variant begins in Santa Margarita da Serra (in the section
from Santiago do Cacém to Grândola of the GR 11),
and goes to the West about 31 km. Its route goes on by: Santa
Margarita da Serra, San Francisco da Serra and ends in Lagoa de
Santo André.
GR
12 Rota da Indanha
This is the Portuguese section of the route E-7, that in Spain
has the references GR 10 and GR 4. That's why this section begins
in the border between Portugal and Spain, specifically in Termas
de Monfortillo. From here, the route goes on by those places:
Termas de Monfortinho, Idanha-a-Nova, Castelo Blanco, Maçâo,
Fátima and Lisboa.
Nowadays,
there is a marked section of 80 km, from the border to Idanha-a-Nova.
The route goes on by: Termas de Monfortinho, Monfortinho, Barragem
de Panha Garcia, sierra de Azenha, Monsanto, Idanha-a-Velha (confluence
point with the GR 22), Alcaforces, serra do Almutâo, Garragem
Marechal Carmona and Indanha-a-Nova
GR 13
In Cabo de San Vicente, because of its privileged situation in
the South-Western end of Europe, there will be a significative
point of the European rambling, because this place will be the
beginning/end of two European footpaths: the E-9 and the E-4.
This GR 13 is the Portuguese reference of the European route E-4.
It begins and ends in Cabo de San Vicente. It goes to the East
until Andalusia. Its other end will be Sparta, in Greece. The
reference points of this footpath in Portugal will be: Cabo de
San Vicente, Cachopo (link with the GR 23) and Alcoutin.
GR 22 Rota
das Aldeas Históricas
It is a circular route that has about 540 km of length that links
10 historical Portuguese villages. This route has several important
values: history, culture, architecture, ecology and landscape
can be seen there. It crosses three important protected natural
areas.
Because
of its circularity, the walker can begin and end in whatever village
s/he wants. For instance: Linhares, Marialva, Castelo Rodrigo,
Almeida, Castelo Mendo, Sortelha, Montsanto (confluence point
with the GR 12), Idanha-a-Vielha, Castelo Novo, Piódâo
and Linhares.
GR 23 Rota
Descoberta
Circular route that is 50 km long. It is full of beautiful landscapes,
pine trees and holm oaks forests, and ancient windmills.
It can
begin and end in any of the reference points: Cachopo, Casas Baixas,
VAle de Odre, Mealha, Figueirinha, Feitira, Gurrais and Cachopo.
Apart
from this route, the mountain villages of the route (Feiteira,
Mealha and Casas Baixas) have a circular route, between 4 and
17 km of length, that allows the visitor to extend the visit and
the knowledge of this rural area.
The
whole net of this route is about 140 km long in a very interesting,
unknown and non-touristic area of the Algarve.
GR 24 Linha
do Sabor
This route is about 62 km long, and it is placed in the North-Eastern
side of Portugal, near and parallel to the border with Spain.
It begins in Freixo-de-Espada-à-Cinta and ends in Duas
Igrejas.
Its
name, Linha do Sabor (Flavour line), because it follows an ancient
railway that was used to move the iron ore that came from some
mines in Reboredo, in the first quarter of the 20th century. Lately,
this railway was an important transport of people and merchandises
between the Planalto Mirandés and the coast. In the 80s,
trains disappeared and nowadays it is a valid rambling path. The
most important places of the route are.
Freixo-de-Espada-à-Cinta, Lagoaça, Bruçó,
Vila de Rei, Mogadoro, Variz, Urróz, Sendim and Duas Igrejas.
SHORT
ROUTES
Nowadays, there are 22 marked PR distributed in different areas
of Portugal, and 25 in the Açores islands. Apart from them,
there are about 30 more PR that are coming.
Copyright © 1999 Catalana de Senderisme
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