in 1249, fully 250 years before Spain’s Reconquista. During this, the country was officially separated from the rest of Iberia and the Kingdom of Portugal was founded in 1128, after the battle of São Mamede (see Walk 31). Alfonso Henrique, son of the victorious Count Henry, became the first Portuguese king.
Portugal has been linked with Britain by the oldest surviving international pact (the Treaty of Windsor, 1386). At one time Portugal was one of the richest and most powerful nations in the world, due to their navigational prowess exemplified by Prince Henry the navigator (whose trainees set sail from Capela do Senhor Jesus dos Navegantes, Walk 28), ruling an empire spanning five continents. The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) dictated that of all the lands yet to be discovered, half should belong to the Portuguese.
The country was at war intermittently with Spain for hundreds of years, from the foundation of Portugal all the way until the French invasion of 1807, which was supported by Spain – leading to a rivalry comparable to that between the English and the French. This is likely to be why they have gone to such great lengths to ensure that despite both languages being derived from the same Latin roots dating from the Roman occupation, they sound so different. Portugal was involuntarily brought back under Spanish rule by Philip II of Spain (who then became Philip I of Portugal) in 1580 during the succession crisis – which later undermined the Treaty of Windsor, as the Spanish Armada contained some Portuguese ships.
The Portuguese War of Restoration, officially only ending in 1668, did not reverse the decline from the country’s pre-eminence, further exacerbated by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, and by Napoleon’s invasion of 1807.
The First Republic violently removed the monarchy in 1910, followed by severe political instability ending with a coup d’etat in 1926, which led into the Salazar dictatorship. Times were hard, and there were mass emigrations, with millions of people seeking a better life: those from the north went to Europe (hence the frequency with which French is spoken), and from the rest of the country mainly to Portuguese-speaking Brazil. Some villages were abandoned entirely, as can be seen on many walks, and in most places you will still see derelict buildings whose owners left in the diaspora.
The repression finally ended in the bloodless Carnation Revolution of 1974, following which Portugal joined the EEC in 1986, with mixed fortunes: they required an EU bailout in 2011.
Chafurdãos – circular structures whose purpose remains unknown – can be seen in the São Mamede and Tejo area (Walk 29)
Wildlife
Nature forms an important part of any outdoor activity, and the opportunities to see and enjoy it in Portugal exceed those throughout most of Europe. The Iberian grey wolf roams Peneda-Gerês. You are unlikely to see one, but may see the gnawed bones of their prey or their tracks, which look like huge dog prints of about 9–15cm diameter. There has never been a recorded wolf attack on humans in Portugal. Limited to the same area are roe deer, the symbol of the park, as are Spanish ibex. Red deer are more likely to be encountered in Guadiana, although the majority of their territory is within Spain.
Wild boar can be found in many rural areas and you are bound to see evidence of their foraging; Walk 22 is even named after them. Bears were extinct but are apparently beginning to make a return into Peneda-Gerês from northern Spain. The previously extinct Iberian lynx has been successfully reintroduced into Guadiana Nature Park. Two unexpected creatures are Egyptian mongoose and the genet, both introduced by the Moors to keep vermin under control.
Portugal is an undiscovered gem for anyone with an interest in birds, many species of which can be easily seen on walks. Egyptian vultures, griffon vultures, black vultures and golden eagles (called royal eagles here) abound in Tejo and Douro. There are many migratory birds such as the strikingly coloured bee-eaters and white storks. The latter are present all over Portugal, from spring to autumn; even when they have returned to Africa, their huge nests are a constant reminder of these sociable visitors.
White stork on a convent roof; they migrate to Africa in September, returning in February (Walk 33)
Lizards are commonly encountered. There are about 20 different species, of which the most stunning is the Iberian Emerald Lizard (Schreiber’s lizard). The 11 species of snakes are all rather shy, and only two are poisonous: Lataste’s viper (with zigzag patterns on its back), found throughout Portugal, and the Portuguese viper (highly polymorphic with variable patterns or none, hence it is difficult to identify) in the far north. The endangered Mediterranean turtle may be seen by rivers and lakes in the south and the Iberian green frog is widespread throughout Portugal.
Plants and flowers
Portugal’s national tree is the cork oak (Quercus sobreiro; see ‘Agriculture’, below), often found alongside Portuguese, holm, English and Pyrenean oaks. Also widespread is the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), unusual for its contemporaneous flowers and fruits, which are used to make the local alcoholic drink Medronho.
In spring there is an abundance of wildflowers: poppies, lavender, saxifrage, geraniums, buttercups, orchids, iris, broom, native rock rose, lupins and many more. In Estrela, spring begins around May whereas in the nearby but lower Douro it tends to start in March – and yet the almonds blossom a month earlier. Further south in the Algarve, the warmer temperature advances the flourish of spring flowers even further, meaning spring could be experienced from February until June in various parts of Portugal. As the temperature warms up, the unmissable aroma of herbs including sage, thyme, rosemary and mint can be experienced on the walks. To cope with the very hot and dry conditions in the summer, some plants have needle-like or furry leaves to reduce evaporation; cacti and succulents have thick waxy leaves to store water, while other plants become dormant and annuals set seed by early summer. In autumn, the golden grasses complement the colour of the clear blue skies.
Miniature daffodils, Serra de Estrela; gum rockrose, which originated in Portugal; common rhododendron (endangered endemic Iberian subspecies), Monchique
The diverse growing conditions nurture a huge variety of plants. The dry and very mild winters in the Algarve, which has relatively sandy soil, attract temperate plants. On the Costa Vicentina, the very low-lying plants are able to withstand drying salt-laden Atlantic winds. Many are endemic to this region, including the local rock rose (Cistus palhinhae). In the north and more mountainous regions, plants have to be hardier to thrive in wet, cold conditions, being covered with snow for up to half the year.
Agriculture
Arboriculture for wood, paper and cork is widespread in Portugal, which is the world’s largest cork producer. The bark is stripped and dried without killing the tree, about every nine years. The tree is then labelled with a number; if marked ‘15’ this means it was harvested in 2015 and will be ready again in 2024. The industry is in decline as wine producers are switching from natural to cheaper but less aesthetically pleasing options. However, screwtops’ inability to breathe may cause sulphurisation and stop wine ageing properly, and their plastic lining degrades with time. In addition, while it is true that screwtops prevent cork taint, many would argue that the wine experience is poorer without the ‘pop’ of a cork.
A pile of harvested cork drying in the sun
The fast-growing acacia, eucalyptus and pine are all cultivated for paper pulp, but unfortunately they are more flammable. Australian acacia (Acacia dealbata) is very invasive and eucalyptus’ deep
