Three days in Melgaço: what to see and do?
Located less than two hours from Porto, the municipality of Melgaço is a precious destination for well-being and leisure. If you still don’t know it, in this article we will suggest a route for a weekend with everything you are entitled to: fun, relaxation and unique flavors in full harmony with nature.
How and when to visit Melgaço
The best way to get to Melgaço and discover the various points of interest in the destination is by car. From Porto it is about 160 km, most of which are on the highway. The alternative is the bus, departing from Porto.
Melgaço is a destination with open arms to welcome you at any time of the year. If you travel in the summer, you will have long, hot days to enjoy the rivers and enjoy an Alvarinho at sunset. If you travel in winter, you will find the mountains covered with snow, in a unique landscape. Melgaço is a good destination to visit throughout the year.
It may be interesting to visit the destination on the occasion of the most emblematic events: the Festa do Alvarinho e do Fumeiro (in April), the Pegada Zero (in June), the Melgaço em Festa (in August) or the Festa do Espumante (in November). To taste Lamprey, one of the region’s specialties, you will have to travel between January and March.
Start in the village center
Castle and Keep
Located in the heart of the village, Melgaço Castle is an excellent starting point for a visit. Built by King Afonso Henriques, the castle remains the Keep and the exterior ruins. It is worth going up to the Tower to enjoy the unobstructed view over the village and the neighboring mountains.
Solar do Alvarinho
Recently renovated, Solar do Alvarinho is the place where you can enjoy, at no cost, one of the ex-libris of the destination: Alvarinho wine. Discover the history and elegant flavor of this unique wine that found its maximum potential in the Monção and Melgaço region.
Cinema Museum
Stroll through the picturesque streets of the village center and pass by the Jean-Loup Passek Cinema Museum, which has a very interesting history. Jean-Loup Passek was a well-known French filmmaker who, while filming a documentary in France, met a community of emigrants from Melgace, with whom he created bonds of friendship. Curious about the reports, he started visiting Melgaço, where he ended up buying a house and getting involved in the community. When he died, the filmmaker donated his estate to the village of Melgaço, and thus the museum was born.
Memory and Border Space
Emigration is part of the history of the people of Melgaço and therefore you cannot miss visiting this space. Discover the journey of families who left the territory in search of a better life in a lively space full of sensory elements.
Let yourself be carried away by the adrenaline
Did you know that it is possible to go rafting on the River Minho all year round? This is one of the most incredible activities that you can do on a visit to Melgaço, along with canyoning, hydrospeed, tree climbing, slide, rappel or, for the more daring, the pendulum jump.
Horseback riding in the Peneda-Gerês National Park – the only National Park in Portugal – is another activity not to be missed, along with mountain biking with the sights and sounds of the mountain as a backdrop.
And while we’re talking about the park, we remind you that Porta de Lamas de Mouro is one of the five gates of the Peneda-Gerês National Park, and a mandatory crossing point for nature lovers. The infrastructure of the pedagogical center and recreational space, with a campsite and picnic area, invites you to bathe and take walks in a unique natural experience.
Immerse yourself in the mysticism of Castro Laboreiro
A place of legends and mysteries, a territory whose borders are blurred with Galicia, where the valley and the mountains are lost to sight and the eye is filled with the immensity of the landscape, Castro Laboreiro is one of those places that transmits emotions to those who visit it.
Castro Laboreiro Castle
Castro Laboreiro Castle is one of those places that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. On top of a hill, over 1000 meters above sea level, lie the ruins of one of the most important border defense fortresses. The ascent to the Castle is made on foot, along a well-marked trail, and is done without great difficulty. At the top of the wall, you will find a panoramic view of the imposing and charming landscape of Serra da Peneda.
Not far from the Castle and already over the Laboreiro River – another of the several rivers that run through the territory of Melgaço – we find the Cava da Velha bridge, a beautiful Roman construction, perfectly framed with the landscape and in good condition. The bridge was originally built around the 1st century, having been adapted in medieval times.
Aldeia de Pontes and Waterfall
A 10-minute drive from Castro Laboreiro, in the heart of Peneda-Gerês National Park, lies Aldeia de Pontes, a traditional winter farm that has been uninhabited for over 15 years and is in the process of being reconstructed, in a project that is a compliment to the local culture. The village of Pontes is a magical place that seems to come out of storybooks that takes us back to the times of transhumance, community life, Castro traditions, keeping a handful of secrets waiting to be discovered. But that’s not all, less than 1 km from the village you will find a fabulous waterfall that invites you to bathe and take pictures worthy of postcards.
Castro Laboreiro Plateau
Since we are in Castro Laboreiro, we have to talk about Planalto, where from time to time the cachenas and garranos give the air of their grace. It is also here that you can visit the largest megalithic necropolis on the Iberian Peninsula, and one of the largest in Europe, with close to a hundred dolmens on this and the other side of the border.
Branda da Aveleira
On the way to Castro Laboreiro, you will find one of those places that make your soul warm. Haven’t we already told you about the stories of “Brandas” and “Inverneiras”? Well, Branda da Aveleira is one of those places, however it was recovered and transformed into a tourist village, where you can stay in the middle of nature.
Evasion and relaxation
We are sure that you have already heard about the Melgaço Hot Springs and the healing powers of our waters. But have you seen how beautiful our hot spring is? And has the water tasted? If the answer is no, then you really have to visit the thermal park, bathe in our waters, relax with our treatments and enjoy the calm and tranquility of the place.Enjoy and discover the most beautiful hot spring in the world.
Melgaço meadows
And while we’re talking about relaxation, know that here in Melgaço we also treat animals like a prince and we even have a spa for goats. That’s right! The goats from the Prados de Melgaço cheese dairy produce the best milk thanks to the care with which they are treated. They spend the day listening to classical music and being massaged, creating high quality cheeses. Be sure to stop by the cheese shop and taste the specialties.
Minho river walkways
Now that you’ve got to know a little bit of what this fantastic territory has to offer, be sure to take a walk along the walkways that wind along the banks of the River Minho and enjoy the colors and sounds of nature.