North Portugal Tourism Guide - Covilha

Covilha's History

Covilha today is an urban town with all the services you'll require before heading out into the mountains. It was originally founded by Lusitanian shepherds, taken over by the Moors and then reconquered by Dom Sancho I who then fortified the town with walls. It was an important strategic point in the Middle Ages and has spawned many an adventurer including it being the birthplace of Pero da Covilha who was an explorer sent to the Orient by Dom Joao II and whose information helped Vasco da Gama to discover the sea route to India. Henry the Navigator was given the title Lord of Covilha by his father Dom Joao I after conquering Ceuta in 1415.

It built its reputation as the centre of one of Europe's biggest wool producing areas that began in the time of Dom Sancho I. It was further developed by the Jewish community that settled in Covilha at that time and where they remained until the 15th century. Covilha was made a city in 1870 due to its importance and economic growth. However, the textile industry here declined thanks to the neglect of the Salazar regime and cheap foreign imports.

Just outside of town the mills now stand empty except for the site of the former Royal Textile Factory founded by the Marques de Pombal in 1764 which now houses the Museu de Lanificios - the Museum of Wool-Making. Rua Marques d'Avila e Bolama, 6200-001 Covilha. Tel: 351 275 319 712 or 351 275 319 700 (ext. 3126). Fax: 351 275 319 712. Email: muslan@ubi.pt. Open Tues-Sun 9 am-12 pm and 2.30 pm-6 pm. Closed Mondays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. The exhibition takes you through the history of the textile industry in the area and is organised into three sections: the Pombaline Dye-Works of the Royal Cloth Factory, the wool industry in the Covilha region in the 19th and 20th centuries and the Woollen Cloths.

The Jewish Quarter retains some of the historic character of the town with its narrow streets and Manueline windows. There are several churches of interest including the Chapel of Sao Martinho, a Romanesque chapel built in the 12th-13th century, Capela Santa Cruz is a Gothic chapel built in the 15th century by Prince Henry the Navigator and Igreja Santa Maria has a striking facade covered in azulejos.

Covilha Tourist Information

Covilha's Tourist Information Office is on Avenida Frei Heitor Pinto, 6200-113 Covilha. Tel: 351 275 319 560. Fax: 351 275 319 569. Email: turismo.estrela@mail.telepac.pt that provides information on the town and acts as a regional tourist office too.

Being a student town there are a wide range of bars and cafes and restaurants, some offering regional specialities - all good warming food for those chilly nights. The Mercado municipal on Rua Antonio Augusto d'Aguiar has a wide range of fruit and veg every morning.

Covilha Transport & Travel

Parking is difficult in Covilha itself. Some hotels have their own parking or you can use the garage with paid parking on Rua Visconde de Coriscada. There are car hire offices in Covilha itself and you can explore the Natural Park easier by car. You can book car hire before you go - check out the Holiday Autos link right for a quick online quote.

The train and bus stations are four kilometres from the town at the foot of the hill, buses and taxis take you up into the town itself. Long distance buses run from the main bus station to Guarda, Castelo Branco and Lisbon. There are also several daily services to Viseu and Porto.

Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela

The Natural Park of Serra da Estrela is the largest in Portugal and has the highest mountain peaks in Portugal. Both the Rio Mondego and the boulder strewn Rio Zezere start here and cut through the Natural Park. These are the only two rivers that start and end within Portugal s boundaries. The Park stretches 55 kilometres from Celorico de Beira in the north down to Vide in the south west, covering 1,000 square kilometres. All land over 1,200 is designated protected countryside so camping, lighting fires or picking flowers or plants is all forbidden. The Park was designated in 1976 to protect the rural character of the serra villages and its landscape. In the process some important wildlife has also been conserved. The area is renowned for its wool and cheeses that are produced by smallholdings all over the Natural Park. There is now quite a market for the tasty Serra da Estrela cheese as tourist souvenirs which has brought a new market to this area.

The Park is accessed from several points along the northern and southern boundaries. The west to north side is accessed by taking turns off the N17 road. Several traditional villages can be accessed from here including Linhares, Gouvia and Seia. From the east and south the N18 and the faster IP2 road between Guarda and Castelo Branco skirt the eastern slopes and off this area several roads into the Park proper. A fantastically scenic route is the E18-1/E232 road from Guarda to Manteigas and then following the Vale do Zezere, a rather narrow route along the glacial valley with stunning views of the mountains - be prepared to pull in to the few passing points along the way!

There are three main hiking trails which you can try to attempt in stages or pick short sections to follow. The book "Discovering Serra da Estrela" is the main English book detailing the routes and the sights you'll see along the way as well as a bit about the wildlife of the area. You will definitely need to make sure you've got a good topographical map before heading out and the weather can get pretty harsh so make sure you're well prepared clothing and provision wise. More information on the Serra da Estrela page, link right. The Natural Park information offices have the 1:50,000 Carta Turistica Serra da Estrela map.

The Park is popular for weekend drives and holiday excursions so it can get quite busy at its western end at these times. In the winter Torre has a small ski resort and just east of Manteigas is a dry ski slope where they also offer other activities like paragliding. Walking and hiking isn't an overly popular Portuguese past-time so if you're heading for the hills you're likely to have them pretty much to yourselves.

Serra da Estrela Natural Park Information Offices

The main Natural Park Information Office for Serra da Estrela is in the pretty mountain town of Manteigas. This has the most comprehensive collection of information: Rua 1 de Maio, 2, 6260 - 101 Manteigas. Tel: 351 275 980 060/1. Fax: 351 275 980 069. Email: pnse@icn.pt. Open Tues-Sat except holidays 9 am-12.30 and 2-5.30 pm.

Other Information Offices are at: Seia, Gouveia and Guarda and open Tues-Sat except holidays 9 am-12.30 and 2-5.30 pm: Seia: Praca da Republica, 28, 6270 - 496 Seia. Tel: 351 238 310 440. Fax: 351 238 310 441.

Gouveia: Casa da Torre, Avenida Bombeiros Voluntarios, 8, 6290 - 520 Gouveia. Tel: 351 238 492 411. Fax. 351 238 494 183.

Guarda: R. D. Sancho I, 3, 6300 - 548 Guarda. Tel: 351 271 225 454. You ll be mistaken for not finding it - as seems to be the custom - park offices are not well signed! It is on the corner of Rua Dom Sancho 1 and Rua Dr Francisco de Passos in a non-descript building but you'll notice wildlife pictures and leaflets stuck to the windows of the door. Not all staff speak English but are all very helpful regardless. Equip yourself with a few key words and you'll get by.