PR5 IDN - Barrocais Route

Quickly leaving the urban cluster, you pass by old furdas, "dry stone" constructions used for pig farming. The landscape is enriched by the granite hill-island of Moreirinha and the quartzitic wall of Serra do Ramilo. After passing a Pedunculated Block, a nocturnal granite formation resembling a mushroom located on the left side of the path, you reach the first Joined Boulders, two gigantic juxtaposed granite blocks. A little further ahead, the trail dives under the second Joined Boulders, facilitated by a staircase carved into the rock. On the other side, it is the domain of granite: curious shapes sculpted by Nature stand out, including cracked blocks, granite balls, and columns composed of variously shaped blocks arranged in a puzzling balance. Massive granite formations of unimaginable grandeur densely populate the mountain slope, an apparent disorder created by Nature over millions of years. One of the most curious geological manifestations is the Slab of 13 Basins, new basins or gnammae formed by chemical alteration of the rock along the fracture network that crosses it. Abundant ruins rise among these colossal stones. From the medieval village of St. Michael, the ruins of the chapel with the same name remain, a magnificent example of Portuguese Romanesque surrounded by anthropomorphic tombs. The trail now turns towards the ruins of the Chapel of St. John. A somewhat steep climb allows access to the Castle through the Traitor's Gate. Entering the walled enclosure transports us from its Templar origins through seven centuries of heroic deeds in defining the Nation. §*Visiting the keep tower enclosure, where a large part of the Naturtejo Geopark and far beyond the Spanish border condense in one view, one exits the Castle through the Main Gate, zigzagging on the Baroque path until reaching the urban limit. The route descends the Street of Our Lady of the Castle, where much of the local commerce is found. On Frágua Street, a plaque indicates the presence of the Ferriado Consulting Room. Namora practiced medicine here between 1944 and 1946 and fell in love with writing, becoming one of the greatest Portuguese novelists ever. From Sarço Street, one enters wild territories of intense interaction with Nature. A narrow trail crossing halfway up this hill-island towards Adingeiro is followed. It is worth going to Pedra Bolideira and trying to move a block weighing hundreds of tons balanced 5m above the ground! On the return, the trail passes through old gardens in a lush centuries-old cork oak grove. The intense final moments before arriving at the Chapel of St. Peter of Vir-a-Corça enclosure are felt. Situated on a slope defended by colossal boulders, with indescribable views of the conquered mountain slope, this is another gem of Beira Romanesque, populated by legends and ancient traditions. But the route continues again through cork oaks and boulders in an upward direction. A winding pilgrimage path first passes a strange granite block showing polygonal alteration very well defined. Then, the ascent zigzags through granite colossi that sometimes hide, sometimes reveal a rugged landscape that takes one's breath away. From here, the return is made to Marquês da Gracioso Street, in the shadow of the famous Lucano Tower, also known as the "rooster tower" because it is topped by a replica of the trophy that earned Monsanto the title of "Most Portuguese Village." The final direction is now to the Tourism Office, the end of a sensory journey that began here.