The best running trails around Penela (São Miguel)

In the hills of the Serra de Sicó, the windmills of Outeiro dot the landscape like echoes of a time when homemade bread sustained local life. Rotating, made of wood and set in stone circles, they turned with the wind, an invention of Afghan origin. Reconstructed to preserve the memory, today they also offer a privileged viewpoint over valleys and mountains.

Between Alvorge and Junqueira stretches a forest that seems straight out of a green fairy tale. At the entrance to Junqueira there is a picnic table, but it is as you venture through the dense vegetation that the magic happens: in a few steps, the human world is left behind and everything is reduced to silence, shade and pure air. It's a brief but intense immersion in nature, one of those that renews your breath before returning, almost without realizing it, to your usual rhythm.

Cabeço de Trás-de-Figueiró is one of those places where the view is everything: the valley opens up in a wide expanse, perfect for photographs, contemplation… and unforgettable sunsets, whenever the sky decides to cooperate. At the top, a swing invites you to enjoy the landscape with that playful touch that makes any moment seem longer.

The small village of Ateanha rises atop the mountain that gives it its name, a silent refuge where the world seems to slow down. At the top, the Ateanha viewpoint, at 422 meters altitude, opens up an immense horizon over the Sicó region, one that leaves us speechless. With just over thirty inhabitants, the village still retains the simple charm of the countryside, while the viewpoint, inspired by the pointed arches of the local chapel, echoes the religious architecture of the region.

Penela Castle stands atop the rocky outcrop that gave it its name (peñela, "small stone hill"), dominating the town with imposing walls and towers dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. Founded in the 11th century by D. Sesnando Davides, it formed part of the Mondego defensive line, and its walls still reach 19 meters in height today. From the original fortress arose the castle that later served as a keep. On the walls, facing the Serra da Lousã mountain range, stand out arrow slits and loopholes, marks of its long military life, from arrows to firearms. Penela preserves three historical entrances: the Porta da Vila (Town Gate), the evocative Porta da Traição (Gate of Treason), with its double opening and Moorish inspiration, and the Porta do Relógio (Clock Gate), a reminder of the old breach where two towers collapsed in the 1755 earthquake. In short, a castle small in form, but enormous in history.

The landscape here holds ancient stories, from anthropomorphic tombs to the vestiges of Casal do Melhorado, where the limpets still whisper the legend of the famous "golden cave". In the heart of this setting lies UXA Paraíso: a pet-friendly stay deeply connected to nature. Between the silent valley and the distant mountains, this open-air hotel combines traditional camping with the comfort of welcoming glamping spaces.

Penela Castle is a medieval fortress with an irregular plan and winding outline, stretching from north to south taking advantage of the natural cliff, so that the walls vary in height between 7 and 19 metres. It was part of the Mondego defensive line during the Christian Reconquista.

I visited in mid-June 2025 and was surprised at how much water was still running. How nice that we had a rainy winter.