Oliveira: Circular Hiking Trail and Monastery History

When planning your trip around Oliveira, you can choose between two specific perspectives: a circular hiking trail and religious history connected to Oliveira Santa Maria. You can decide whether outdoor activity or the history of churches and monasteries should be the focus of your stay. The trail offers a specific activity; the parish church, chapel and monastery provide named points of interest for those interested in culture.

Circular Hiking Trail and Landscape

The circular hiking trail is 15.4 kilometres long and open to the general public. The Mosteiro de Oliveira de Santa Maria is one of three possible starting points. The length helps you fit the scope of the hike into your day’s plans; choosing the monastery as a possible starting point is a separate decision. You can therefore plan the loop both by its overall distance and by the starting point you choose.

The trail offers excellent panoramic views across the Riba de Ave area. The route also begins to climb towards Capela de Santa Tecla and Monte de Santa Tecla. The view and the climb give you different considerations when choosing the hike: one is about the outlook across the area, the other about the initial stretch towards the chapel and monte.

During heavy rain and high water levels, the section at Açude e Azenha may become inaccessible. This caveat applies to that part of the trail, not automatically to the entire loop. This distinction matters when planning: the 15.4 kilometres refers to the circular trail, while the weather warning applies only to the specified section. Check the weather and water conditions in advance if you plan to include this part.

Church and Monastery History

In Oliveira Santa Maria, Igreja de Santa Maria de Oliveira, the parish church, and Capela de Santa Tecla, a chapel, are religious points of interest. This distinguishes two different types of building rather than grouping the sites under a general label. Capela de Santa Tecla is also a point of reference in both the hiking trail description and the 2026 procession programme.

The monastery’s history is also clearly outlined. Oliveira Santa Maria was home to a monastery of the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine. It was built by the River Ave and united with the Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra in 1599. Its religious order, riverside location and connection to Coimbra shed light on different aspects of the monastery. The year 1599 dates the union and makes it possible to place it in its historical context.

A Procession with a Specific Date

The traditional Procissão do Senhor dos Santos Passos in Santa Maria de Oliveira was announced for 7 and 8 March 2026. The programme was to begin beside Capela de Santa Tecla; the procession was to end with the Sermão do Calvário on Monte de Santa Tecla. The start and finish were therefore tied to two named locations. Since these dates relate to the 2026 edition, check the current event dates if travelling later rather than assuming these dates will apply.

Discover more destinations: Travassos, Portela, Castelões, Arnoso (Santa Maria), Pousada De Saramagos, Bairro, Negreiros, Oliveira Santa Maria

For the overarching travel guide: Vila Nova De Famalicão.