Montes: Vineyards, Walking Trail and Cultural Heritage

Montes can be explored through several themes: highlands with orchards and vineyards, hiking the PR2 ACB circular trail, a picnic area in a nearby park, and local religious culture. First, consider whether you would like to focus your stay on landscapes and viticulture, a hike or a cultural occasion. This will help you include the different sides of Montes in your travel plans.

Walking trail and outdoor stay

The PR2 ACB circular trail reaches Parque Fluvial das Nascentes das Loureiras in nearby Alpedriz. For anyone interested in hiking, this provides a specific destination. The route and its destination can be the focus of your travel plans if you are interested in a circular trail.

Nearby Parque de Lazer Nascentes das Loureiras has a picnic area with tables, seating, barbecue facilities and toilets. The clear, flowing water is also one of the park’s features. For a break outdoors, the picnic area and seating offer practical options; barbecue facilities and toilets add to the amenities listed. This makes the park a distinct focus alongside hiking, without combining the two into a single excursion.

Viticulture and highland landscapes

Orchards and vineyards shape the landscape of the Montes highlands. Viticulture has a long tradition here. Clay and clay-limestone soils, together with the highlands’ exposure to sunlight, have contributed to the production of high-quality wines. These details connect the landscape with the conditions cited for local viticulture, providing more context than simply seeing the vineyards.

One specifically named vineyard is Vinha do Planalto do Bom Jesus. It covers 2.5 hectares and is located near Ermida de Santa Rita in Montes. Alongside the broader highland landscape, it offers a view of viticulture at two scales: the extensive vineyards that help shape the scenery, and a single vineyard with a known name and area.

Religious culture and local events

A replica of the figure of Santa Marta stands on a column in front of the church in Montes. Another religious point of interest is the festival in honour of São Vicente, which is one of the annual festivities in Montes. If this festival is important to your reason for travelling, check the dates in advance. This allows you to plan around a specific cultural occasion without assuming an event date that has not been provided.

The Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Coz also offers a historical connection to the area around Montes: the present-day church is the only surviving part of the former monastery. Together with the figure in front of the church in Montes and the festival in honour of São Vicente, it offers a cultural focus that includes both a permanent local feature and a recurring occasion.

Find hotels to suit your reason for travelling

For a hiking trip, the PR2 ACB circular trail takes centre stage; for those interested in viticulture, the highland landscape and Vinha do Planalto do Bom Jesus offer different points of reference. A culturally focused stay, by contrast, can be planned around the religious sites or the festival in honour of São Vicente. If you want the festival to determine your travel dates, check its dates in advance. This keeps your choice aligned with your own travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Sao Martinho Do Porto, Bárrio, Turquel, Alcobaça, Cela

Go to the main travel overview: Alcobaça.