Discover Riba de Mouro

Riba de Mouro can be explored through its hiking landscapes, seasonal ways of life and local cultural heritage. Planning your trip around your interests reveals different highlights: a hiking trail with a stated duration, the Cardenhas of Branda de Santo António de Vale de Poldros, as well as religious festivals and traditional crafts.

Hiking trail, plateau and Cardenhas

The Trilho de Santo António is approximately 10.5 kilometres long; the average duration is about 3 hours and 45 minutes. The trail crosses a plateau covered with gorse, broom and heather. The distance and time provide a specific framework for planning your hike, while the vegetation shapes the landscape. Along the Trilho, you can discover Cardenhas, which bear witness to the former lives of shepherds and farmers.

Branda de Santo António de Vale de Poldros is a seasonal agricultural settlement. Its origins are dated either to the early Middle Ages or to the early modern period. Because of its stone Cardenhas, Santo António de Vale de Poldros is also locally known as “Aldeia dos Hobbits” (“Hobbit Village”). This themed route brings together the landscape and traces of earlier ways of life.

Building styles and religious traditions

The Cardenhas are shelters built from granite and some slate, with false domes. Usually, the animal quarters are on the lower level and the shepherds’ sleeping quarters above. The Capela de Santo António de Vale de Poldros also features distinctive architectural forms: it has vernacular religious architecture, a single-nave layout and a granite structure. Its altarpiece is Neoclassical and dates from the 19th century.

The Quartéis around the chapel were houses where pilgrims were accommodated during the preparatory novenas. This historical function complements the programme of the Romaria de Santo António de Vale de Poldros, which includes a preparatory novena, a festive Mass, a sermon and a solemn procession. The festival programme also includes Garrano horse races, as well as exhibitions and animal competitions.

The festival in honour of Saint Anthony in Santo António de Vale de Poldros takes place annually in mid-June and includes a gathering of accordion players. Check the specific festival dates before your trip. The votive procession of Riba de Mouro is also organised each year by a different place in the parish. The parish church is among the cultural and historical assets of Riba de Mouro that are relevant to tourism.

Traditional crafts include clog-making, basketry, tinsmithing or tinplate work, and linen weaving. Ribamourês is a Galician-Portuguese dialect associated with Riba de Mouro. Alongside the buildings, these traditions offer another way to discover the place’s cultural character.

Hiking, cycling and kayaking

The Centro Cycling & Walking de Monção is located in the parish of Riba de Mouro, in the village of Santo António de Vale de Poldros, and provides infrastructure for mountain biking and mountain hiking. A report from July 2022 mentions an 11-kilometre walking trail and seven cycling routes across four difficulty levels: easy, moderate, difficult and very difficult. Check which routes are currently available before your trip.

Mountain biking experiences take you through mountain landscapes with Cardenhas, animals, pastures, trails and forests. The fast-flowing waters of the Rio Mouro offer a different kind of activity, attracting professional kayakers and kayaking enthusiasts. For trip planning, this means there is a hiking trail with an approximate duration, cycling routes at various difficulty levels, and named activities in the landscape.

Discover more destinations: Sá, Monção, Tangil, Merufe, Pias, Messegães.

Back to the main travel overview: Monção.