Vila Franca: Castro de Roques and Festa das Rosas

In Vila Franca, a variety of travel interests come together: Castro de Roques, with its fortified settlement and Roman traces; Festa das Rosas; and the signposted short hiking route PR 19. Solar da Barrosa and the wetland of Ribeira de S. Simão and its lagoons are also among the cultural and tourist destinations. You can tailor your stay to the themes that interest you most.

Castro de Roques: settlement and Roman traces

Castro de Roques was an almost oval fortified settlement. Three lines of walls ran along most of its perimeter. This description highlights two specific aspects of the settlement: its oval shape and its fortification by several lines of walls. These extended around most of the perimeter, not explicitly all of it.

Roman settlement is also evidenced by archaeological finds. The finds mentioned include fired clay tiles of the Tegula type. This offers two different perspectives on Castro: the settlement’s layout and fortifications, and evidence of Roman settlement. If you are interested in the area’s cultural history, you can consider both aspects together.

Castro do Santinho, also known as Castro de Roques, is located on Monte Roques, which is also called Monte do Santinho. The site covers approximately six hectares and is one of the largest castros in Minho.

Festa das Rosas and when to visit

Festa das Rosas is celebrated every year on the second weekend in May. It is held in honour of Senhora do Rosário. Heavy floral baskets are carried on the head. The religious context and the baskets shape the festival in different ways: the occasion is the veneration of Senhora do Rosário, while carrying the baskets is a specific part of the celebration.

This makes it possible to distinguish the recurring time of year from the individual festival days.

PR 19 and other cultural and tourist destinations

PR 19 – Trilho do Castro de Roques is a signposted short hiking route. Its markings and signs follow international standards. The route passes chapels, quinta estates, Castro de Roques and Balneário Castrejo. Its described course therefore includes both Castro and other named stops. You can consider the route as a distinct focus for your trip, alongside the archaeological sites and the festival.

Solar da Barrosa is also part of Vila Franca’s cultural and tourist offering. Another destination is the wetland of Ribeira de S. Simão with its lagoons. These two attractions offer different themes from Castro and the hiking route: here, the focus is on a manor house or a wetland and lagoons. You can therefore choose between archaeological history, a signposted route, and these other cultural and landscape destinations.

Festa das Rosas takes place every year in May; Castro’s main features are its settlement and Roman traces; PR 19 is a signposted short hiking route. These different highlights give your trip planning a concrete direction.

Discover more destinations: Soajo, Mazarefes, Alvarães, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Gondarém, Cardielos, Alvaredo, Vila Nova Da Cerveira.

For the overview of the wider area: Viana Do Castelo.