Alijó: Wine, Hiking Trails and Cultural Heritage

Alijó lies in the Douro wine region, whose significance is closely linked to wine production. Many quintas in the region produce Port wine. Wine traditions, landscapes and historic sites offer a range of ways to plan your trip.

Bread and Moscatel in Favaios

In Favaios, traditional bakeries make the so-called Trigo de quatro cantos in wood-fired ovens. Visitors can sample the local bread there. Moscatel de Favaios is also closely associated with the town: it is made from the Moscatel Galego grape variety and has been produced there since the 18th century. Bread and wine thus represent two distinct sides of local tradition.

The Núcleo Museológico Favaios, Pão e Vinho presents the history of Moscatel wine and Favaios bread. It is housed in an 18th-century building. A guided tour of Adega de Favaios focuses on something different: you can learn about traditional methods of producing Moscatel and Douro wines. The tour must be booked at least four hours in advance; check the visiting conditions for your travel dates.

The Festival do Moscatel D'Ouro takes place annually in Favaios and promotes Moscatel. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the dates before setting out.

Wine Landscapes and Hiking Trails

Favaios sits on a plateau covered with vineyards; the soils are predominantly schist. Granite formations stretch across the Douro wine region. In the wider area around Alijó, 164 bird species can be found in the Parque Natural Regional do Vale do Tua.

The hiking trails vary in their landscapes and routes. The PR2 Trilho da Senhora da Cunha follows the right bank of the River Tua for about one kilometre. The PR4 Trilho de Santa Eugénia-Carlão runs through the Parque Natural Regional do Vale do Tua. Near Safres, the PR1 Trilho das Fragas Más offers views of the Tua and the Amieiro-Safres-São Mamede de Ribatua micro-reserve. The trail also follows several sections of a Roman road.

The linear PR15 Trilho de Alijó-Senhora da Cunha starts in Alijó. At its end, the trail leaves the Douro wine region and enters the Parque Natural Regional do Vale do Tua. There, the landscape is shaped by woodland and an imposing granite massif, through which the Vale da Cabra runs. The PR16 Trilho de Alijó-Castedo, by contrast, is a circular route that starts and ends in Alijó and includes a detour to Monte de São Domingos. A route description published in 2021 gives this itinerary; check current trail conditions before setting out.

Archaeology and Cultural History

Prehistoric sites include the Anta de Fonte Coberta, a rare vestibule-type dolmen on the Planalto da Chã. The Abrigo Rupestre da Pala Pinta is a prehistoric rock shelter with schematic rock art and a depiction featuring solar symbolism. Castelo de Vilarelho is a fortified settlement where the region’s first populations lived during the Iron Age. The three sites offer insight into different forms of early settlement and culture.

Religious and cultural buildings also tell the story of different periods. The mother church of Alijó dates from the 18th century. The Casa dos Mansilhas, which now houses the Casa da Cultura de Alijó, dates from the same period. At the Sanctuary of Senhor de Perafita, the Casa dos Milagres holds a valuable collection of votive paintings. The Teatro de Favaios opened in 1919 and can seat 400 spectators. The Plátano Centenário in Alijó was planted in 1856.

Discover more destinations: Vale De Mendiz, Cotas, Pópulo, Santa Eugénia, Favaios, Castedo, Vilar de Maçada, Alijó, Pinhao.

For the overview of the wider area: Vila Real.