The route begins in one of the most beautiful and picturesque villages in Tabuaço – Granja do Tedo. It is a village full of legends, customs and traditions, which has managed to preserve the original design of its old houses and which, moreover, has managed to modernize itself in harmony with the past, creating attractions for tourism and leisure. In addition to all this, Granja do Tedo enjoys a remarkable landscape, where the river, the valley and the mountain inspire us to walk and discover. Old paths, made of worn stones, lead us along the slopes, between the villages, but also allow us to travel back in time and reconstruct periods as difficult as they are admirable in our rural world.

As you approach Granja do Tedo, going down the slope, be sure to observe the two places that make up the village – Povo de Baixo, the oldest, and Povo de Cima. They are separated by the river Tedo, but united by a solid and ancient stone bridge with a single arch. Leave your car in the square next to the D. Thedon café and walk towards the Historic Garden, which tells some legends and stories involving the village of Granja do Tedo. There it is said that this name originated when D. Thedon, a Christian knight of the 16th century. XI, pleased with the site, built a house there and planted an extensive farm or farm. Other houses were built, however, next to the “Granja de D. Thedon”.
Next to the Historic Garden there is a pleasant river beach, with a reflecting pool, sand, lawn, bar, and even a sports park, connected by two pedestrian bridges. Anyone who enjoys sport fishing can do it at these stops. It is likely that you will be able to observe some species of birds associated with water courses, such as the gray wagtail, kingfishers or even the water thrush.
After passing through Povo, we enter a true enchanted valley that reflects a perfect harmony between the action of Man and Nature. Numerous small vegetable gardens are cultivated in an artisanal way with cereals, vegetables and potatoes. But one crop predominates in the form of a shrub or small tree – the elderberry. It flowers in April-May and its fruits – small and numerous black berries gathered in bunches, are harvested in autumn and exported for pharmaceutical use. Berry picking is a traditional local activity and represents an economic asset. The berry is also used to add color to wine and other beverages and to make juice, marmalade or tea.
Aromatic and medicinal plants are even more abundant. This is the case of fennel or fennel, whose seeds are used to season cooked chestnuts and whose stems are used in salads. St. John’s wort or milfurada is known as the “natural prozar” due to its extraordinary medicinal virtues, used mainly as a tranquilizer. Another example is oregano, a plant known for its aromatic virtues as a condiment. Lavender, also present, is used to make colognes and oils.
There is an enormous diversity of wild flowers on this route, which lend it a beautiful color, such as the poppy, foxglove, borage, violet and bramble, among many others. Still from the point of view of flora, in this valley we find something rare in the whole region. It is a mixed grove of zelia, ash, laurel, hawthorn and blackthorn, characteristic of shady slopes with surface runoff.
After passing by a sumptuous house in ruins, where until a few decades ago the Caldas de D. Moira operated, attracting hundreds of people, it is now possible to see the Ribeira de Goujoim. It is almost abandoned but charming, where its old granite houses, with typical wooden balconies overlooking the river, follow the zigzag path of the village’s only and steep street, which is, in fact, an old and narrow sidewalk where no cars circulate. When going up there, we come across the chapel, in whose small churchyard a mulberry tree, almost overturned on the sidewalk, offers us its delicious fruits in the summer months.
It is worth stopping by the last house in the village and at some “alminhas” that are over a hundred years old, not only to catch your breath, but also to appreciate the lush Mediterranean scrub that covers this valley. Now, it’s time to decide whether to opt for the shortest or the longest option on the route. In the first case, you will climb, to the right, a magnificent mountain trail, made up of large and heavy stones skilfully aligned, which allowed you to overcome the steep slope and reach the village of Carrazedo. Imagine life in these parts fifty years ago, when there were no roads or cars, just rails… like this one!
When heading towards Carrazedo, after reaching the road, pass by the Nosso Senhor do Calvário chapel. Every year the population holds a big party here and a procession to the church, in the center of the village. The return to Granja do Tedo now takes the panoramic road that connects the two villages. Along the way, another traditional activity here easily stands out – cork extraction.
If you choose the longer option, you’ll head towards Pinheiros, following the old trails that almost fell into disuse, but which have been cleverly recovered. Once on the road, you will come across a rare and beautiful example of rock art in the Iberian Peninsula, called “Cabeço das Pombas”. The motifs represented are enigmatic and assume a strong symbolic value, attesting to the importance of this place as an ancient place of worship. The pleasant picnic area built here invites you to take a longer break.
Access to Vale de Figueira is via the mountains. You will go up and down one of its slopes along recent dirt paths. At the exit, turn left along the dirt road. We enter a beautiful valley where, next to the water line, traditional agriculture is practiced in countless small terraces. Elderberry, maize, potato and horticultural crops dominate.
Upon reaching the road, the route now follows an old granite stone sidewalk that runs through the same valley until you reach Granja do Tedo. Rua da Lameira shows us a very old part of Povo de Cima. Note, for example, the old house with a huge porch that covers the street, the Church, dating from 1741, and the pillory. There is also a beautiful 18th-century manor house here.

Distance: Option A: 7,7 km | Option B: 12,5 km
Duration: Option A: 3h | Option B: 5h
Unevenness: Option A: 300m | Option B: 580m
Difficulty level: Option A: II – easy | Option B: III – medium
Route Type: Circular
Scope: Sports, Landscape, Biological and Historical-Cultural
Advised season: All year

Source: http://www.portoenorte.pt/pt/o-que-fazer/pr-1-vale-do-tedo/