Where to stay in Serra da Estrela: Manteigas, Covilhã, Seia or Guarda?
Serra da Estrela is bigger than it looks on the map. Picking the right base can save you two hours of driving a day, especially in winter, when some roads close with snow. There are four main bases: Manteigas, Covilhã, Seia and Guarda. Each suits a different kind of trip. We pick guests up in all four, so we know what each one is good for.
Key takeaways
- Manteigas is the prettiest and sits deepest inside the natural park
- Covilhã is closest to the Torre and has the most hotels and restaurants
- Seia and Gouveia suit travellers arriving from the west, from Porto or Coimbra
- Guarda is the great gateway: the mountains, the Historic Villages, a real city and good roads in every direction
Manteigas: sleep inside the mountains
Manteigas sits at the bottom of the Zêzere Glacial Valley, with slopes rising on every side. It is the town closest to the heart of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park and the one that most feels like being inside the mountains. Covão d'Ametade, the Poço do Inferno waterfall, the beech forest trail and Penhas Douradas are all close by.
It is small and quiet. There are good places to try feijoca bean stew and Zêzere trout, but it closes early at night. In winter, every road out of town climbs the mountain and can be tricky with snow or ice. Allow about 30 to 40 minutes to the Torre.
Best for: couples, nature lovers, people who come to walk.
Covilhã: closest to the Torre
Covilhã is the city on the south-eastern slope. The shortest road up to Penhas da Saúde and the Torre starts here: about half an hour by car when the road is open. It is a university city with plenty of hotels, restaurants and services, and easy to reach on the A23 from Lisbon.
The downside is that on snow days in winter the road to the Torre fills up and queues form. And the city itself has less of the mountain feel you get in Manteigas.
Best for: snow and the Torre, families who want everything nearby, travellers coming from Lisbon.
Seia and Gouveia: the western side
Seia and Gouveia sit on the west-facing slope. From Seia you drive up to the Torre through Sabugueiro, one of the highest villages in Portugal, and past Lagoa Comprida: one of the most scenic roads in the mountains. Allow about 40 minutes to the Torre.
They are good bases if you are coming from Porto, Viseu or Coimbra, because you avoid crossing the mountains. Gouveia, next door, is smaller and quieter. For these two towns, pick-up on our tours costs an extra €20.
Best for: travellers from the north or central coast, anyone who wants the lakes side.
Guarda: the great gateway to Serra da Estrela
Guarda is the highest city in Portugal, at 1,056 metres, on the last north-eastern spur of Serra da Estrela. The A23 and A25 motorways meet here, so it is easy to reach from Lisbon, Porto, Aveiro and Spain: the Vilar Formoso border is about half an hour away. For anyone coming from outside, it is the natural gateway to the mountains. Manteigas is about 40 minutes away and the Torre about an hour.
The city is worth the trip on its own: the Sé, a Gothic granite cathedral centuries old, the castle keep, the old Jewish quarter, the Porta d'El Rei gate and the Torre dos Ferreiros, the best viewpoint over the city. It is known as the city of the five Fs: Forte, Farta, Fria, Fiel e Formosa (strong, plentiful, cold, loyal and beautiful). At the table you will find Guarda morcela sausage, Serra cheese, bacalhau à Conde da Guarda and the Dom Sancho pastry.
The municipality is full of things to do. The Mondego boardwalks follow the river for about 12 km, from Videmonte to the Caldeirão dam. There are river beaches, Videmonte rye bread, the jeropiga wine of Famalicão da Serra and granite villages where life still moves at the old pace.
And the Guarda district is one of the richest and most beautiful in the country. It holds most of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Manteigas, Seia and Gouveia are all in this district), 7 of Portugal's 12 Historic Villages (Almeida, Castelo Mendo, Castelo Rodrigo, Linhares da Beira, Marialva, Sortelha and Trancoso), the Côa Valley rock art, a World Heritage Site, the Upper Douro vineyards at Foz Côa and the Malcata mountains. Few places in Portugal pack so much within an hour's drive.
It is also where 100 Montanhas is based. On our mountain tours and on Between Castles and Wines, pick-up anywhere in the Guarda municipality is included.
Best for: anyone combining the mountains, the Historic Villages and a city in one trip, travellers from the north or from Spain, stays of three nights or more.
How to choose, in short
Coming for the snow and the Torre? Covilhã. Want to wake up inside the mountains and walk? Manteigas. Arriving from Porto and want the lakes? Seia or Gouveia. Want the mountains, the villages and a city in one trip, or coming from Spain? Guarda.
Whichever base you choose, on our Serra da Estrela tours we pick you up from where you are staying: pick-up is included in Guarda, Covilhã and Manteigas, and costs €20 extra in Seia and Gouveia. If you are not sure where to stay, ask us on WhatsApp before you book your accommodation.
