Albufeira to Castelo Branco
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RouteXpert Jannes van Dijken
Last edit: 01-04-2025
Route Summary This route goes through many historical places in Portugal, each with its own story. This is a part of Portugal that is less visited by the average tourist.
The transition from coastal area to inland area makes for a very changing landscape. That is one of the reasons I gave this route 4 stars. The roads are generally well maintained.
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Verdict
Duration
8h 54m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
444.49 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review The first really big town on the route is Beja. Located in the Alentejo region of Portugal, Beja is a charming town with a rich history and a peaceful atmosphere. It is situated on a hill of about 277 meters high and offers beautiful views over the vast plains of Baixo Alentejo. The town has a fascinating past that dates back to the Bronze Age. Under Julius Caesar, Beja was given the name Pax Julia, symbolizing peace. During the Moorish era, the town became known as Baja, and these influences are still visible in the architecture.
One of the most striking sights is the Castelo de Beja, an imposing 13th-century castle with a central tower, the Torre de Menagem, built entirely of marble. From the top of the tower you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city and its surroundings.
About 60 kilometres north of Beja lies the Albufeira do Alqueva. The Albufeira do Alqueva, also known as the Grande Lago, is the largest artificial lake in Europe and is located in the Alentejo region of Portugal. The lake was created by the construction of the Barragem de Alqueva, an impressive dam on the Guadiana River. With an area of approximately 250 square kilometres and more than 1,100 kilometres of shoreline, it offers beautiful scenery and numerous recreational opportunities.
Another 60 kilometres further on, the route takes you to Vila Viçosa. Besides being a good place for lunch, this is also a place with a lot of history. Located in the Alentejo region of Portugal, Vila Viçosa is a city with a rich history and cultural significance. It is often called the "Princess of the Alentejo" due to the beauty of its historic buildings and surrounding natural beauty.
One of the most iconic sights is the Paço Ducal de Vila Viçosa, the former palace of the Dukes of Bragança. Dating back to the Renaissance, the palace has a magnificent 110-metre-long marble façade and today houses several art collections and historical artefacts.
The city is also characterised by the imposing Castelo de Vila Viçosa, a medieval castle that once served as a defensive fortress. From the castle you have a beautiful view over the city and the surrounding countryside.
Further north, after passing through the town of Portalegre, the route enters the Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede. Located in the Alentejo region of Portugal, the Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede is a beautiful natural area known for its varied landscape and rich biodiversity. The park covers an area of approximately 29,694 hectares and includes the highest point south of the Tagus River, the Pico de São Mamede, which rises to 1,025 metres.
The park offers a unique mix of Atlantic and Mediterranean influences, resulting in a diverse flora and fauna. You will find deciduous forests, cork oaks, and rare birds of prey such as the griffon vulture and the black kite. It is also a refuge for animals such as red deer, wild boar and genet cats.
The last part of the route begins by crossing the Rio Tejo. The Rio Tejo, also known as the Tagus, is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula and an important geographical and cultural feature of both Spain and Portugal. The river rises in the Sierra de Albarracín in Spain and flows for approximately 1,007 kilometres before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon.
In Portugal, the Tagus River plays a crucial role in the life and history of the country. Its wide estuary at Lisbon forms a natural harbour that has been of great economic importance for centuries. Along the river are historic cities such as Santarém and Abrantes, known for their beautiful architecture and cultural heritage.
Castelo Branco is the end point of this route. Castelo Branco, located in the east of Portugal, is a city with a rich history and a unique charm. The name literally means "White Castle" and refers to an ancient Luso-Roman settlement called Castra Leuca. The city grew around a Templar castle built in the 13th century.
One of the highlights of Castelo Branco is the Jardim do Paço Episcopal, a beautiful Baroque garden with fountains, statues and ornate hedges. This garden is part of the former Episcopal Palace, which now houses the Museu Francisco Tavares Proença Júnior. Here you can admire, among other things, the famous colchas, silk-embroidered cotton bedspreads that are an important cultural heritage of the city.
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Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Castelo Branco
About this region
Camilo Castelo Branco, 1st Viscount of Correia Botelho (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐˈmilu kɐʃˈtɛlu ˈbɾɐ̃ku]; 16 March 1825 – 1 June 1890), was a prolific Portuguese writer of the 19th century, having produced over 260 books (mainly novels, plays and essays). His writing is considered original in that it combines the dramatic and sentimental spirit of Romanticism with a highly personal combination of sarcasm, bitterness and dark humour. He is also celebrated for his peculiar wit and anecdotal character, as well as for his turbulent (and ultimately tragical) life.
His writing, which is centred in the local and the picturesque and is in a general sense affiliated with the Romantic tradition, is often regarded in contrast to that of Eça de Queiroz – a cosmopolitan dandy and a fervorous proponent of Realism, who was Camilo's literary contemporary in spite of being 20 years younger. In this tension between Camilo and Eça – often dubbed by critics the literary guerrilla – many have interpreted a synthesis of the two great tendencies present in the Portuguese literature of the 19th century.
Allegations that he was initiated in Freemasonry in 1846, are somewhat contradictory as there are indications that, around the same time, during the Revolution of Maria da Fonte, he fought in favor of the Miguelists as "helper to the orders of the Scottish General Reinaldo MacDonell", who was active in the revived Order of Saint Michael of the Wing precisely to combat Masonry. Similarly, much of his literature demonstrates his ideals of legitimism and as a conservative and Catholic traditionalist.
Read more on Wikipedia
His writing, which is centred in the local and the picturesque and is in a general sense affiliated with the Romantic tradition, is often regarded in contrast to that of Eça de Queiroz – a cosmopolitan dandy and a fervorous proponent of Realism, who was Camilo's literary contemporary in spite of being 20 years younger. In this tension between Camilo and Eça – often dubbed by critics the literary guerrilla – many have interpreted a synthesis of the two great tendencies present in the Portuguese literature of the 19th century.
Allegations that he was initiated in Freemasonry in 1846, are somewhat contradictory as there are indications that, around the same time, during the Revolution of Maria da Fonte, he fought in favor of the Miguelists as "helper to the orders of the Scottish General Reinaldo MacDonell", who was active in the revived Order of Saint Michael of the Wing precisely to combat Masonry. Similarly, much of his literature demonstrates his ideals of legitimism and as a conservative and Catholic traditionalist.
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