Tourem, in the domains of the Gerês National Park's soul, Portugal
Tourem should be visited by those who appreciate remote places that maintain the originality and authenticity of its roots.
It’s not that kind of place to go and take selfies to show your friends. They will not know where that is.
The beauty of Tourem is beyond what your eyes can see, and they’re not yet ways to take self-portraits of the soul.
Why visit Torém?
Here you can appreciate the strength of people who insist on being in a remote location, not easy to live above all because of the notorious lack of amenities.
Here wealth expresses itself in less obvious ways.
This Portuguese Village is located on an almost peninsula, in the Geres National Park, flanked by Spanish territory.
The river Salas River is not far and is mostly responsible for the spectacular landscape I have managed to photograph.
During the Spanish civil war (1936/1939) and after that, Tourem welcomed many political refugees from Spain. Nowadays, the Spaniards we see here are tourists, only running from their daily routines.
These tourists are mainly from Galícia, the closest Spanish region, as close as driving less than a couple of miles.
The walk I came here to do is called the Smuggling Route.
With this geographical configuration, no wonder the trail as such a name, it is a theme always present in local folklore.
From Spain to Portugal people were smuggled olive oil, essential goods, and all that was needed in times of misery. For Spain we took coffee, tobacco, and linen, which would be the most needed at that time.
The Smuggling Route (PR6 MTR) takes us on an 11km walk, without a relevant elevation gain. One will have to cross the border to Spain and later return to Tourem, Portugal, to finish.
During this walk, we had the opportunity to visit the 16th-century São Lourenço Chapel, as well as other places of interest.
It is the photography angles of the village and the river that fascinated me most on this walk.
One day I will have to return to Tourem to explore some other walking opportunities and relax there for a few days.
Good walks,
David Monteiro