The Levada da Víbora trail, in Cabeceiras de Basto, deserves a visit. There are 11 kilometers through the Minho nature.
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Cabeceiras de Basto is one of the oldest and most historic municipalities in Minho, an area of rare natural beauty that, little by little, is becoming more popular. As is the case of Levada da Víbora, a new tourist experience, on the path that serves the village of Abadim. It is a unique opportunity for groups and families to be guided by the silence that can be heard and the abundance of water.
It is an ancestral circular path, almost eleven kilometers long, which runs along the traditional irrigation canals, the water mills built by King D. Dinis, leisure areas nestled in the green forest and an extraordinary natural viewpoint.
A unique proposal that can also be the starting point for a more in-depth visit to a county whose origins date back much further to the founding of the nation.
Levada da Víbora: dive into the green Minho
The Levada da Víbora begins the circular route ascending in the leisure area of the Barragem do Oural, in the parish of Abadim, passing through the nucleus of King’s Millsthrough the leisure area of Víbora, in the heart of Nature, among a forest of maritime pines, oaks, chestnut trees and honeysuckle.
It is on the way up to the smaller village of Cabeceiras de Basto that you reach the natural viewpoint of Porto D’Olho, at the top of Outeiro da Varela, with unobstructed views of the mountains and the meandering of cultivated fields. Along the entire route it is possible to observe the local fauna and flora.
The walk back to the leisure area of the Oural Dam may still hold some surprises, such as the sighting of garrison horses, foxes, sardons or birds of prey. As for the horned vipers, which give this tourist experience its name, encounters are much rarer. Legends made it famous, but it is rare to find a specimen.
Cabeceiras de Basto: what not to miss
This tourist experience in Levada da Víbora joins a handful of other must-visit proposals in Cabeceiras de Basto, with proposals for one or two days.
Monastery of São Miguel de Refojos
The first document relating to this Portuguese baroque jewel dates from 1122. A little later, in 1131, D. Afonso Henriques granted the monastery a charter of couto. The works of the current building began in 1755, being agreed between the Braga architect André Soares and the then abbot, Friar Francisco de São José. With the extinction of religious orders, the State sold the property, classified as a monument since 1933.
It is the only one of the 29 monasteries of the Benedictine Order existing in Portugal that has a dome. This unique architectural monument rises 36 meters above the transept. Remarkable work of engineering has on the outside a granite balcony-balustrade, intersected by plinths that serve as a base for 12 busts of bishops and pontiffs. The dome of the lantern serves as a pedestal for a grandiose statue of the patron saint, the Archangel S. Miguel. When the Monastery applied for World Heritage status in 2014, the dome became a tourist symbol of Cabeceiras de Basto.
Statue of the Stick
The statue of “Basto”, in Praça da República, is one of the most curious monuments in Cabeceiras de Basto. It represents a Lusitanian warrior and is one of several lying statues that appeared in the Galicia and they were placed over the graves of some of these heroic and deified warriors. Those that exist are kept in museums, with the exception of the “Basto” and the statue of Santa Comba, also in the parish of Refojos, which are in the open air. These monuments date from the time before the coming of the Romans, presumably from the 1st century BC. Ç.
mouths
Nestled in the northwest corner of the municipality of Cabeceiras de Basto, Bucos is a mountain parish where you can already breathe the air of Cabreira. With a high natural and ethnographic heritage, Bucos is an ethnofolkloric repository. It is also a land of stick players, who skillfully handle this instrument, once used as a defense weapon. Of the built heritage, the parish church, the cross and the granary of Carrazedo stand out.
Cabeceiras de Basto: where to eat
The local gastronomy is one of the best to be found in Minho, with specialties such as veal, sausages, cod with mashed potatoes, the Minho-style firecrackers and papas de sarrabulho, not forgetting to highlight the green wines Of region. There is also the octopus. Fans of this dish haven’t missed a trip to Cabeceiras de Basto for a long time, more specifically to the Caneiro restaurant.
The Caneiro
Rua dos Ferreiros
4860 – 063 Arco de Baúlhe
Contacts: 253 663 566
Royal Kitchen of Basto
St. Sebastian Street
4860 – 369 Headboards of Basto
Contacts: 253 661 795
to Maria
Largo do Souto – Cavez
4860 – 157 Cavez
Contacts: 253 654 519
Tasca do Picão
turrenches
4860-015 Abadim
tel: 253 662 834
telm: 935354965 – 962694008
