Norte · Portugal
Peneda-Gerês Forest Road (Mata da Albergaria)
N308-1Vila do Gerês to Portela do Homem
A storied national road (N308-1) climbing through the ancient Mata da Albergaria oakwood in Peneda-Geres National Park to the Portela do Homem pass on the Spanish border.
From the spa village of Geres the N308-1 winds up through the Mata da Albergaria, one of Portugal’s last great native oak and laurel forests, following the old Geira Roman road toward the Portela do Homem pass at the Spanish frontier. It is a narrow, green, dappled drive past waterfalls and granite, deep inside the country’s only national park. Access through the protected heart of the reserve is controlled, with a barrier and a small charge or time limits in the busy season, and motor traffic can be barred entirely on summer weekends, so check before setting off. There are no fuel stops inside the park. Mind the controlled reserve barrier and seasonal access limits, a narrow single-track surface under dense canopy, and no fuel anywhere inside the park.
On the road
The road runs from Vila do Gerês to Portela do Homem, about 7.5 miles (12 km) up to the old border crossing with Spain. Past Portela de Leonte it enters the Mata da Albergaria, an oak wood that the Council of Europe lists as a biogenetic reserve. Stretches of the Geira, the Roman road from Braga to Astorga, survive in the forest, along with groups of Roman milestones.
The forest road from Leonte to Portela do Homem has its own rules. You cannot stop or park inside the forest, so treat it as a slow, steady transit and save the walking for later. In summer a daily access charge applies to motor vehicles, collected for ICNF, the nature conservation body. The law sets it for June to September, but collection dates and hours have varied from year to year, so check before you go.
Leave the car at Portela do Homem. Walk back about a third of a mile (500 m) to the bridge over the Homem river. The Portela do Homem waterfall, also called Cascata de São Miguel, tumbles just upstream. Only one side of it is open to visitors, as the other is a strict protection zone needing ICNF permission. The forest trails close on days of high fire risk.
Scenery
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Peneda-Gerês Forest Road (Mata da Albergaria) on the map7.7 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
The most hairpins in Portugal, by our count in the catalogue.
Corners
busiest around mile 2Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%359 to 867 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- Preguiça viewpointViewpoint2.4 mi in
- Cascata da LajaLandmark2.8 mi in
- Cascata de LeonteLandmark3.7 mi in
Hazards
- Controlled reserve barrier and seasonal access limits
- Narrow single-track surface under dense canopy
- No fuel anywhere inside the park
Sources
“It is fully paved but features narrow sections and 18 hairpin turns, offering stunning views from several natural viewpoints.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
Routes for iPhone carries Peneda-Gerês Forest Road (Mata da Albergaria) offline, with live weather and a 7 day forecast.
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