Peneda-Gerês Forest Road (Mata da Albergaria)

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.