When I began research for our trip to Portugal I knew I wanted to leave the coast and venture into the mountains at some point. We rented a car and drove from Lisbon to Porto which is only about a 3-hour drive if you go straight through but we made a few stops along the way. One of those stops took us into the Serra da Estrela mountains to Manteigas and Casa de São Lourenço a sustainable resort.

Casa de São Lourenço sits at 4,100 feet of altitude and has 17 rooms and 4 suites. It’s very open, airy and spa-like and leans into the local and sustainable living. There is a magnificent spa and incredible restaurant that of course also has panoramic views.

As we learned later on, tuberculosis patients used to come to the mountains to help with their treatment and recovery and I can see why, it’s the perfect place for self care and our only regret was that we didn’t book more nights..

The resort provided us with a map and printed instructions on a few different hikes that take you to a lagoon called Represa de Vale Rossim. The trail was marked in some places better than others. There were a few times that we had wandered off course but we were able to get back on track. 

We wandered through forests, across boulders and around alpine-style homes that are now owned by the park district. Every view more breathtaking than the last. It was a gorgeous day and we didn’t see another soul.

When we reached the lagoon, I couldn’t NOT take a dip. If I’m hiking to a body of water, I’ll jump in no matter how cold it is. And oh-my-gosh was it cold!

After the hike, which I’m estimated was about 5.5 miles and took us a little over 3 hours (not counting the stop for a swim) we had a little recovery in the hotel spa and sauna. And then cheers to an amazing day on restaurant patio as we watched the sun set behind the mountains.

Before we left the mountains, we drove down into the village. We were able to look up and see some of the places we had hiked the day before and we also checked out the Burel Factory where they produce burel, the most traditional wool fabric in the local wool industry.

Our stay in Manteigas was far too short but we had to be on our way to Porto. If you’re ever in Portugal, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to go into the mountains. They’re truly magical!