The Fisgas de Ermelo are some of the most famous sites in the Alvão Natural Park.
Located near the village of Ermelo, in the municipality of Mondim de Basto, this region has much more to offer than just these impressive waterfalls!
Therefore, in this article we will take to some of the places we usually take our travellers.
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Mondim de Basto
We will start, obviously, in the beautiful village of Mondim de Basto. With the typical houses, built from yellow granite from that region, strolling in the narrow streets of the historical center, is to travel to a time that no longer exists. tempo que não volta mais.
Having been almost entirely reconstructed, the historic center now buzzes with restaurants and bars for all tastes. Furthermore, the leisure park, located right at the entrance of the village, offers a lovely walk or a moment of relaxation. You can also find the municipal swimming pool of Mondim de Basto here.
Next, from the top of Senhora da Piedade, near the Municipal cemetery, you’ll find one of the best views of the beloved “Monte de Farinha” of Mondim. We are, of course, talking about Senhora da Graça. The queen stage of the Tour of Portugal by Bicycle is truly unique.
Swing at Senhora da Piedade
And, as we speak about Senhora da Graça Mountain,it's time to go up there.
The journey to the top begins right in the town center, and from there, it’s all uphill to the summit. Along the way, we feel like cyclists ourselves, as the entire asphalt is covered with messages encouraging the warriors of the road on two wheels.
Upon reaching the summit, we are rewarded with stunning views of the Alvão Natural Park and almost the entire Basto region.
Here you can visit the Senhora da Graça Chapel,, stroll arround the summit to absorve the views, or, if you are an adrenaline junky, take a shot and conquer the skies with a paragliding baptism
Whatever you decide to do, what we really recommend is that you do it atsunset.
Still in Mondim de Basto, you also have some river beaches. The most famous, locally known as "Fraguinha do Tâmega," is a magnificent spot to spend a hot afternoon. Another beautiful one is the Cabril River Beach, near the Roman bridge.
Alvão Natural Park
Located between Mondim de Basto and Vila Real, the Alvão Natural Park is rich in granite and "geological features" that create magnificent waterfalls. The most famous is, of course, the Fisgas de Ermelo waterfall. With a drop of about 200 meters, it forms the famous piocas, hollows in the rocks carved by the waters of the Olo River.
Due to the presence of several rivers and tributaries, theAlvão Natural Park has a vast number of piocas and waterfalls to explore. However, in this article, we will only highlight the most well-known and closest to Mondim de Basto.
Fisgas de Ermelo Trail
One of the most beautiful hikes to do in the this region is undoubtedly this trail. It is about 13 km of pure natural beauty, with rock formations, piocas, and breathtaking viewpoints. Although the official information states that this trail takes about 4:30 hours, we recommend that you take the whole day to complete it in order to make the most of the piocasand other "swimming" spots that appear along the way.
The trail is circular and starts and ends at the village of Ermelo. It is well-marked and easy to follow for those with some hiking experience. However, it is considered a difficult trail, as the first part involves a 450-meter elevation gain over just under 4 km. So, take your time and enjoy the scenery!
Ermelo Village
After reaching the das Fisgas de Ermelo Viewpoint, it's almost all downhill. Along the trail, you'll find detours to the Piocas de Cima and Piocas de Baixo. However, if you don't want to take the detours (which can save you a good few kilometers), know that both piocas are accessible by car. That said, you'll still need to walk a few hundred meters to reach them.
Therefore, is really important you go prepared and with time.
You should wear appropriate hiking footwear, as you'll encounter a lot of gravel, water shoes to walk safely on the piocas (believe me, it’s like walking on wet glass), plenty of water (although you can refill from streams along the way, always using a filter or tablets), and bring your picnic. To feel safer, especially on the descents, you can use hiking poles
More important than having fun on this hike is leaving it the same way you found it. In other words, bring all the garbage with you!
We are sure that you will finish this hike completely exhausted, as well as completely astonished!
Piocas de Baixo e Piocas de Cima
River Beaches and Waterfalls
n addition to the beaches of Tâmega and Cabril, mentioned above, there are two more that you can visit. Both are on the way to the Fisgas and are called Olo River Beach and Olo River Picnic Park Beach. Both are signposted on the national road; you just need to pay attention, as the turns will appear on your right-hand side.
Fraguinha do Tâmega
Other lesser-known waterfalls that are easily accessible are located in the neighboring village of Bilhó. These are the waterfalls of the Cabrão River. Yes, this is really the name of the river. Just stay alert, and they will appear right on the side of the road.
Activities
With endless river and waterfalls, its expected that some more radical activities take place here. So, in Mondim de Basto you can find as many activities as in, for example Geres National Park, although in a much smaller scale.
Here you can find activities like rapel, rafting, canyoning and paragliding
The minimum stay we recommend to visit Mondim de Basto and the Fisgas de Ermelo is at least two days.
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