The Walk
A circular walk on a high plateau in the Candeeiros
For this walk we will rendezvous at Parque Verde in Alcobaça and consolidate into fewer cars for the 30 min. drive to the starting point as there is limited parking in São Bento.
São Bento is located on the Santo António Plateau, which separates Serra D’Aire from Serra dos Candeeiros. Here, karst, rugged landscapes with unmistakable panoramic beauty predominate, with the added value of having a very rich landscape and environmental heritage.
The limestone nature of the rock, associated with the absence of watercourses on the surface, creates a landscape that gives the mountain a strong personality, both due to the particularities of the natural aspects and the uniqueness of the uses and customs of the population. Water, the source of life, is scarce on the surface – when it rains, it is swallowed by the earth, with only a small part of it being retained in lagoons, sinks and cisterns. Faults, tears and cracks in the rock allow water to infiltrate the soil, entering a vast and complex network of underground watercourses, which run through the mountain internally.
The tracery of the loose stone walls mark the landscape and reflect the human need to protect crops and obtain arable land. The stone-on-stone houses and corrals portray the way in which rural workers and their livestock sheltered, according to ancestral Neolithic styles.
Timing
The walk is about 7,75 km and is expected to take about 2,0 hr
Meeting point 10:15
Because of a lack of parking spaces in São Bento we need to car share! We are gathering in Alcobaça at 10:15
Place | Coordinates |
---|---|
Parque Verde Car Park, Rua Costa Veiga, Alcobaca 2460-028 The meeting point is at the car park on the opposite site of the road to Pingo Doce, BP Burger King and Aldi. | 39.5465, -8.9710 |
Walk starting point 10:45
Place | Coordinates |
---|---|
Igreja de São Bento | 39.527449, -8.790047 |
Map
NB. The flag on the map above shows the car meeting and walk start point.
Coffee Stop
After the walk in Alcobaça.
Notes
- Walk leader: Flynn Wendling
- flynn@silvercoastwalks.com