Highlights of this trip
Immerse yourself in the untamed beauty of Portugal’s Upper Côa Valley, where rugged landscapes, thriving wildlife, and ancient human stories come together in a journey unlike any other. This seven-day adventure takes you deep into one of Europe’s most exciting rewilding landscapes – a place where forests, rivers, and medieval villages coexist with returning wildlife and 20,000-year-old rock art.
From the wild uplands of Serra de Malcata to the dramatic canyon views of Ermo das Águias, you’ll explore a land where nature is reclaiming its space. Along the way, you’ll track wildlife, meet local shepherds, taste traditional Portuguese flavors, and stand before prehistoric engravings that connect us to the valley’s ancient past.
Highlights of Your Journey:
- Wildlife & Wilderness: Venture into the Serra de Malcata Natural Reserve, a refuge for roe deer, wild boar, Iberian lynx, and birds of prey. Explore by foot or 4×4, with sweeping viewpoints and quiet forests as your backdrop.
- A Shepherd’s Life: Experience rural Portugal firsthand – milk sheep, walk with a flock, and craft organic cheeseon a local farm. Enjoy a traditional lunch featuring locally raised lamb and organic legumes, prepared with care.
- Medieval Villages & Living Heritage: Discover the historic castle and village of Vilar Maior, one of the region’s best-preserved medieval settlements. Learn how local communities are shaping the future of rewilding.
- Ancient Rock Art: Visit the Côa Valley Archaeological Park, home to one of the world’s largest collections of prehistoric rock engravings. See carvings of aurochs, horses, and deer – animals that once roamed here and are now returning through rewilding.
- Rewilding in Action: Explore Ermo das Águias and Vale Carapito, where Sorraia horses and Tauros cattle are restoring natural processes. Witness the valley’s transformation and the return of its wild spirit.
- Luxury & Wild Comfort: Stay in carefully chosen accommodations, from the thermal spa Cro Hotel to the eco-friendly Côa Honeycomb. For an even deeper connection to nature, opt for a luxury wild camping experience at WilderCamp, where you’ll sleep under the stars in a rewilded landscape.
This is more than a trip – it’s a journey through time, where every step connects you to the land, its wildlife, and the people who call it home. Are you ready to experience the wild heart of Portugal?
Photogallery
what does this journey look like?
DAY 1 – Arrival in the Upper Côa Valley
Your journey begins in the wild uplands of eastern Portugal, near the Côa River. After arriving in the region, you’ll travel into the Serra de Malcata Natural Reserve, one of Portugal’s most important conservation landscapes.
Here, forests, rivers and rugged hills form a refuge for wildlife including roe deer, wild boar, birds of prey and the elusive Iberian lynx.
In the afternoon you’ll check in to the Cro Hotel for dinner and a good night’s sleep – ready meet your guide tomorrow morning and be introduced to the landscapes and rewilding story of the Côa Valley.
DAY 2 -Exploring Serra de Malcata
Today is dedicated to exploring the beautiful landscapes of Serra de Malcata.
After breakfast, you will meet your guide at an agreed meeting point, and he will look after you today. Through guided walks and/or 4 x 4 drives (your choice!), he will introduce you to the reserve’s habitats, wildlife and communities. Learn about the ecological importance of the region and the efforts underway to restore wildlife populations and natural processes.
Expect sweeping viewpoints, quiet forests and the chance to slow down and connect with nature, and enjoy a picnic lunch in between.
Dinner and overnight at the Cro Hotel.
DAY 3 – The Sheep’s Experience
After breakfast, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a real Portugese experience. Your guide will meet you and take you to a local farm, where you will start the day by milking the sheep, which will provide the necessary milk for the production of organically certified cheese and curd.
Then, to whet your appetite, you will take the role of the shepherd and walk the flock to one of the farm’s enclosures, learning everything about the sheep and their needs. At the end, you enjoy a complete lunch with organic legumes and respectfully prepared lamb, the portuguese way!
In this full-day activity, there is still time to make some cream cheese in the property’s cheese factory, and relax next to an orchard, before saying goodbye with a typical snack.
Dinner and overnight at the Cro Hotel.
Day 4 – Medieval Villages & Living Heritage
Today you continue downstream through the upper Côa Valley, where nature and culture intertwine.
This morning you’ll visit a wildlife watching hide, offering the opportunity to quietly observe species returning to the valley — from deer and birds of prey to smaller mammals and birdlife.
Your guides will share insights into the rewilding vision for the Côa Valley and the role local communities play in restoring nature.
After lunch, enjoy a guided visit to Vale Carapito, a beautiful rural landscape where traditional farming practices still shape the land. Later, explore the atmospheric castle and village of Vilar Maior, one of the region’s best-preserved medieval settlements. Walk through ancient streets and learn about the region’s long human history along the Côa River.
In the late afternoon you continue your journey downstream toward the heart of the Côa Valley and drive to Côa Honeycomb in Vale de Madeira for your overnight.
Day 5 – Wild Côa Landscapes
Today you explore one of the most dramatic viewpoints in the valley: Ermo das Águias.
High above the river, this spectacular landscape offers sweeping views across the canyon – like valley carved by the Côa over thousands of years.
Your guide will help you discover the geology, wildlife and plant life of this unique ecosystem.
The afternoon offers time to relax, enjoy the quiet of the valley, or take a gentle walk through the surrounding landscapes of you accomodation – Côa Honeycomb.
Day 6 – Ancient Art of the Côa Valley
The Côa Valley is home to one of the largest open-air collections of prehistoric rock art in the world, dating back over 20,000 years.
See how early humans carved animals such as horses, aurochs and deer into the valley’s rock faces — a powerful reminder that people and wildlife have shared these landscapes for millennia.
Free morning. With your guide, this afternoon you will follow the final stretch of the river as it approaches its meeting with the Douro, and visit several remarkable rock engraving sites, guided by experts who bring these ancient stories to life.
You’ll return for the night to Côa Honeycomb.
Day 7 – Journey’s End
Your journey concludes where the Côa River flows into the mighty Douro.
After breakfast there is time for a final walk or quiet moment overlooking the valley before departure.
OPTIONAL
- Discover more of the surroundings at a relaxed pace and in luxury, by spending one or two more nights in a boutique hotel at Figuiera de Castelo Rodrigo
- In the summer months, you can swap two nights at the Cro Hotel or Côa Honeycomb, for a unique stay at WilderCamp. This is a luxury camping service provided within the Paul de Toirões rewilding area (min. 2 nights, max. 4 people). You can sleep in the middle of nature, without any human impact or contact, and be involved in a rewilded and wild area, where Rewilding Portugal’s ecological restoration work is already visible and felt, and where you may even come across Sorraia horses that are shaping the landscape of this area.
Practical information
Dates
This private experience is available year-round, for groups of between 2 and 6 people. Special rates apply for singles or for groups of more than 6 people.
Costs (Included & Excluded)
€1290 per person (from 2 people).
Included:
- 6 nights accomodation in a private en-suite room, including breakfast
- 5 full days of exploring with excellent local guides, including lunch on Days 2,3,4 and 5
- Visits to the nature & rewilding areas
- Community experience
- Visit to UNESCO rock engravings site
Excluded:
- Travel to/from the Côa Valley and between accomodations (we recommend a rental car)
- Dinners (can be taken at your hotel or in a nearby town)
- Lunch on day 6
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
Logistics / Transport
Arrival point is the Cro Hotel near Sabugal, departure point Côa Honeycomb near Pinhel. These are both a 2,5 – 3 hour drive from Porto (Portugal), and we recommend a rental car.
Our guides will pick you up from your accomodations for your day experiences, except for Day 6, where you will meet at a pre-arranged pickup point.
Accommodation
Nights are spent in a private en-suite room at the Cro Hotel (includes one hour Thermal Spa access per day), and a private en-suite room in the Côa Honeycomb, including breakfast from day 2 till day 7.
Food
Your day experiences with our guides include lunches at local guesthouses or picnic lunches in the field. For dinner you can choose from eating at the Cro Hotel, or eat in nearby towns such as Sabugal, Guarda, Almeida, or Pinhel. Our guides can give you recommendations!
Safety
You will be accompanied by local guides from the Greater Côa Valley.
Testimonials
Local guides
Fernando Romão
Fernando's life has always been linked to nature conservation, natural history and ecotourism, and he was an activist in an environmental Portuguese NGO. His knowledge of the area has also allowed him to be involved in designing touristic routes and trails. Passionate about biodiversity, he has endeavours to get to know and photograph the species of Portugal’s biological heritage. This is one of the ways he has found to promote knowledge and conservation of biodiversity through photography.
Samuel Ribeiro
Samuel is born and raised in Lisbon's surroundings and has had contact with multiple outdoor activities throughout his youth. When he moved with his wife to the countryside, he created a tour company and started properly learning about Nature and hospitality, while applying his still valuable skills of sales and customer service. Life is now not about doing stuff in Nature, but understanding and adding value to Nature and the local community.
Marco Ferraz
Marco Ferraz has worked in Côa Valley since 2011 as a Nature Guide and Environmental Educator. Marco Ferraz loves to stimulate activities to bring kids and adults in contact with nature and is an official tour operator at the Greater Côa Valley, Douro International National Park, and at the Côa Valley Archeological Park (Unesco World Heritage Site since 1998).