First trip of the year: Peneda-Gerês National Park. I went to the north of Portugal to visit this place. I had already been there in 2012 to spend a different summer's afternoon and escape - I thought - to the confusion of the beaches. I didn't get to know much but I remember having liked and thinking "I have to go back one day with more calm". And so it was.

I satyed at the Pousada Caniçada-Gerês for two nights, which has an incredible view and, before starting to explore the Park, let me tell you: you will eat better anywhere in the North of the country than in a whole month at home. So forget about the diets and enjoy the local food that is divine.

I hadn't set an itinerary for this tour. I had only four points that I wanted to visit: Portela do Homem, Cascada do Arado, Ponte da Mizarela and the Sanctuary of São Bento da Porta Aberta.

1. Portela do Homem

The first stop was at the border, the Portela do Homem, where a Roman road runs from Portugal to Spain. I must say that the beaty of this place is the (difficult) path through the Mata da Albergaria because the site itself, besides the horses that walk there, is nothing special.

2. Cascata do Arado

Let's make one thing clear: there are hundreds of cascades in Gerês. And all of them beautiful, some bigger, some smaller or even almost impercetíveis. This is the beauty of Gerês in winter/spring. Do not just pay attention only to the most known. Ok, we can continue.

It's worth it to climb the frightening staircase that leads to a small viewpoint to the Cascata do Arado, near a small village called Ermida, where I could drink my sacred coffee and I feared for my car when I saw a bull going towards it. Everything is possible in Gerês.

3. Cascata do Tahiti

Another of the most famous waterfalls of Gerês National Park. I admit that I stopped there quite a bit by chance, but I stopped at 90% of the waterfalls I found so it isn't that strange...

4. Ponte da Mizarela

Best known for the Devil's Bridge. Just to make things a little more creepy, I only got there at night, so there are no photos. But everything went well.

5. Santuário de São Bento da Porta Aberta

Last day. After checking out of the hotel, I went to visit the Sanctuary of São Bento da Porta Aberta, the second largest Portuguese sanctuary after Fátima and its name is due to the fact that its doors are always open to shelter travelers.

Besides some rain the day before, the trip was going – too much - well. After parking the car near the Sanctuary/Basilica behold... I noticed that I brought the key from the Pousada's room. Just a setback that forced me to do a few more kilometers before moving on to the next destination: Serra da Estrela Natural Park, but that's for an upcoming article.