Peneda-Gerês: Portugal's Only National Park

The first thing you notice in Peneda-Gerês is the sound. You leave the car somewhere above Soajo, the engine ticks as it cools, and then there is nothing but wind through oak leaves and, far off, a cowbell. Portugal's only national park sits right up against the Spanish border, and it does not behave like the rest of the country. No beach bars, no queues. Just granite, water and a handful of villages that have been quietly getting on with things for centuries.

The drive in is half the pleasure. The road climbs through oak forest, crosses streams that turn into proper waterfalls after a wet week, then opens onto high pasture where long-haired Barrosã cows graze and small wild Garrano horses watch you pass without much interest. Nobody is in a hurry here, and after a day you stop being in a hurry too.

Sleep in a stone village if you can. Soajo has its cluster of espigueiros, granite granaries raised on legs that look, honestly, like something dropped there by a film crew. Sistelo gets called the little Portuguese Tibet, and once you see the terraces stacking up the hillside in green steps you understand why. Both places have a few guesthouses run by families who will feed you cabrito roasted slowly with potatoes and pour vinho verde from a jug without asking whether you wanted more.

For walking, the Calcedónia trail and the Mata da Albergaria loop both fit comfortably into half a day and neither needs any special fitness. If you want something wilder, climb up to the Arado waterfall, or find the Poço Azul on a hot afternoon and swim until your fingers wrinkle. The water is cold enough to make you shout. That is part of it.

A few practical things learned the hard way. Weather up here changes fast, so carry layers even in July. Boots beat trainers on wet granite. Fuel stations are rare, so fill up before you head into the park. And take cash, because the village café that makes the best coffee of your trip will almost certainly not take a card.