Torre
1,993 m
Portugal
Also known as Τόρρε (κορυφή), Monte Malhão da Estrela, +2Also known as
Τόρρε (κορυφή) · Monte Malhão da Estrela · Estrela · Alto da Torre
- Elevation
- 1,993 m
- Prominence
- 1,204 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- May–Jun
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The official waymarked walking route to mainland Portugal's highest point: 17.2 km and about 1,250 m of ascent from Manteigas up the U-shaped Zêzere glacial valley, past Covão d'Ametade and the Nave de Santo António to the Torre plateau. Many walkers shorten it by starting at Covão d'Ametade (about 1,430 m).
About 3% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 5 check notes
- ascent 1903 m is 1.5× the net gain 1231 m: the line probably detours down and back up (not a traverse)
- last routed vertex 34 m from the summit
- DIN time up 10.59 h vs published 6.0 h (+76%)
- Covão d'Ametade → Nave de Santo António: bridge (detour; one off-graph gap, 2.8 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Vale Glaciar do Zêzere (OSM match off-route)
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 23.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,903 m
- −675 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,993 m
- Time Up
- 10h 35m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 8h 58m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
The PR6 MTG starts beside the Igreja de São Pedro in Manteigas (about 755 m) and follows the Zêzere upstream through pastures, stone shepherds' houses and granite boulder fields in the floor of the glacial valley, one of the best examples of glacial landforms in Iberia. After about 11–12 km it reaches Covão d'Ametade, a birch-shaded glacial hollow at about 1,430 m below the cliffs of the Cântaros, with a small car park on the Manteigas–Torre road. Above Covão d'Ametade the route climbs out of the valley head to the Nave de Santo António, a broad grassy basin on the upper plateau with a shepherds' shelter and spring, then crosses the plateau past the Covão do Boi, where a statue of Nossa Senhora da Boa Estrela is carved into the rock, to the Torre summit area (1,993 m). The top is a road roundabout with a trig point and stone tower, the dome-topped former radar station, a shopping centre and the ski area's lifts. The official guide gives about 6 hours for the full linear route (most walkers take longer uphill) and does not fix a direction; many walk it downhill from the Torre. Waymarking is reported to be patchy in places, with cairns on the upper plateau. There is no shade on the plateau, and fog and snow can make navigation difficult outside summer. There is no regular public transport to the Torre, so plan the return by car shuttle or taxi, or walk back down.
Start
Igreja de São Pedro763 m
- No lift to the summit; the paved R339 road reaches it
- Bus to Manteigas (limited services); no regular public transport to Covão d'Ametade or the Torre.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Igreja de São Pedro → Torre | 23.2 | 1,903 | 675 | 10h 35m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Igreja de São Pedro763 m
- Parking: Covão d'Ametade1,422 m
Alternative start with a small car park on the Manteigas–Torre road
- Feature: Nave de Santo António1,554 m
- Feature: Nossa Senhora da Boa Estrela1,856 m
- Summit: Torre1,993 m
Key Passages
- Floor of the Zêzere glacial valley
- Climb from Covão d'Ametade to the Nave de Santo António
- Open plateau crossing via Covão do Boi to the Torre
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The highest point of mainland Portugal (1,993 m), the top of the granite Torre plateau in the Serra da Estrela. A paved road reaches the summit, but the rewarding way up is the 17 km waymarked Rota do Glaciar from Manteigas through the Zêzere glacial valley.
Torre is not a distinct peak but the highest point of a broad granite plateau in the central Serra da Estrela, the western end of Iberia's Sistema Central, on the boundary between the Seia and Covilhã municipalities. A trig point stands in the middle of a roundabout on the R339 road, next to a stone tower, the domes of an Air Force radar station built in 1957, a shopping centre selling Serra da Estrela cheese and the lifts of the Serra da Estrela ski area. It is the second-highest point in Portugal after Pico in the Azores.
For walkers the interest lies below the summit. During the last glaciation an ice cap covered the plateau and sent tongues down the surrounding valleys; the Zêzere valley below Manteigas is a textbook U-shaped glacial trough, with moraines, glacial hollows (covões), lakes and the granite towers of the Cântaros. The official Rota do Glaciar climbs from Manteigas through the valley to the Torre, and other routes come up from Penhas da Saúde, Lagoa Comprida and Covão d'Ametade.
The plateau has the coldest and wettest climate in mainland Portugal: about 2,400 mm of precipitation a year, an annual mean temperature of 6.5 °C, frequent fog and snow possible from October to April. Large parts of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, including the Zêzere glacial valley, burned in the August 2022 wildfire.
Climbing Notes
The Rota do Glaciar is a long but technically easy day: 17.2 km and about 1,250 m of ascent from Manteigas, or roughly half that from Covão d'Ametade. Fit walkers should allow 6–7 hours uphill from Manteigas. Arrange transport for the return or walk back the same way; there is no regular bus from the Torre.
The plateau is exposed, shadeless and often windy or foggy even in summer, so carry water, sun protection, a warm layer and a map or GPS track; waymarking is patchy on the upper section. Steeper, unofficial lines past the Cântaros from Covão d'Ametade involve some scrambling over granite.
In winter the plateau is snow-covered and the roads to the Torre are often closed by snow; walking then needs winter equipment and good navigation. In summer check wildfire risk warnings before setting out.
History
The first ascent is unrecorded; the plateau has long been used by shepherds. King João VI (reigned 1816–1826) is said to have ordered a stone tower built on the summit so that the height would reach 2,000 m, which gave the place its name. An Air Force radar station was built on the summit in 1957. The Torre plateau was designated a Council of Europe biogenetic reserve in March 1993. In August 2022 a wildfire burned about 22,000 hectares, roughly half of the natural park.
Season
Best May–Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow and ice; roads to the Torre often closed; ski season
- Feb
- Snow and ice; winter equipment needed
- Mar
- Late snow on the plateau
- Apr
- Snow possible; streams and lakes full
- May
- Usually snow-free; flowering plateau
- Jun
- Long days; good conditions
- Jul
- Hot in the valley; driest month; wildfire risk
- Aug
- Hot and dry; wildfire risk; busy summit area
- Sep
- Cooler, settled weather
- Oct
- Autumn colours in Covão d'Ametade; first snow possible
- Nov
- Wet and foggy; early snow
- Dec
- Wettest month; snow and road closures
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Serra da Estrela Natural Park: stay on paths, no fires; the Torre plateau is a protected biogenetic reserve
- Roads to the Torre (R339 and the Manteigas road via Covão d'Ametade) are frequently closed after snowfall
- Getting There
Manteigas (trailhead); Covilhã (about 20 km from the summit by road)
Porto (OPO) or Lisbon (LIS), both about 3 hours by road
- By car: R339 from Covilhã via Penhas da Saúde or from Seia; the Manteigas–Torre road passes Covão d'Ametade (small car park, arrive early in summer)
- Train to Covilhã or Guarda, then bus or taxi to Manteigas; public transport onto the plateau is very limited
Hazards
- Weather