A Romanesque castle with a keep and cistern, a short circular trail and a 17-kilometre route for walking and cycling give Celorico de Basto different highlights for a stay. There are also churches from various building periods, camellia gardens and scenery between the Marão and Alvão mountain ranges and the Tâmega Valley. This lets you give different weight to culture, activity and scenery when planning your trip.

Romanesque Traces and Historic Houses

Castelo de Arnóia is a Romanesque castle with a keep, a square defensive tower, a single gate and a cistern. It can be reached via the E.N. 101-4 from Celorico de Basto towards Felgueiras; a footpath leads to the monument from Aldeia do Castelo. Aldeia do Castelo is the former Villa de Basto—the present name and the former designation mark two historical names for the same place.

The churches also tell of different building periods. Igreja de Santa Maria de Veade was built in the 13th century and extensively altered in the 18th century. Igreja do Salvador de Fervença preserves a vaulted Romanesque main apse. Its surviving Romanesque features date to the second quarter of the 13th century and include buttresses visible on the exterior.

In Ribas, Igreja do Salvador combines beaded motifs in its interior and exterior decoration with an important campaign of mural painting behind the main altar. According to tradition, a small monastery of Augustinian Canons Regular was also founded in Ribas. This is a historical tradition; it is a separate aspect from the church’s surviving decorative features.

Historic houses and estates offer further insights into the area’s architectural history. Casa do Outeiro in Veade was built in the 16th century and rebuilt in 1860 after a fire had nearly destroyed it. Casa da Boavista and its garden in Outeiro, Veade, are classified as an Imóvel de Interesse Público (Property of Public Interest). The classification of Solar do Souto covers its gardens and the Quinta; the estate is located in Vilar, Basto (S. Clemente).

Walking and Cycling

Ecopista do Tâmega is intended for walking and cycling. It runs 17 kilometres north from Celorico de Basto to Arco de Baúlhe railway station. The route is described as a gentle, accessible path for everyone with a very slight gradient. Its direction and endpoint provide clear orientation.

PR2 offers a different kind of route: it is a short, signposted circular walking trail in Celorico de Basto. Notable places along the route are marked with descriptive information. Comparing the two routes can help you choose the type of trail that suits you: a short circular walk or a 17-kilometre route with a stated endpoint.

Scenery, Camellias and Wine

Celorico de Basto lies between the Marão and Alvão mountain ranges and the Tâmega Valley. The riverside area of Celorico de Basto on the Rio Freixieiro is described as a place for recreation and leisure. Miradouro do Calvelo offers views over the Terras de Basto. Together, these places offer different ways to experience the landscape: a valley, a riverside and a viewpoint.

The region of Basto’s garden culture includes its many manor houses and traditional gardens. The gardens are laid out geometrically and planted with abundant camellias. Festa Internacional das Camélias takes place on the third weekend in March and includes a camellia exhibition and a competition. If you want to plan your trip around this event, the third weekend in March is the date to note.

Wine also offers a regional point of reference. The Basto wine subregion comprises Cabeceiras de Basto, Celorico de Basto, Mondim de Basto and Ribeira de Pena. The Azal grape reaches its greatest potential there, producing wines with lemon and green apple aromas. The Verde Sentido wine and food route includes Celorico de Basto. Vinho Verde is produced on the sunny slopes of the Tâmega.

Getting There and Choosing Your Focus

From Porto, the road route follows the A4 towards Vila Real, takes the Amarante Oeste exit and then continues to Celorico de Basto. The highlights described offer different starting points without prescribing a fixed day-by-day itinerary.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Codeçoso, Ribas, Vizela, Vilar da Veiga, Rio Caldo, Vieira Do Minho, Guimaraes, Vila De Prado.

For the overview of the wider region: Braga.