PR4 MTG - Rota do Carvão

The PR4 MTG - Charcoal Route is a circular trail of around 20 km, located in the Serra da Estrela, in the municipality of Manteigas. With a high level of difficulty and an accumulated elevation gain of around 975 metres, it crosses different altitude zones of the mountain range, linking the town of Manteigas to Penhas Douradas and to areas marked by pastures, scrubland, watercourses, broadleaf forests and granite outcrops. The route is linked to the former production of charcoal, obtained by burning heather roots, locally known as borralho. In the higher areas, this activity coexisted with pastoralism, the use of natural pastures and rye cultivation, elements that shaped the relationship between local communities and the mountain for a long time. The landscape is one of the main highlights of the route, alternating between rocky areas, natural depressions, mountain valleys and bodies of water. The passage through Penhas Douradas also adds a historical dimension to the trail, associated with high-altitude treatment of respiratory diseases and with the Meteorological Observatory, built more than a century ago to monitor the region's weather conditions. By crossing different levels of the Serra da Estrela, the trail allows visitors to observe a great diversity of flora and fauna. Among the plant species recorded in this area are rowan, juniper and birch, which are rare in Portugal, as well as scrubland and broadleaf forests. The fauna includes mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds associated with mountain environments, watercourses and rocky areas. Points of interest: - Fraga da Cruz - Fragão do Corvo - Pedra Sobreposta - Penhas Douradas - Nave da Mestra - Vale das Éguas - Vale do Rossim Reservoir - Perdigueiro Pond - Penhas Douradas Meteorological Observatory

Start / End: Near the Municipal Archive of Manteigas. Elevation gain: 975 m Elevation: min. 767 m, max. 1683 m Recommended direction: Anticlockwise.