PR8 - Rota do Ouro Negro

Tungsten mines, mountain villages and hidden streams of the Serra da Freita

Start: Chapel of Santa Catarina de Fuste (Moldes) End: Rio de Frades (Cabreiros) Distance: 6 km (out-and-back: 12 km) Duration: 2h30 (out-and-back: 5h)

Did you know

  • The so called “black gold” of this trail is not gold, but tungsten, a mineral highly valued for its strength and industrial applications.
  • During the Second World War, the high demand for tungsten led to the opening of clandestine mines by miners known as “pilhas”, who worked using very rudimentary methods.
  • Many of the mine entrances still visible along the route are direct testimonies of this twentieth century mining rush.

Type: Short Trail (PR) Point-to-point

Distance: 6

Difficulty: Moderate (level 3)

GPS Coordinates: 40°53'59.0"N 8°13'06.5"W