The Great Zêzere Bicycle Route.
The Zêzere River, about 240 kilometers long, is the second largest national river.
It is born in the imposing Cântaro Magro, a huge rock in the Serra da Estrela, about 1800 meters high and begins to take shape in Covão D’Ametade, where there was a huge glacier.
About 20 million years ago, at the end of the ice age, with the thawing of the waters and the dragging of huge ice blocks, one of Portugal's greatest natural wonders was formed in this area - the Zêzere Glacier Valley.
It’s here, surrounded by a wonderful scenery, with its fresh and crystalline waters, that the Zêzere River takes its first steps until reaching the friendly Manteigas village.
After passing through this village, until Constância, where its waters will meet the Tagus River, it will be another 200 km.
With thousands of curves and counter-curves, drawn at the bottom of huge mountains that contain millions of shades, greens, yellows, oranges, browns, whites, blues and blacks this whole route provides wonderful landscapes.
Next to the source of the river, the houses are made with granite (Vale do Glaciar do Zêzere, Manteigas, Belmonte, Orjais, Caria). Then, houses built with schist (Janeiras, Barroca, Silvares, Álvaro, Dornelas) begin to appear and at the end of the river, small white painted villages (Pedrogão, Dornes, Constância) start to predominate.
Another great legacy left by our ancestors was gastronomy, along the entire river, are delicious recipes made based on local products, where of course those made with river fish (trout, carp and largemouth bass), local meat (pork, goat, chicken, sheep and wild boar), chestnuts, olive oil, honey and cheeses. As in all of Portugal, wine and desserts are delicious here too.
Also, on the Zêzere River are three large dams (Cabril, Bouçã and Castelo de Bode), hundreds of wonderful river beaches and beautiful bridges, some almost 2000 years old built by the Romans.
For a week, my wife and I, we cycled all over this river, we enjoyed all this wonderful scenery, we visited dozens of small villages, we knew different ways of living and we tried the delicious recipes of the region.
For 350 fantastic kilometers we were "isolated from the world", relaxing and enjoying.
I advise all nature lovers to do this bike tour - The Great Zêzere Bicycle Route.
