The Peneda-Gerês National Park or Peneda-Gerês mountain range is the only national park in Portugal and is located in the extreme northeast of the Minho, extending to Trás-os-Montes, from the Serra da Peneda the Serra do Gerês - hence its name -, being cut by two large rivers, the Rio Lima and Cávado. Bordering with Galicia, encompassing the districts of Braga (Terras de Bouro), Viana do Castelo (Melgaço county, Arcos de Valdevez and Ponte da Barca) and Vila Real (Montalegre county) in a total area of ​​about 70 290 hectares.

The Peneda-Gerês National Park is considered by UNESCO as World Biosphere Reserve.

It is one of the biggest natural attractions of Portugal, due to the rare and impressive beauty of the landscape and the ecological and ethnographic value and the variety of fauna (bucks, garranos, lobes, birds of prey) and flora (pines, yews, chestnut trees, medicinal products). It extends from the mountain of the Gerês, to the South, passing by the mountain range of Peneda until the Spanish border.

It includes sections of the Roman road that linked Braga to Astorga, known as Geira. In the park are two important centers of pilgrimage, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Peneda, replica of the sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Braga, and that of San Bento da Porta Aberta, a place of great popular devotion.

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A holiday in Gerês in rural homes with your group of friends, will provide unforgettable moments. If you like adventure, there are many radical activities you can practice. Mountain climbing, abseiling, canyoning, slide, paintball, among many others. And at night you always have the possibility of going to the disco or a bar to have a drink.

For a more cultural program visit the San Bento Sanctuary. It is located in the parish of Rio Caldo and is a religious and historical reference for all the minhotos. Pilgrimages are made to the sanctuary all year round and on the dates of March 21, July 11 and August 12 and 13, there are pilgrimages that combine the religious with the profane. The sanctuary of the Lady of the Abbey is another place not to be missed because of its architectural beauty and the history of the place. According to legend, it was founded by a nobleman in the 19th century. XII, to whom the Virgin appeared in a cave, being one of the oldest places of the region.

Also pass the Roman road of Geira, a unique route, and the most monumental archaeological site in the region.
 
If the relation with the sea is important for you, then the marina of Rio Caldo is the ideal. With a characteristic beauty, there are practiced the best water sports. You can take a tour on a tourist boat or indulge in local cuisine at one of the many restaurants.

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In the Gerês area, typical dishes include baby goat Beef, Ham Steaks, Ham, Sausages, Potatoes of Sarrabulho, Rojões, Portuguese-cooked, Green Broth, Cod Pataniscas, Cod with Migas and cabidela rice. Not forgetting the well-known bean stew with cabbages from the Rio Caldo area.

In the regional confectionery they include Cake of wafer with sweet of eggs, the pasteis of Santa Eufémia, the orange pie of Amares among other conventual sweets.

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The climate in Gerês is strongly influenced by the proximity of the sea and the orography (study of the nuances of the relief of a region) complex. These are also the main conditioners of the climatic dynamics, of the Iberian Peninsula and especially of the whole PNPG area.
As Gerês is constantly subject to sea winds and humidity carriers, which act as moderators of thermal variations, the Gerês mountains constitute the only barriers to hot and humid air and cause, especially on the northernmost slopes, abundant rainfall .
The PNPG is part of the transition region between the Atlantic and northern influences and the Mediterranean and Southern influences, and is influenced by several types of climate:

Atlantic weather
Mediterranean climate
Continental climate

The average value of humidity in the air is over 85%, annual evapotranspiration (loss of soil water by evaporation and loss of plant water per perspiration) is greater than 800 mm and the average value of the flow varies between 1,400 mm and 1,800 mm.
The number of days of precipitation is more than 100 per year, often occurring snowfall and hidden precipitation. The average annual precipitation is of the order of 2,200 mm, but is higher in some areas of the Park, particularly in Gerês where it reaches 3,000 mm.

As for the average annual temperature in Gerês, it oscillates between +17º and + 20º C.

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