GR 50 — Percurso do Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês

The GR 50 is the long-distance circuit trail that rings the core of Peneda-Gerês National Park in northern Portugal, starting and finishing near the Portela do Homem border crossing, reachable by car via the N308 from Terras de Bouro or by Arriva bus 350 as far as Caldas do Gerês for hikers joining the southern stages. No permit is required to walk the route, but overnight camping outside designated areas within the park is restricted. The full circuit covers roughly 90 km broken into five to six daily stages of 3 to 8 hours each, with a high point of 1,545 m at Nevosa and daily elevation gains of 400 to 800 m, making individual stages moderate to strenuous and the complete traverse a multi-day undertaking best suited to experienced hikers. Underfoot the trail alternates between granite boulder fields, narrow forest singletrack through cork oak and pine, and open moorland with little to no shade above the treeline, so exposure to sun and wind is significant on the higher sections around Nevosa and Ermida. Key landmarks along the way include the granite villages of Ermida and Cabril, the Vilarinho das Furnas reservoir basin, and the Mata da Albergaria ancient oak woodland. Hikers with limited time often use Ermida or Campo do Gerês as turn-around points for a shorter two- to three-day taste of the route rather than committing to the full circuit. Water sources are frequent in the form of mountain streams, but these should be treated or filtered, and rustic village cafés in Ermida, Cabril and Campo do Gerês offer resupply points; a small number of rural guesthouses and the Ermida village itself provide informal shelter, though there are no staffed mountain refuges along the route, so overnight planning around villages or a tent is essential.