Valley – Maldo Travels

Portugal – Towns, Mountains and Lakes

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 14:26:00 +0000

On our trip to Portugal, we stayed at a friend’s family’s place in Canas de Senhorim which is about a 1-hour 45-minute drive from Porto where we landed. There are several car rental companies within walking distance from the airport and our friend normally rents from Drive & Go. The drive to Canas de Senhorim is beautiful as we pass by mountain landscapes along winding roads. We were staying here for about a week and we did some grocery shopping in the bigger town of Nelas which is a short 10-minute drive away. For eating out in restaurants, we headed to the city of Viseu which was a 30-minute drive away. For activities, the Serra da Estrela national park is close by as well as several small towns.

Praia da Lagoa Comprida

It took us about a 1-hour drive to get to this lake in Serra da Estrela and the route is very scenic as we climb the mountains along winding roads. There are a couple of small mountainside towns on the way before reaching the car park which is next to the dam at the lake. There’s a small shop/cafe here and you can walk along the dam for some great pictures. The lake is huge and there were a couple of groups of people sunbathing by the lake. We found a spot on one of the large boulders by the lake and went for a swim. The weather was great when we went with 30-degree temperatures but the lake was still quite cold which made for a refreshing swim. After doing some swimming, we went for a walk around the lake and there are many large boulders that would be great for bouldering. Overall, it was a great place to spend a relaxing afternoon.

Viseu

One of the main attractions in this city is Sé Catedral de Viseu which dates back to the 12th century. Entrance to the cathedral and adjacent square which has some iconic tile artwork is free, but you can also pay to visit the museum which goes through very old buildings. The architecture and stonework of the cathedral appear to be untouched which allows you to appreciate the history in this place. Across the main plaza, you can find the newer Igreja da Misericórdia de Viseu. Next to this church, you can find a viewpoint that looks over the city. We walked around the stone-tiled city which has several shops in its high streets and ended up at Jardim da Ribeira. There is a funicular here which goes up to Igreja da Misericórdia de Viseu, but the highlight at this time of year was the Feira de São Mateus. This yearly event takes place at the end of August and the beginning of September. There were many funfair games, food stalls, and a stage with live music. One of the iconic foods was the farturas which were being sold everywhere. These were very tasty and are similar to churros but much larger.

Mangualde

This was one of the bigger towns close to Canas de Senhorim. The highlight here is the Live Beach which is an artificial beach. It’s a great place to relax with beach chairs and parasols available for hire. There is also a bar/restaurant, a kids area, and a football pitch in the sand. After going for a swim, you can head to the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Castelo which is at the top of a hill and makes for a great viewpoint. You can either drive up to the parking area or walk up some steps. There’s also a restaurant there which is famous for serving a snail dish.

Douro Valley – Famous Wine Country

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 17:01:48 +0000

There are many tours available online and one of the most popular ones are the river cruises with wine tours. We mainly wanted to go for a wine tasting and having been before in Argentina, I remember a visit to a single winery being enough and that it was cheaper buying directly with the winery. After some online research, we decided to go to a winery in Peso da Régua which was a popular spot. We were staying at Canas de Senhorim and it was only a 1-hour 10-minute drive. From Porto, it’s a slightly longer 1-hour 20-minute drive. Although Porto has several agencies offering a range of Douro Valley tours which may be more convenient.

After looking up wineries in Peso da Régua, we decided to go with Quinta da Pacheca. They had reasonable prices for the wine tasting tours with an English speaking guide. Our wine tour was scheduled for 3 PM so we set out at around 12.30 PM. The drive itself is very scenic as it crosses mountains and valleys along winding roads. There are several parking options available in the town although the ones by the river tend to fill up quickly. We managed to find a spot by the river and then went for a walk along the riverside. The landscape views here are incredible as you get to see the terraced vineyards on the slopes of the banks on the other side of the river. The river cruises stop/depart from the banks of this river. The large cruises had already set out but there was a small boat that offered a 50-minute river tour for 10 EUR¹. We walked around the hilly town for a bit before getting back in the car to cross the river to get to our wine tour.

Quinta de Pacheca has a large complex with vineyards, buildings for winemaking, and a hotel with unique barrel rooms. When we got there, we went sure where the tour began so we went to the hotel reception to ask and they directed us to a building further down the road. The wine tour started promptly and to start with, everyone had to walk through a disinfection barrel that sprays a mist as you walk through. The guide then first took us to the vineyards and gave us some information on how the grapes are grown and the different types of grapes used. Next, we headed into a building where they prepare the harvested grapes. There are large stone deposits where the grapes are kept in and stirred to get the juice from the grapes. The guide told us that during the harvest season, they offer an experience for visitors to collect grapes and then step on them barefoot which was the traditional method. We then continue down some steps to the storage room where the barrels are kept. The guide explains how the wine is stored and aged in this room. After this, we then head outside for the wine tasting. We got to try 5 wines in total; 2 Reds, 1 White, and 2 Ports. The guide explains how each wine was made as he pours them out. We’re also given a menu with a list of the wines and prices for anyone wanting to buy. I enjoyed the Ports and ended up getting 2 bottles to take home. After the tasting, we’re free to roam around the area to take pictures.

We were done at around 5 PM and we decided to cross the river back to Peso da Régua to see if we could get on the river tour we saw earlier. The last one was scheduled to leave at 6 PM so we went into a cafe to wait until then. We were pretty tired so ended up staying at the cafe for a bit longer rather than going on the river tour. At around 6.30 we then went back to the car to head back to Canas de Senhorim.

Salar de Uyuni Tour – Day 3

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 21:21:00 +0000

It’s another early 6.30 AM start for breakfast at our lodge in Laguna Colorada. We then load our bags onto the Jeep and leave around 7.30 AM. It’s a short drive to our first stop – Árbol de Piedra (Rock Tree) – arriving at around 8.15 AM. Located in the Siloli Desert, the iconic rock in the form of a tree sits among a field of large rocks. Our guide said these were volcanic rocks that had been shaped by winds reaching 200 Km/h over hundreds of years. We were given around 25 minutes to walk around and managed to get some great pictures. We then get back on the Jeep and drive through the Siloli Desert towards a stretch of lakes.

We arrive at the first stop at Lake Honda at around 9.15 AM. We first stopped at a viewpoint for a panoramic view of the lake and then headed down to the lake. From the bottom, you can see the lake has a mirror effect reflecting the mountain landscape. Next, we continue for another 30 minutes to Lake Hedionda. We saw a couple of birds at this lake and walked about for about 10 minutes before getting back on the Jeep to head to the next lake. While driving we passed Lake Charcota and then reached Lake Cañapa. There were some more birds at this lake so we spent around 10 minutes walking around.

Then it was back to the Jeep and off to the viewpoint of the active Volcano Ollagüe. We reached the viewpoint at around 11.45 AM. There was a rock that you can climb up to take some pictures. We spent about 15 minutes here before continuing to another lake. I believe this lake was Laguna Negra (Black Lake) due to its dark color. Opposite the lake, there some more rocks dispersed in the desert. This was a quick 10 minute stop before heading to the last destination before lunch – Valle de Rocas (Rock Valley). It was only a 10-15 minute drive to get to this valley. Many rocks are laying all over the place in this valley, but the most iconic one was named the headless condor. This rock formation looked like a condor taking flight with only its head missing. We’re only here for 5 minutes to step out and take a picture since everyone was getting hungry by 1.30 PM. So it was onwards to the small village of Villa Alota where we had lunch in what seemed to normally be a restaurant. There are restroom facilities here which cost 2 BOB² per person.

Once we finished lunch, we continued towards the Uyuni Salt Flats. On our way, we passed through a scenic valley where we stopped to take pictures at the bottom of the valley and then when we reached the top. Shortly after, we also came across some plains where we saw llamas grazing in the field so we stopped there for some pictures. What was particularly interesting was how it looked like the wall of the mountains had been cut to make way for the road. Next, we arrived at the small town of Julaca which has railway tracks running through the middle of the town. There is a bar/restaurant in the town we visited where you can buy drinks and snacks. There was also an abandoned decaying train by the railway tracks which we climbed to take a picture. From here, we were now in the final leg of our journey to the Uyuni Salt Flats.

We were a little ahead of schedule so the guide suggested visiting some caverns before the sunset at the salt flats. The group agreed so it was a quick visit to Hell’s Cavern. The entrance tickets were 15 BOB each. As you step in, the cavern is dark until the site’s guide turns on the lights. He then hands out helmets before going deeper into the cavern. Some crouching and squeezing through gaps are involved but it’s a small cavern and takes about 15 minutes to complete. We then drove into the salt flats for about 30 minutes arriving at our sunset spot at around 5.45 PM. We stayed here to watch the sun fall behind some mountains. Following the sunset, it’s back on the Jeep to head to the hotel around 6.25 PM. Our hotel was made of salt and here we were allocated rooms between 2 people. There were shower facilities here as well which cost 10 BOB each. The dining area is on the first floor and dinner is served around 8 PM. There are sockets in the dining area if you need to charge any electronic devices. The rooms are basic but comfortable for a good night’s sleep.

Valle de la Luna – Quad Biking

Jean Maldonado — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 18:48:00 +0000

When looking for tours, most required you to make your way to Valle de la Luna so we decided to just head there and rent quad bikes there. Valle de la Luna is in Mallasa, and we were told we would need to take 2 buses to get there from the Witches Market area where we were staying. So instead, we decided to take a taxi there for 40 BOB¹ which was interestingly cheaper than an Uber³. The drive there took about 30 minutes and we got to Mallasa at around 10.30 AM. We asked the driver where we could rent quad bikes and he dropped us off near there. We found 2 places and they both quoted the same price of 200 BOB for a 2-hour 30-minute guided tour. There is also a 1-hour option and a 5-hour option and they show you on a map what routes you’d be able to complete. You need to have a valid driver’s license plus your passport to be able to rent the quad bikes. One of the staff travels with you to take you to the different stops on the route. Before setting out, your given some time to ride laps around the block to get used to the quad bike. They show you the controls and it’s similar to a motorbike if you’ve ever ridden one. If you haven’t, it’s pretty simple to pick up. Also, the quad bikes are semi-automatic so you put the gears up and down, but don’t have to worry about clutch control to prevent stalling the bike.

The 2-hour 30-minute Route

On this route, there were 4 destinations. To get to the first one, it’s about a 5-10 minute ride to a control point where an official checks your license. The guide takes your license and talks to the police officer to tell him he’s taking you on a tour. Once past that checkpoint, we ride for another 10 minutes on paved roads to the first stop which is a viewpoint. From here, you get a view of the small surrounding villages and the landscape with the outskirts of La Paz in the distance. We stop here for about 5 minutes and then continue for another 20 minutes to the next destination. In this leg we move off the paved road to dirt roads so it gets quite dusty. The second destination is a plain with mountains that have interesting moon-like formations in the background.

We then ride another 5 minutes towards the mountains. This is when the quad biking gets a little thrilling as there some steep climbs and winding roads to climb the mountain. Once we reach the mountain, you get a great view of the plain and the mountain landscape in the background. You can also climb to the top of the mountain for some great pictures of the other side. From the top, you get to see rolling hills with these moon-like rock formations. We spent about 15-20 minutes here before continuing to the final stop. It takes about 15 minutes to reach this last stop going through steep climbs and winding roads, passing by a town. This final viewpoint was one of my favorites. It has a narrow path stretching out of the mountain and makes for great pictures. The landscape is of surrounding towns and mountain landscape with La Paz in the distance. We spent about 15 minutes here before riding 30 minutes back to Mallasa to return the quad bikes. Once back at the town, we asked how to get back to La Paz and they showed us where the bus stops. We waited for about 15 minutes for the bus which took us to the Universidad area dropping us off at Las Torres Mall. The bus ride took about 30 minutes and cost 2 BOB each.