This proposed walk starts at the Belas Parish Council (Praça 5 de Outubro). It takes in various points of interest such as the Serra da Carregueira Environmental Park, a route along the Ribeira de Belas and the Fonteireira Aqueduct, following paths of great scenic beauty such as the Serra da Carregueira. Come along and be dazzled by these marvellous landscapes right on Lisbon's doorstep.

Quinta da Fonteireira

Until the mid-19th century, the Quinta was a manorial domain subject to the Lord of Belas, known for its wealth of water, and it was here that the Águas Livres Aqueduct began in 1713. The Quinta is located in the middle of the Serra da Carregueira, between hills, on a fertile and sloping slope that led to its configuration and distribution in levels, where the gardens, the old orange grove and the agricultural area are distributed. The sloping areas are dominated by forest and a variety of woodlands, including pine trees and eucalyptus, introduced in the 50s and 60s. The Quinta is also crossed by the Belas stream, a tributary of the Jamor, which used to feed part of its hydraulic system.

Álvaro Pires Serrador was granted the first title to Quinta da Fonteireira in 1525, as evidenced by a tile panel containing the names of the owners of the estate and the date it came into effect. This title depended on the lords of Belas, who were responsible for jurisdiction within the “council”. Over the course of two centuries, the quinta passed through the hands of various owners until Gregório Raimundo Vieira, in 1710, was credited with building the “house overlooking the stream”, a Casa de Fresco located next to the farmland and used as a place for noblemen to relax and socialise on hot summer days. The creation of this new space brought a new type of use to the quinta, which was no longer an exclusively rural space dedicated to butter production, but also a recreational space.

Serra da Carregueira

The Carregueira mountain range is a massif located to the north-west of Lisbon, made up of a series of hills which, due to their more rugged terrain, stand out from the surrounding undulating terrain. The northern section of the mountain range has several headlands over 300 metres high, the highest point being the geodesic landmark of Aruil, at 334 metres. Mount Suímo, at 291 metres, is the highest point in the southern sector of the mountain range.

It includes the important Vale de Lobos aquifer, formerly used by the Águas Livres Aqueduct and its subsidiaries, of which the Mata aqueduct stands out. The Carregueira mountain range is the source of the main watercourses that flow into the Atlantic Ocean between Lisbon and Oeiras after passing through the towns of Amadora, Queluz and Agualva-Cacém.

In 2015, Sintra council approved the final version of the Serra da Carregueira Urbanisation Plan, which provides for a 195-hectare urban park - the second largest wooded area in the municipality.

- Serra da Carregueira Environmental Park - Ribeira de Belas - Fonteireira aqueduct - Casal do Brouco - Fonteireira dam - Natural landscapes -