This activity proposal aims to offer 5 days in perfect harmony with nature, with special emphasis on the Somiedo Natural Park, the Saliencia Lakes, the ancient Roman gold mines of Las Médulas - a World Heritage Site, and also a stay in Ponferrada, where we can visit the magnificent Templar castle! This is another event not to be missed!

TIME: Departure from Lisbon at 6.30am
RETURN: Arrival in Lisbon at 7.30pm

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 28 FEBRUARY 2022

10th June (Friday)

6.30am - Departure from Lisbon

1pm - Lunch suggestion in Chaves

16.30 - Check-in at the hotel (Ponferrada)

Saturday 11th June

8.30 a.m. - Departure time for the walk in Las Médulas

Walking in Las Médulas

Points of interest:

- Roman mines of Las Médulas
- Village of Médulas
- Ourellan viewpoint
- Las Pedrices Viewpoint
- Cuevona and Encantada Caves
- Lake Somido
- Picnic Park
- Natural landscapes

Distance: 12 kilometres

Difficulty: 3.5 (Scale from 1 to 5, 1 being the easiest)

Expected duration: 5h

Walking the Gold Route - Las Médulas

Las Médulas is an ancient Roman gold mine, in the region of El Bierzo, whose capital is the city of Ponferrada, the city that structured the Roman presence in the territory. Roman soldiers protected the gold mines, the largest open-pit mining operation in the empire at the time. History tells us that more than 60,000 labourers worked daily to extract the precious ore and that this was the period when the landscape of the region was changed forever. Today, traces remain of a landscape of reliefs and caves, excavated by the Roman Empire's slaves in search of gold. This landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To visit Las Médulas is to enter the world of the red earths that stand out in this particular region and there's nothing better than to do so by walking along the countless footpaths that allow you to see abandoned mine galleries and the viewpoints that offer fantastic and unique views of this old mining complex and all the beauty of its surroundings.

Lunch will be in the form of a picnic, which is the responsibility of each participant

15h - Walk along the shores of Lake Carucedo

Lake Carucedo is located very close to Las Médulas and we'll take the opportunity to make a brief stop to discover the beach and leisure area, as well as a small walkway that will give us very pleasant views of this lake, which has a perimeter of around 5 kilometres and an average depth of 9 metres.

17h - Ponferrada tour and suggested visit to the Templar Castle

Templar Castle of Ponferrada

When the kings of León donated Ponferrada to the Order of the Temple in 1178, the Templars occupied a small fortress that was originally a fortress and later a Roman citadel. They enlarged it, reinforced it as a defence of the Way of Saint James, and completed it in 1282. The castle as we know it today is the result of a large series of extensions, remodelling and additions.

The first transformations affected the square plan enclosure in the early 12th century and continued in the last areas built in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Other later additions, such as the stables in 1848 and the numerous renovations carried out since the beginning of the 20th century, have contributed to the complexity of the current castle. The coats of arms and shields of those who lived there and contributed to its construction show the existence of different stages

20h30 - Group dinner

Sunday 12th June

8am - Departure for Pola de Somiedo

Walking in the Braña de Mumián

Points of interest:

- Typical huts
- Valleys
- Braña de Mumián
- El Coto and Rio Sousas
- Pola de Somiedo
- Natural landscapes

Distance: 14 kilometres

Difficulty: 3.5 (Scale from 1 to 5, 1 being the easiest)

Walking in the “Braña de Mumian”

This route starts in Llamardal and runs through the meadows that surround the village. The path climbs gently to the middle of the slope of Peña Gúa, and then emerges into an area of meadows cut through with stone borders separating the farms, between which patches of vegetation appear from time to time. The path continues between walls until you reach Fuente'l Cañu, in Braña de Mumián, where you can see old pots, constructions used in the past to keep milk at a low temperature thanks to the coolness of the running water. As we walk, we'll see clusters of huts stretching across green meadows. These small houses were once used as a support point for the shepherds who travelled the countryside. brañas, These are meadows with pasture and water, with their flocks of cows, goats or sheep during autumn and spring.

4pm - Expected arrival at Pola de Somiedo

17.30 - Walk in Pola de Somiedo

20.30 - Suggested Group Dinner

13th June (Monday)

9am - Departure for the Saliencia and Valle del Lago Lakes

Walking around the Saliencia Lakes and Valle del Lago

Points of interest:

- Alto da Farrapona
- Lake Cueva
- Lake of Cerveiriz
- Lake Calabazosa
- Valle del Lago
- Natural landscapes

Distance: 18 kilometres

Difficulty: 3.5 (Scale from 1 to 5, 1 being the easiest)

Walking on the “Lagos de Saliencia and Valle del Lago”

This route starts at Alto da Farrapona and takes you along the most beautiful lakes in the Somiedo Natural Park, surrounded by unrivalled beauty, between high mountains with their overwhelming peaks, in a landscape where the lakes stand out: Lago de La Cueva, Lago de Cerveiriz, Lago de Clabazosa and Valle del Lago. These are images that will remain in the hiker's memory for many years to come!

20.30 - Suggested Group Dinner

14th June (Tuesday)

8.30am - Departure for Lisbon

13.30 - Visit to Verin Castle and lunch

20.30 - Estimated time of arrival in Lisbon

The price includes:

- Transport by Coach / Minibus or Tourist Van
- 4 nights bed and breakfast in a 3-star hotel
- 2 dinners
- 4 Walks
- Tour of Ponferrada and Pola de Somiedo
- The proposed accommodation option includes various room types
- Guided Walks
- Compulsory insurance

Programme values:

Price in double room: 520€
Price in single room: 650€

Seat reservation fee: 100€

- Ponferrada - Templar Castle - Las Médulas - Carucedo Lake - Pola de Somiedo - Valle del Lago - Saliencia Lakes - Alto da Farrapona - Chaves - Monterrei Castle - Somiedo Natural Park - Natural landscapes -