Serra da Estrela Ski Resort ( pt, Estância de Esqui da Serra da Estrela) is a
ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North ...
located in a mountain range named
Serra da Estrela
Serra da Estrela () is the highest mountain range in Continental Portugal. Together with the Serra da Lousã it is the westernmost constituent range of the Sistema Central and also one of the highest in the system. It includes mainland Portugal's ...
, in the municipality of
Seia
Seia () is a municipality in Guarda District in Portugal. The population in 2021 was 21,755, in an area of . Its urban population is about 7,000. Seia was elevated to city status on July 3, 1986. The municipality is situated on the northwestern slo ...
, parish (''
freguesia
''Freguesia'' (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Port ...
'') of
Loriga
Loriga () is a civil parish ( pt, freguesia) and town in south-central part of the municipality of Seia, in central Portugal. Part of the district of Guarda, it is 20 km away from the city of Seia, 40 km away from Viseu, 80 km aw ...
, Portugal.
Description
This small ski resort is located in Serra da Estrela, close to Torre, the highest point in mainland Portugal, located in the municipality of Seia, within the Serra da Estrela Natural Park and the parish of Loriga, at an elevation of approximately 2,000 meters at the highest point. The nearest urban area to the resort is the city of Covilhã, about 20 km away, and the nearest accommodation is located in
Penhas da Saúde
Penhas da Saúde () is a village in the municipality of Covilhã, Portugal. This mountain village sits right in the heart of Serra da Estrela, nestled within the scenic mountain range, at an altitude of 1,500 metres. It is primarily a winter resort ...
, about 10 minutes away.
Covered by a blanket of snow from December to April, also aided by cannons that produce artificial snow, the ski resort has infrastructure for practicing winter sports and modern chair lifts. It is possible to rent equipment for skiing and snowboarding at this location.
This ski resort has 9 slopes, with a total length of 6.1 km, considered good for beginner skiers, but there are also slopes for more advanced skiers. Its minimum elevation is 1,854 meters in elevation, and the maximum is 1,984 m.
The resort is owned by tour operator Turistrela Hotels & Experiences. Currently, the group exclusively owns the tourist operation above the elevation of 800 meters, in Serra da Estrela.
Sobre a Turistrela
Turistrela.pt
Starting in 2005, the British telecommunications company Vodafone sponsored the ski resort for a number of years and was also responsible for improvements to it.
See also
* Torre, the highest point of Continental Portugal
Continental Portugal ( pt, Portugal continental, ) or mainland Portugal comprises the bulk of the Portuguese Republic, namely that part on the Iberian Peninsula and so in Continental Europe, having approximately 95% of the total population and ...
.
*Serra da Estrela Natural Park
Serra da Estrela Natural Park is situated in the largest mountain range in Portugal - the Serra da Estrela, and is the source of the rivers Mondego, Zêzere (tributary of the Tagus), and Alva. The park is the largest natural conservation area ...
References
Sources
Serra da Estrela Weather Forecast, Snow Report and Resort Information
Snow-forecast.com
Ski areas and resorts in Portugal
Buildings and structures in Guarda District
Tourist attractions in Guarda District
Serra da Estrela
{{Commonscat, Vodafone Ski Resort