The Yosemite of Portugal 

The View Point for Sunset is called Pedra Bela

Bro! Your pronunciation of Portuguese words is really improving, nice to see the dedication man.

Gerès was by far my most favorite place to visit in Portugal. It is truly stunning there, with amazing watering holes to visit. Our guide who took us across to you some hidden gems was very knowledgeable and so friendly.

Great video. As a "minhoto" myself I thank you for showing my land with such care and respect. I loved you trip to Spain. While you technically were in the state of Spain, it's not the usual Spain. You where in the autonomous region of Galiza, with which the north of Portugal formed a kingdom until 800 years ago. They are much like as the people of the north of Portugal in mood and traditions, and they have a national language, Galego, which is a co-dialect of the Portuguese like the brasilian portuguese. It's not originated in the portuguese variant, they where the same and now still being very similar(when not mixed with spanish, what happens often).

Another great presentation of one of the most beautiful places in Portugal. Beautiful! Thank you

We just came back from Portugal two weeks ago, I can easily say this part of Portugal for us was the most beautiful part of the country

Awesome video Dave. Funny that I think I commented in one of your videos that you should make a video about Gerês and you didn't disappoint me. Next year, don't forget to visit Braga and make content about "Braga Romana". Thank you very much. You are a true ambassador for our country. 👊👏

Very nice

Hi Dave, fantastic video! And I agree with another viewer, your Portuguese pronunciation is improving so much! You pronounced Gerês just right. Can’t wait for your next video.

How beautiful! I regret now that I did not get up there last month when I was in Porto. Next time in Portugal!

This is amazing Dave. Your videography and editing is getting next level 🙌🏻

The restuartante is called Pedra Bela

Nasci no Gerês e é para mim o lugar mais lindo de Portugal, não sei se foste à peneda, e não colocaste no vídeo, para mim é o lugar mais bonito de todo geres. Obrigado pelo vídeo 🫶

Dave, you have outdone yourself with this video! Now that we are in Porto for a month, we might be able to go visit this beautiful place. Thank you! 😊

Been there several times and never saw the horses! I feel a bit jealous :) Next time, visit Mosteiro de Pitões das Júnias. It's a monastery in the middle of all that nature and older than Portugal. A magical place were you feel like stardust. Congrats on your Portuguese accent, David em Portugal :)

Beautiful! We’re planning to go there in September with our friends from Braga. Your video has me even more excited to check out the Gerês National Park. ❤

fantastic pronunciation! great efforts! beautiful footage!

NHR or no NHR these are the reasons, among many, why I am relocating to Portugal - thanks Dave

I watched your brother's channel then I know your parents, and now I know you too. I know your whole family! Great channels by the way. Cheers from Indonesia.

No way man 🤯 My favorite place in Portugal and I go there every year and you visited all places that I visit 😊 but I stay on a camping site Cerdeira . Is very nice there . Great work 👍

You have been posting such great content! Keep up the awesome work and keep exploring our country !

Beautiful grounds! Can’t wait to visit. Portugal 2024 here we come.

Dave I'm really enjoying your videos of all the wonderful places in Portugal. I recently spent a week back in May and traveled from Porto all to Lisbon and saw some beautiful cities. I'm ready to go back and scout for possibility of moving permanently. Keep up the great job of showing awesome towns, points of interest, restaurants, culture and festivities. Big thank you.

Good on you for checking out Gerês, it's beautiful. Keep in mind though, it's the Peneda-Gerês National Park, so when you can, check out the Peneda portion of the park, a little further North in the Viana do Castelo district. You shoud especially check out the Castro Laboreiro area, quite different from Gerês but beautiful in its own way.

You're going to be more popular soon Dave in Portugal... You just got featured in one of the big expat Facebook groups. Parabens! 😊

Mais um excelente trabalho , Dave . Parabéns . Irei escrever ... SEMPRE ... em português !!... será uma forma de fazer progressos na nossa língua . Welcome .

Thank you for introducing me to this stunning park!

Gerês is very very beautiful, great video, but... there's sooooo much more to see there!! You have to go back! ;)

Dave, your videos are getting better and better....!

Your subjects, videography, and accent just keep getting better and better. Well done!

Such a beautiful country, thanks for sharing it!

Beautiful video, travel details & history! Great job! Hope to visit! Bucket list! Love these travel videos in Portugal!

Muito obrigado. Thank you very much for showing my country the way you do.

- Gerês is only one of the Moutain chains of the national park. The others being Soajo (wrongfully called Peneda because the popular sanctuary with this name took over the name of the mountain in modern people) and Amarela. There are also 2 distinct plateaux in each extrême. Castro Laboreiro West and Mourela east. These are the 5 main geographic features of the national park. - The reason why it's a national park unlike the other parks is due to the fact that the human modelation of the land to human needs is an unbelievable proof of human adaptability across eras. The park had many distinct lifestyles and ancestral (going back to pre roman roots) ways of life were verifiable until recently. This is a national park because of human culture more than it ever was because of the nature. In fact all the water ways were biologically killed by multiple dams and the biodiversity isn't that special as the intense human presence in the park (tens of thousands lived in it) had a profound effect in the eradication and extinction of many species. Also, many of the landscapes you filmed have nothing natural. Dams and forests of acácia and eucalyptus are the opposite of what natural park should present. - The Roman geira isn't a pilgrimage route. It's a road connecting Braga to Astorga, 2 of the most important cities of Roman Gallaecia. São Bento (or the diminutive São Bentinho for people of the region) is nevertheless the 2nd largest pilgrimage destination in Portugal with thousands walking there from all over the northern region all year long. - Rio Homem has hundreds of water holes. You're just not allowed in the trail near Portela do Homem that leads upstream up to the highest point where old wolfram mines exploited by the Germans in ww2 can be seen. This valley is an ancient glacier valley and a full protection area. You need to ask for a license to get in it and hefty fines are issued by the hundreds every summer as some people are unable to read signs. - Pedra bela isn't tb best view of the Gerês area. It's just the most popular because it is close and easy access. Again, because of too many people driving around instead of hiking , access might be closed in summer. In some places of the park you are almost able to see the ocean. This if you want to take real hikes, - Again, all you visited is the most accessible mainstream common small part of the commercial Gerês. All the other mountain chains and plateaux have much more to offer. The park can show people's human interaction with the land since megalithic times. Every era has used the mountains resources and left traces of their infrastructure. Celts, romans, medieval society and the recently disappeared agricultural society of our grandparents are in full display if you know how to where to look. But sadly, the park is mostly abandoned by the state and very underfunded. Local municipalitied are more interested in doing summer circus despicable acts and turn their local resources into pseudo resorts. Soon every last ancestral human activity will disappear as the elders die off and the government will finally be able to help save the world by detonating the entire place to get lythium. Money for the boys is more important than the landscape, memory, culture and the richest sources of water the country has.

Love this place. Great video

Our brothers from Galiza ❤ Great video. Parabéns.

Fantastic video. Great postcard for Gerês! Will share this.

Thank you for representing very well our country the portugueses loves you in RU-vid

Yosemite was an Indian site for thousands of years, a very sacred place too....now just a tourist destination. I truly hope Geres is well managed. Yosemite is very special still but Geres seems to be more protected..... interesting comparison. I really enjoy your videos. My good friend retired to Tomar last October. I've been preparing myself to visit. I like your idea about hoping over to Spain. I will definitely bring my passport ❤ I'm sure you will next time. Tchau 🎉

Appreciate the content. Keep it coming. Makes for great evening viewing and in keeping note for future adventures.

Hi Dave!! Loved your video. Sure came in handy cause next week I'll be traveling to Gerês :) Keep up with the videos

Gerês is awesome. My favorite is a walking trail to the Sete Lagoas, the view is awesome. You have natural Water foutains along the way, and the you get to see beehives. Just be careful going for a bath, when you reach the ponds, because the rocks are slipery!

Welcome Dave, Top video Sir.

Great pronunciation! Amazing in such a short period of time.

Thanks for this lovely video on Geres. There is definitely less information about this area and it's good to get other people's input. I'll be visiting in October and going on a 2 hour horseback tour, so excited!

Muito Obrigado. We need more people like you.

Loved this. Keep it up, Dave

superb video, thx m8! Gerês is a gem.

Moving there in a couple of months. Can’t wait.

Ive been to geres myself a few years ago, really beautiful place. Very relaxing. But its not the only natural park in Portugal. There are 13 all over the country. Keep up the good work fella

I was going to Gerês today but decided to prepare for my trip to the Algarve. I've only been to Campo do Gerês, so far. Beautiful place.

Excellent video and fantastic images!

Obrigado 🙏 bom dia.... I've been learning Portuguese on Duolingo....I agree your pronunciation is awesome. English too! Great job Dave!

Dave love this video 👍😍😘

Hi! Great video. Thank you for sharing ❤️

My favorite place in the country :) I go there every year at least once!

Your drone work is excellent.

👍💯🤗loved the insight of that region... beautiful 😮

Thank you for this video! This national park is so beautiful with its great views and possibilities like bathing in the pools of the waterfalls. I did a day trip there from Porto (inspired of that destination by your videos) and I was overwhelmed by its beauty. Did you get to know the village of the wolf killers? I can't remember the name, but there is a village well known for having a wolf trap where they drove the predators into a pit without using any weapon, that they anyhow hadn't owned. The trap system still exists (but not used since 1950s) and the local restaurant is called Fojo dos Lobos. Very interesting also is, how self sustained they live there, producing every thing they need and serve in restaurants on their own. Including a delicious vinho verde also named Fojos dos Lobos. 😀 I brought some bottles home. Cheers! 😁

Awesome video. You forgot the Peneda Gerês sanctuary, Nossa Senhora da Peneda with its many chapels along an huge staircase to the sanctuary. Theres more national natural parks other them Gerês, you got Mata do Bussaco, Serra da Estrela, Montesinho, Serra de Aires e Candeeiros, etc... If you go to Mata do Bussaco i advice you to stay in Luso and try the natural spring water, also the Palace of Mata do Bussaco is very very beautifull. If you go to Serra da Estrela, the best place to eat and spend the night its on Vicente in Loriga, also dont forget to check "Covão dos Conchos", the Museu do Pão (bread museum), the tower of course (Portugal second hights point, the number 1 is Pico in Azores), Seia, Poço da Broca, Loriga and its river beach and Lagoa Vale do Rossim. If you go to Montesinho the best place to spend the night its on Candeias do Souto, an old agriculture house converted to an hostel in a small village. Its near Bragança and north Spain, seize the oportunity to visit the old railroad station and its museum and dont miss the bragança castle. Theres an pizzaria called Casa Nostra thats does homemade italian pizzas. If you go to Serra de Aires e Candeeiros, theres plenty of natural caves to explore, Gruta do Alvados, Gruta de Santo António, Gruta da Moeda, Gruta de Mira Aire, and nearby theres many interesthing citys to visit like Ourem and its very diferent medieval castle, Tomar know for the knights templars church, Rio Maior for its salt mines and Fátima Sanctuary. If you need more places to see, eat or sleep, feel free to ask.

02:52 And it is a lake, created by a dam downstream. 06:24 That's because Portugal and Spain are both EU members and both belong to the Schengen area, therefore there are no "real borders" between countries - the border is generally a sign with the twelve stars of the EU and the name of the country in the middle. 06:58 Galicia and Portugal are very similar nations and both share mutually intelligible languages: Galician and Portuguese. In these inland regions (like the Xurés area) Galician is the majority language of the people. Btw, "flamenco" or Andalusian guitar is not really a good thing to put on a video in Galicia because most people won't like it at all (it's not traditional at all). 07:07 If you have a Portuguese citizenship card you won't need anything at all. Schengen area...

Really like your vids and this one is top notch. We'll be adding this to our list of places to visit. As a fellow golfer, let's see some videos of your top golf spots (Silver Coast & North.) :)👍

Wow, que maravilha. Such a joy, pity we don't have 'smell-a-vision', imagine the air was filled with fresh pine smells X:)

this is beautiful. would love to take a motorcycle trip there

Going there in 2 weeks

The true name of "cascata da Portela do homem" is, cascata de S. Miguel. Portela do homem is the name of that place, parish of campo do gerês. You only scratch a little bit of that beautiful and magical land.

You need to go to the natural pools in Geres. The water is unbelievable, super crystal clear :) So is the temperature though :D

IT'S def not Yosemite, but it is beautiful in Gerês. My ancient home land, as my father was from Magalhães, Ponte da Barca, (mom also minhota) so I used to walk all the way from granddaddy home to Lindoso. To me, it's a spiritual heaven 🙏and I am so happy you devoted some time to show case it.

I liked your effort to try to pronounciate the places in Portuguese. Next time you should go to "Fenda da Calcedónia". Great editing by the way!

very cool video, congrats

Hi Dave! Great video, I really appreciate all the dedication and enthusiasm you put into each video. Btw did I saw you in Tomar this past week? I just started whatchig your videos and I wasn't sure if it was you..

dude you had me cracking up at the first "gerês' lol that was unexpected

I went in Gerês last year , its amazing its beautiful place in world , and i lived in diferentes countries in world Gerês for me is the best .

Loving your work Dave! Fancy jumping on the GMP! one morning?

Damn bro your portuguese is getting very good , keep it💪

I love that you didn't take the name of the restaurant, I can see the Portuguese ways are influencing you already. Great video!

Only missing is the grizzlies but I know I have seen a few cougars😅

10:17 ~ Except when you go to High Places in Gerês that only a few know or are bold to go to...

@DaveinPortugal Next time you go to Gerês you should go and visit Ponte da Mizarela.

Next time visit the other side of the mountain and go to Vilarinho das Furnas a village that is under water and at the of the summer reapers because the water is lower. Or go to Cascata do Tahiti but be careful there is a way to go down (many people tries to go down the cascade and die)

You are right. Portela do Homem (man's small door) it's a passage in the river Homem ( man). I am a hiker. If you ever decide to come to Gerês again I will be glad to show you some more "hiden" gems.

he interior borders of the EU are practically without police control, residents can move freely, just need an identity card. Non-natives must use a passport, but the possibility of having problems at the borders is very low. These spas in Spain have hot water, in colder weather they are wonderful. If you continued along this road, you would enter Portugal again through the northernmost area, next to the Minho river, which is also very interesting and beautiful.

Dave, I'd be interested to hear more about how climate changes (even the El Nino right now) might change the weather in Portugal.

Great vídeo! Have you read about smuggling with spain during dictatotship Times and about the end of Vilarinho da Furna, the last known autonomous and self managed village?

Great video.. As a drone pilot i love your shots. What do you fly, also the dji mini 2, or 3?

Wow, I must go there, is it easy to reach by public transport or is a car required?

💚💚💚

"Portela" doesn't mean door, but mountain pass.

Curiosity Note: Gerês is on the exact oposite side of the world to New Zealand..... Gerês seams a bit small in this video, idk why. It's bigger and has more diversity

Don't miss ''a Ponte da Mizarela'' or ''Ponte do Diabo'' Cheers

Dave the sound of Cavado is on the first a, the other two a s is silent

O meu avo fazia a romaria ao sao bento da porta aberta. Saia a pe de guimaraes ate ao sao bentinho. E depois voltava a pe.

You don't need the passport to cross into Spain, your Portugal's resident permit is enough and you can stay up to 90 days, these are Schengen Area rules, border checks between Portugal and Spain were abolished in the middle of the 1990s. Immigration or customs checks on borders between Schengen member states are also illegal, that's why you don't see border guards.

Pls come to Soajo

You can drive to any country, except England because of brexit

💫💯🙌

The Caniçada Dam is served by Rio Caldo and not by rio Cávado.

My mom is from Gerês

Dude please, just please, go to Serra da Estrela!

These horses are not really wild, they are semi wild horses, they live freely in the park but may be owned by someone. In Galiza they have an event called the "rapa das bestas" where they herd the animals in the spring.