Bai�o

Between the terraced slopes of the Douro valley and the rocky heights of the Serra do Mar�o mountains, Bai�o is the most inland county of the district of Oporto and also the most rural.

Offering the visitor dazzling sceneries of tall mountains and peaceful valleys crossed by streams and rivers, the county also displays small traditional villages, such as Currais or Almofrela, and several estates with beautiful rural manor-houses from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as the House of Arouce, at Loivos do Monte, the houses of Capela, Cabe��o and Agrelos (with a 17th-century chapel and 19th-century tower), at Santa Cruz do Douro, or the 18th-century House of Tormes, where the famous Portuguese writer E�a de Queiroz lived for a while.

The county of Bai�o is also rich in archaeological terms, specially at the hilly zone of Serra da Aboboreira, where the Dolmen of Ch� de Parada (national monument) and the Dolmen of Meninas were found, together with other funeral and ritual Megalithic monuments.

Besides the dolmens and typical villages, the zone is also characterized by a lovely scenery of woods of oaks and pines, broom and heather which shelter a fauna of eagles, crows, partridges and rabbits.

Across the county of Bai�o, the visitor may admire small and picturesque chapels, such as the Ermida da Senhora do Loureiro (16th century), at G�ve.

As for the local gastronomy, it is worth tasting the typical caldo verde (�green soup�, made with a shredded type of kale, olive oil and one or two slices of sausage) and the delicious roast kid with rice cooked in the oven.

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