Guarda Overview

A granite stronghold situated over 1km above sea level, Guarda (pop. 27,000) is Portugal’s highest city. Whether it’s the chilly temperatures generated by the altitude or the icy feel of the cathedral and its Gothic architecture, things are colder here. Guarda’s residents have survived centuries of physical isolation and notoriously harsh winters. Two of the town’s epithets, fria (cold) and fuerte (strong), allude to this legacy. But don’t be fooled by the cool breeze; Guarda’s inhabitants are some of the most warm and friendly in Portugal. Guarda offers visitors relaxation, countryside, and a few remnants of centuries past.

The Sé (cathedral) is a blend of architectural styles, built over 150 years. One of its details speaks to the city’s Portuguese pride; on the rooftop is a posterior-shaped fountain facing Spain, known to locals as the Cu de Guarda. (☎271 21 12 31. Open Tu-Su 9am-noon and 2-5pm. Free.) The nearby Museu da Guarda has an archaeological and ethnographic collection as well as regional painting and sculpture. (☎271 21 34 60; www.ipmuseus.pt. Open Tu-Su approx. 10am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm. General admission €2, seniors €1, students and teachers free, and. Free Su before 12:30pm.) It’s also worth scrambling up the rocks to the castle ruins for a 360˚ view; from Pr. Luis de Camões take R. Miguel Alarcão and go right at Lg. João Soares.

Inexpensive pensões and residenciais are plentiful Pr. Luis de Camões, but fill up quickly on weekends.   Residencial Filipe , R. Vasco da Gama, 9, has well-decorated, medium-sized rooms, all equipped with TV, phone, and spotless private bathrooms. It’s only a block from Pr. Luis de Camões, 200m ahead of the public park. (☎271 22 36 58/9. Breakfast included. Singles €17.50-20, doubles 25-€30, triples €40. AmEx/MC/V.) Just down the street is Pensão Aliança , R. Vasco da Gama, 8-A, which has comparable rooms for a few euro less, with private bath and TV. (☎271 22 22 35. Breakfast included. Singles €15, with A/C €20; doubles €25/40; triples €30/50; quads €40/60. €2 less without breakfast. MC/V.) Traditional restaurants abound in the historical district; the oldest and best is   Restaurante A Floresta , R. Francisco de Passos, 40. Try Guarda’s morcelas torradas (barbecued black pudding) in the stone-walled interior. (☎271 21 23 14. Entrees €5-10. Open daily noon-4pm and 7-11pm. MC/V.)

Buses depart Guarda from Centro Coordenador de Transportes, R. António Sérgio (☎271 22 15 15), a 10min. walk from town. Rede Expressos runs to: Braga (4-5hr.; M-F 7 per day 8:10am-6:40pm, Sa 5 per day 8:10am-6:20pm, Su 6 per day 10:45am-6:40pm; €14); Coimbra (3hr.; M-F 4 per day 6:15am-6:40pm, Sa 8:05am, Su 4 per day 10:45am-6:45pm; €11.80); Faro (9-10hr.; 9 per day M-F 6:15am-6pm, Sa-Su 5-6 per day, 8:30am-6pm; €22.50); Lisboa (4hr.; M-F 8 per day 7am-6pm, Sa 2 per day 8:30am, 2:15pm; Su 8 per day 8:10am-7:30pm; €14.50); and Castelo Branco (1hr.; 7 per day M-Th 7am-9:15pm, F-Su 7am-10:45pm; €9:20). Taxis (☎271 22 18 63 or 271 23 91 63) to town cost about €3.

The tourist office and Guarda’s cathedral lie on either side Praça Luis de Camões. To get to the plaza from the bus station, exit from the upper level and turn right onto R. do Nuno Alvares Pereira, walking uphill for several blocks. Continue straight past Jardim José de Lemos on your left. At the peak of the park, continue straight until you reach Residencial Filipe, and then go left onto R. do Comércio, just past the white church. An open square will be ahead on the left; the tourist office is around the corner, and has free internet access and city and regional maps. (☎271 20 55 30. Open daily 9am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm.) Internet access is also available at CyberCentro Guarda located directly across the tourist office on the other side of the Pç. Luis de Camões. (☎271 23 22 50. €1.50 per hr. Open M-F 9am-10pm.) The bank Millennium BCP is next door to Residencial Filipe and has a 24hr. ATM outside. (☎271 20 51 60. Open M-F 10am-3:30pm.) Local services include Hospital Distrital, on Av. Rainha D. Amelia (☎271 20 02 00), and the police, on Lg. Frei Pedro (☎271 22 20 22). The post office, Lg. São João de Deus, 24, behind the Museu da Guarda, can send and receive faxes. (☎271 20 00 30. Open M-F 8:30am-6pm, Sa 9am-12:30pm.) Postal Code: 6300.

Daytrip From Guarda: Sortelha. Sortelha is a ghostly medieval village seemingly in the middle of nowhere, especially those to the carless traveler. The town’s name literally means “ring,” a name chosen for the fortified 13th-century castle walls that enclose the old town. Inside, the cobblestone streets wind like snakes, creating a labyrinth reminiscent of Lisboa’s Alfama district; indeed, both were founded during the Arabic occupation. Fortunately, the area is so small that it is nearly impossible to get lost. One of the town’s highlights is its castle, whose ruins are perched on the edge of a dangerously steep cliff. The castle walls run the perimeter of the village—the vertigo-immune are free to meander the edges. In the center is Igreja da Nossa Senhora das Neves, also known as the Igreja Matriz, with its beautiful Arabic mudéjar-style ceiling (open Su 10am-noon). Sortelha’s best party is on August 15, the Festa de Santo António; the celebration fills the street with returning emigrants, and sometimes includes a bullfight.

By the castle gate is Dom Sancho I , Lg. do Corro, which advertises “medieval food” and isn’t far off the mark; the menu draws heavily on meat and other timeless staples. Vegetarian options are limited to salads. (☎271 38 82 67. Entrees €11-17. Open Tu-Sa noon to 3pm and 7-10pm. AmEx/MC/V) The tourist office is in a kiosk to the left after entering the castle gate. (☎800 262 788; Open M and W-Su 10am-12:30pm and 2:30pm-4:30pm.) V. Monteiro buses to nearby Sabugal leave from platform 9 of the Guarda bus station (☎271 75 34 05. 1hr.; M-F 5 per day 10:15am-6pm, Sa 12:15pm, return M-F 6:45am-1:30pm, Sa 8:30am; €2.30). From the bus station in Sabugal, take a taxi to Sortelha. Taxis (☎271 38 81 82) gather in town, a 3min. walk from the bus station. Exiting the station through the cafe, go to the intersection on the right, then take a left onto Av. dos Bombeiros Voluntarios. About 50m later, take a right at the fire station and walk into Lg. da Fonte, where taxis congregate in the center. A ride to the castle gate in Sortelha costs about €10. You can ask the driver to return to the castle to pick you up a few hours later for no extra charge.