Central Portugal & Beiras: Why go

If you want incredible scenery, fresh mountain air and a taste of traditional Portugal, head inland to the the Beiras region. Relatively untouched by tourism, this glacial area is stunningly beautiful. The Serra da Estrela mountains are the highest in Portugal, with the peaks reaching up to 2000m, and the mighty Mondego River flows down through the valley. It's a haven for climbing and hiking, with trails leading past natural lagoons, through pine-scented forests and up, to give stupendous panoramic views of Spain and Portugal. In winter, it's where the Portugese come to ski.

It's roughly divided into two areas - Beira Alta (upper) and Beira Baixa (lower). The higher region is more verdant with vineyards, fruit orchards and pine forests, and this is home to the medieval hilltop towns, such as Guarda, Viseu, Covilhã and Almeida. Many were strongholds in Portugal's wars of independence and now feature crumbling ancient ruins and 18th-century fortresses and castles. Their livelihood is principally farming and agriculture, with markets selling pungent cheeses (the quejo de serra), spicy sausages, wool textiles and Dao wine. Locals are friendly and if you're lucky enough to visit during their fiestas (of which there are many), you'll be encouraged to take part - in Celuricoda this includes a competition where people climb a greasy pole to retrieve a flagon of wines!

The lower Beira Baixa region is more remote and unexplored. Based on the valley floor of the Serra da Estrella, its dusty landscape is strewn with vast granite boulders and tiny basic villages. Their agricultural lifestyle is harsh and poor by European standards, yet its charm lies in its simplicity. It seems almost untouched by the 21st century: donkeys work in the fields and lines of seeds lie drying in the sun. Whilst places to stay are few and far between, driving through the area is fascinating, and there's heaps to see.

This is also home to bigger towns that are worth a proper visit: Monsanto is Portugal's most ancient settlement, with its houses and roads carved out of huge rocks; the capital of the province, Castelo Branco, boasts 12-century walls and the atmospheric Idanha-a-Velha is brimming with Roman relics.