Parque de Campismo do Freixial

As the team also rightly points out, the best options to get up to in the surrounding area are the countryside walks all around: ask on site for recommendations. More walks as well as wildlife watching are easily at your disposal at the Serra da Malcata nature reserve about 45 minutes' drive to the north. Take some time in Penamacor too, for the town museum telling the story of the region – and its wildlife – from prehistoric times onwards, and then drive on to other old settlements of the region, such as Salvador 15 minutes away, Monsanto (20 minutes), set among massive mountain boulders, and Idanha-a-Nova, one of the oldest towns in the country. District capital Castelo Branco has the Jardim do Paço Episcopal (Garden of the Episcopal Palace) as its main highlight, one of the most famed public gardens in Portugal. From Fundão, 50 minutes away, access Portugal's biggest conservation area the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, as well as climbing and hiking in the park and the city surrounds, and sliding down slopes at the Vodafone Ski Resort.