There is a region in the far north of Portugal where olive oil has a different history, a different rhythm, and a different scale. And that is precisely what makes it different.

Discover the Upper Douro in 3 days: Torre de Moncorvo, Vila Nova de Foz Côa and Freixo de Espada à Cinta. Centuries-old olive groves, UNESCO rock art, Transmontane cuisine and olive oil from the producer.

The history of olive oil in Trás-os-Montes isn't just found in books. In some villages, it's inscribed in the stones of an olive press, in the iron of a press, in the memory of those who still remember seeing oxen turning the mill. Lavandeira, in the municipality of Carrazeda de Anciães, is one of those villages.

The short answer: there is no bad time. Each season offers something different. The long answer — that one is worth reading.

Imagine this: a long table nestled among olive trees, the sun setting over a dry, golden landscape, the scent of warm earth and wild herbs. A drizzle of olive oil falls onto freshly cut bread. Someone laughs. No one is in a hurry. If you've never experienced a late July afternoon in an olive grove in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, there's a part of the Portuguese summer yet to be discovered.

There's a particular moment in an olive oil tasting that no one who has experienced it ever forgets: the instant when you close the glass between your hands, warm the golden liquid slightly, inhale deeply—and your nose recognizes something that had no name until then. Fresh grass. Green tomato. Almond. Fig tree in the sun.

Discover Vale de Pradinhos: a picturesque village in Trás-os-Montes with restored houses, olive tourism, and a farm run by four generations of women since 1913.

It's Friday afternoon. Work is behind you. You're on the road heading north — and you're not entirely sure what to expect. You just know you're looking for something different: time to breathe, food with a story, landscape without filters, and perhaps an olive oil that makes your tongue remember summer.

You are not in Italy. You are not in Greece. You are in Trás-os-Montes. And what you have in front of you is literally the Mediterranean diet — not the magazine cover version, not the fourteen-day meal plan, not the nutrition chart. The real version. The one that has always existed in this territory, before any name, before any certificate.

O lagar comunitário ao ar livre de Cortiços é um dos raros exemplos de olivicultura partilhada em Portugal. Descobre a história única desta aldeia transmontana e o seu papel no olivoturismo de Trás-os-Montes.

Family olive oil tourism in TMAD: Miranda donkeys in the Douro Valley, tourist train in Mirandela, solar cruise in Azibo, and visits to olive oil producers. The complete guide to activities with children.

Wellness & Olive Oil in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro: a complete guide to slowing down in northern Portugal — thermal baths in Vimioso, DOP olive oil tastings, nature trails and Transmontane gastronomy. The therapy that has always existed here.

Waterfalls, rivers and lakes in spring in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro: a complete guide featuring the Faia da Água Alta Waterfall in Mogadouro, the Sabor Lakes, the Tua Valley and the rivers of Montesinho. The best time to see this region at its most abundant with water.

Rosmaninho Gourmet Cobrançosa olive oil, from the Valpaços Olive Growers Cooperative, won the Premium Gold medal at the Paris Quality Awards 2026, during the Olio Nuovo Days event. Discover the olive oil from Trás-os-Montes that won over Michelin-starred chefs in Paris.

Complete guide to the Dark Sky® Vale do Tua — the first protected area in Portugal with Starlight certification. 5 municipalities, 5 perfect places to see the stars in northern Portugal. In 2026, with a solar eclipse and the Perseids in August, there has never been a better time to come.

April in the olive grove: The olive trees burst into green, the new branches lengthen, preparing for flowering in May. Discover the olive tree cycle in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro.

Part 2 of the TMAD Walways:Tinhela Footbridges Trail in Murça, Ribeira da Fraga Footbridges in Valpaços, Caretos Trail in Azibo and the PR10 Tuela Thermal Baths trail in Vinhais. Complete guide with verified data, difficulty, length and practical tips.

On March 29th, Alijó will inaugurate the Ribeira de São Mamede de Ribatua walkways — 3.5 km between the Roman bridge and the Tua River, in the heart of the Vale do Tua Regional Natural Park. Find out everything you need to plan your visit

After February, which shaped the future with pruning, March arrives in the olive groves of Trás-os-Montes as a month of transition—the cold is still felt in the early mornings, but the sun gradually warms and the earth begins to awaken. The olive trees prepare for the great effort to come: budding and flowering between April and May.

After January brings the silence of deep rest, February arrives in the olive grove with sharp tools and experienced hands. This is the month when the olive grower converses with each tree, deciding which branches stay and which go—a dialogue between tradition and knowledge that will shape the next harvest.