Saturday, 5 July 2014
Serra da Estrela is the highest mountain range in Continental Portugal. Together with the Serra da Lousa it is the westernmost constituent range of the Sistema Central and also one of the highest in the system. It includes mainland Portugal's highest point at 1,993 m above mean sea level at its highest point (the summit of the Pico mountain in the Portuguese Azores islands is higher, however). This point is not a distinctive mountain summit, but rather the highest point in a plateau, being known as Torre ("Tower" in English). Torre has the unusual feature of being a summit that is accessible by paved road. The peak has a topographic prominence of 1204 m and its parent peak is Pico Almanzor, in Spain. There is a ski resort at the summit, named Vodafone Ski Resort. The mountain range, situated between the municipalities of Seia, Manteigas, Gouveia, Guarda and Covilha, is about 100 km long and is 30 km at its widest point. It is formed from a huge granite ridge that once formed the southern frontier of the country. Source
